Re: [Leica] Darkroom depression

[ray tai <razerx@netvigator.com>]

Hi Dan,

400CN can be overexposed by 3 stops with good results but cannot handle
underexposure.  I shoot the stuff at ASA200 just in case.

Ray

Dan Honemann wrote:

> Hi Ray,
>
> I just got back both my first contact sheets (Tri-X) and my first set of
> Kodak 400CN prints.  The latter turned out nicely, but rather washed out for
> b&w--more like a dull grey or brown & white.  The contact sheets were a real
> eye opener.  Since the entire roll is printed on one sheet, only one
> exposure level is set, and boy do all my exposure mistakes show up!  The
> biggest surprise was when the guy at the lab told me that the shot that
> would print best was one that on the contact sheet was pretty severely
> over-exposed.
>
> All of which merely confirms what you suggest here: learning the intricacies
> of processing and developing what I shoot will have quite an influence on
> _how_ I shoot.  I have a great deal to learn.
>
> Dan
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> > [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of ray tai
> > Sent: Thursday, May 04, 2000 8:35 AM
> > To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> > Subject: Re: [Leica] Darkroom depression
> >
> >
> > Hello Dan,
> >
> > To the beginning B&W photographer, darkroom work is the most important
> > classroom of all.  I would recommend to the photo student that
> > before seriously
> > shooting any pictures first learn how to print the traditional
> > way.  Only when
> > you have gone through the pain and suffering of trying to print an
> > underexposed/overexposed, thin/dense negative will you fully
> > understand and
> > appreciate the technical aspects of TAKING the the picture in the first
> > place.   I have friends who would show me contact sheets of Tri-X
> > shot in the
> > middle of the afternoon with half the subject being the sky and
> > they couldn't
> > figure out why it has no tones.  Try to print the sucker and you
> > will quickly
> > learn how to expose it in the first place.
> >
> > By the way should you choose to forgo the darkroom try Kodak
> > CN400 which I find
> > to be exceptionally scan friendly.
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> >
> > Ray
> >
> > Dan Honemann wrote:
> >
> > > As someone who is just getting started in photography and
> > planning on doing
> > > my own (B&W) processing, I'm now facing a difficult choice.  Do
> > I invest my
> > > money/time in building a darkroom and learning chemicals, or in buying a
> > > scanner and printer and learning PhotoShop?
> > >
> > > And here I thought deciding between the 35 'lux and 'cron was difficult!
> > >
> > > Dan
> > >
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> > > > [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of
> > Dan Cardish
> > > > Sent: Thursday, May 04, 2000 6:14 AM
> > > > To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> > > > Subject: Re: [Leica] Darkroom depression
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > As far as colour is concerned, the darkroom is certainly
> > dead.   For black
> > > > and white, there is some life still, but only a little.
> > > >
> > > > Dan C.
> > > >
> > > >  At 05:13 PM 04-05-00 +1000,
> > AlastairF@bhs.grampianshealth.org.au wrote:
> > > > >O me miserum,
> > > > >
> > > > >All this talk of the Darkroom being dead, just as my long
> > > > awaited, dreamed
> > > > >of and planned studio/darkroom becomes a reality. I first started
> > > > >photography in the home darkroom of a professional photographer
> > > > whose mother
> > > > >could not bear to see the room unused. Richard and I toiled away
> > > > for hours,
> > > > >perfecting a very imperfect system of development, learned
> > > > mainly from trial
> > > > >and error (like the day I washed our most precious film in
> > hot water and
> > > > >watched the emulstion slide down the sink). When that
> > > > closed/became a junk
> > > > >room again, I managed to convince my mother to share her
> > > > laundry, and made
> > > > >quite a neat darkroom fold out cupboard arrangement. When I left
> > > > the nest,
> > > > >(and mother changed the locks) I was confined mainly to crawling
> > > > under the
> > > > >sheets and blankets to load film -- very uncomfortable in summer. On
> > > > >graduation, I managed to build a darkroom into the bathroom. It
> > > > was a nice
> > > > >set up, but the steam from the shower was always a problem. Next
> > > > house and a
> > > > >dedicated small darkroom -- dreams coming true, but the work
> > load of post
> > > > >graduate study made sure it was never used, and I moved out the day I
> > > > >stopped study. Now firmly planted, I have had 7 years of
> > digital darkroom
> > > > >misery, and finally the mighty plans are about to come to
> > fruition. ATL
> > > > >Autolab 3, the mother of all water temperature control
> > panels, a wet area
> > > > >huge sink, an exhaust system to suck the rooms air out and over
> > > > 15 times per
> > > > >hour, and a beautiful enlarger bench, AND YOU ARE TELLING ME ITS
> > > > ALL DEAD. O
> > > > >me miserum
> > > > >
> > > > >Cheers
> > > > >
> > > > >Alastair
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> >