Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/04/14

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Subject: Re: [Leica] enlarger or scanner?
From: Doug Herr <telyt560@cswebmail.com>
Date: 14 Apr 2000 07:17:05 -0700

On Thu, 13 April 2000, Luc.Stockman@ond.vlaanderen.be wrote:

> 
>      Dear luggers,
>      
>      This is my first attempt sending something to the LUG.
>      
>      I live in Harelbeke, Belgium and work as employee in Brussels.  My 
>      e-mail adress is luc.stockman@ond.vlaanderen.be.
>      
>      After discovering the website of Hans Pahlen I decided -after 
>      obviously sleeping for about 20 years- to pick up my old love for 
>      Leica M again and now I use a M6 + 35/2 Summicron 3rd gen.
>      
>      My favourite subjects are people in the streets, children, landscapes, 
>      available light.  For me the ultimate photographer is HCB who deserves 
>      a statue for his fine vision.
>      
>      Leica lenses are tremendously sharp, give lots of details and above 
>      all, I like the typical "bokeh" very much.  So I work most of the time 
>      wide open.  For that purpose I am looking for a nice used Summilux 50 
>      now. I shoot only with Tmax 400 IE 800, developed in Tmax.
>      
>      My greatest concern is how printing with the same quality of the Leica 
>      lenses.  For the moment I followed the modern way and use a Nikon 
>      LS-2000-scanner with Epson 760 printer.  Although the printouts look 
>      fine at 8x10s, I have discovered that I get more fine details when 
>      zooming in at my PC-screen then looking with a loupe on the printouts.
>      
>      So, even when I should use a good compact point and shoot camera I 
>      shoud get the same results!  My aim is to exhibit my framed 
>      photographs at least 30 x 50 cm (12 x 20 inch).
>      
>      
>      A simple calculation lead to the conclusion that a print out with a 
>      magnification of 10, gives a maximum resolution of 2900/10= 290 dots 
>      per inch.
>      
>      When you know that B/W-negs are about 10,000 DPI, classical enlarged 
>      10 times gives 1,000 DPI I asume lots of details are lost 
>      (1,000/290=3.5 times less quality) when printing the electronic way.
>      
>      Now my greatest concern: I intend very seriously picking up my old 
>      pastime and realising a complete dark room with Kaiser multicontrast 
>      enlarger and Componon lens.
>      
>      
>      Would this be a wise decision or am I old fashioned?  In the 
>      photography club were I go, every one had sold his dark room equipment 
>      yet decades ago (all are males above 50, I am 39).
>      
>      Or shall I wait until the market deliveres affordable scanners 10,000 
>      DPI and printers 4,000 DPI?
>      
>      
>      Within a few weeks I intend to be ready with my humble website on 
>      geocities.com.  
>      
>      
>      
>      Luggers, help me please because I am seriously in love with the Leica 
>      way of life.
>      
>      
>      Luc Stockman
>      father of 10 children
> 
  
Luc,

Others will disagree with me, but IMHO the enlarger is history.  Rather than purchasing a high-quality scanner I suggest using a custom lab's PhotoCD service, particularly the "Pro" PhotoCD scans.  Using these scans, prints as large as 16" x 20" are not a problem, assuming your negatives can handle the task.

For prints, the LightJet 5000 printer is hard to beat.  The LightJet is found at a number of custom labs scattered across the US; I don't know how widespread they are in Europe.  The LightJet 5000 reads your digital file and prints it on photographic paper, either color or B&W.  When it's done right the results are mind-boggling.

I've been using PhotoCD scans and printing with the LightJet 5000.  I'm a 40-something, almost 50-something fart who likes his Leicas mechanical and manual, who learned to print in a real darkroom, and given a choice I'll never use an enlarger again.  The LightJet prints are phenomenal.

Post a message when you've got your website up!

Doug (if it ain't Kodachrome it ain't film) Herr
Sacramento
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/telyt

Doug Herr
Sacramento
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/telyt
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