Scanner, enlarger, or contact printer? Which one and why???

[AdamD]

Hi all,

WARNING: You are about to read a line of rookie questions!!! Get ready....

Happy holidays! I recently posted a question in the Camera section of the forum. I got great feedback from a lot of folks. Basically, I have not started in LF photography, but looking into what involved. I understand the front end of the process reasonably well, right up to "click" of the shutter. Then what?

I was asked in the thread, what was I planning to do, "scanner, enlarger, or contact printer?" In large part, that's what I'm trying to understand better. I don't quite understand the details of any of these methods, the pros and cons and the cost involved.

I'm ok with re-learning the developing part of the process that yields a negative, but then what?

Can anyone share their suggestions on each of these post processing methods and what's involved as well as the cost?

If you can point me to a good source of reading material too!

Many thanks.
Adam

[Two23]

Scanner: easiest and quickest. Requires least space.

Contacts: needs dark work area, supplies & some equipment, still need to scan print to put on internet. A 4x5 contact is very small for landscapes.

Enlarger: fairly big equipment, needs supplies and dark work area, starting to get into some time and money.

Kent in SD

[Tin Can]

I primarily use V700 to scan very old prints and Polaroids, fixing the time caused flaws, such as rips, fade, colour in PS.

The V700 pressure pad is useful to flatten the bent heirloom.

If framed I put the old photo right back in the original frame, behind the 'fixed' one, with clean glass. For the next generation to discover.

For funerals I may enlarge a few to allow old eyes to see loved ones better. Most want nice happy pics of the deceased in their prime.

My sideline is slowing way down...

[Duolab123]

I primarily use V700 to scan very old prints and Polaroids, fixing the time caused flaws, such as rips, fade, colour in PS.

The V700 pressure pad is useful to flatten the bent heirloom.

If framed I put the old photo right back in the original frame, behind the 'fixed' one, with clean glass. For the next generation to discover.

For funerals I may enlarge a few to allow old eyes to see loved ones better. Most want nice happy pics of the deceased in their prime.

My sideline is slowing way down...

Good point about saving the original. Think about people who had precious slides and movies put on VHS tapes that now have nothing. I would start with an inexpensive Epson scanner (would need a 4x5 film holder ) most of us want to buy equipment. It's intoxicating.

The V850 was on sale over the holidays, only 1 grand, I was tempted, but I came to my senses.

[Two23]

The V850 was on sale over the holidays, only 1 grand, I was tempted, but I came to my senses.

Looks like they show up used for $800 or less.


Kent in SD

[Tin Can]

Contact prints are easiest, cheapest and possible to do in a tiny space

If desired Ilford PQ can develop film and paper, stop is plain water or for paper citric acid food grade, very cheap, I use the least smelly fixer and most modern, TF5.

RC paper washes is a couple minutes and dries flat.

If I use X-Ray film cut to anysize, it becomes way cheaper and faster than a DSLR, computer, scanner and inkjet printer

Yes there are automated camera printer combos. But Polaroid started all that with chemical printing...

[Tin Can]

I must add, that most cell phones are overkill for a quick copy of any film or print when used for internet viewing.

I make special website digi images all the time, they look great!

[Alan9940]

In order of cost: contact printing, scanning, enlarging. As already mentioned, both contact printing and enlarging will require a dark area, though enlarging will require a larger dark area. Yes, 4x5 contacts are generally too small for a lot of landscape subjects, but can be jewel-like and quite exquisite depending on the subject. Personally, if I were just starting out today I’d do contact printing.

[Jim Jones]

Someone who is already equipped for developing film needs little more for contact printing. I don't regret enlarging since the 1960s. The cost of several enlargers and a few darkrooms used since then and spread out over that many years is modest. However, modern scanners, editing programs, and printers would make scanning logical if I hadn't shifted to digital capture. Digital editing and printing are far more efficient than doing it in the darkroom when many prints are sometimes needed. My most popular darkroom print for years required half an hour of spotting each print. After converting it to a digital file, a better job of spotting was faster and only had to be done once. A few of the thousands of digital prints I've sold or given away over the years may mean less to the owners than darkroom prints. Most others don't care. Each of us has to consider our resources and what we want to produce.

Advice on this forum can help others make good technical and economical decisions. The more precise the question, the more accurate tha answer.

[Tin Can]

I am waiting for D860 with pixel shift

https://www.nikonrumors.co/category/nikon-d860/

A D750 will work until then