Re: [Leica] film or flatbed?

[henry <henry@henryambrose.com>]

>>If you are going to go digital you want a FILM scanner and a printer.
In answer to someones question about scanning I wrote:
>>If you are going to go digital you want a FILM scanner and a printer.
>>They can provide very high quality prints. Pretty big learning curve and
>>worth it. If possible set up your enlarger as well and have the best of
>>both worlds.
>
Steve Patriquen responded:
>Well, for an introduction to digital, I agree with the Leica "expert" :-)
>(must be one of you guys - 'fess up!)
>
>A decent print scanner is US$50 now, and may even come with a usable imaging
>program. For an investment of $50 - $100 Henry can see if he enjoys digital
>manipulations and learn the basics. Heck of a lot cheaper than springing for
>a Nikon or Kodak (etc.) film scanner (and he would still want a flatbed).
>

Yes, flatbed scanners are very inexpensive now and offer good 
performance, but for setting up a digital darkroom they are not the best 
choice. A film scanner will allow the user to get MUCH more of the tonal 
scale and detail from the negative. 

Laying a 4X6 print down on a cheap flatbed might be good enough to post 
to the web or to make a moderate quality enlargement but you'll NOT get 
all thats there by a long shot. Its like using a point and shoot for your 
photography - its cheap and easy but not always so good!

There is significant loss in the printing to the 4X6 (I am here assuming 
that the print is generated by a machine, a fine hand made 8X10 could be 
a different matter) In any event you WILL lose quality by taking the 
cheap flatbed route. Its really a dead end as a means to producing a fine 
digital print.

So, if anyone wants to dabble in the digital darkroom, an inexpensive 
flatbed is a way to get your feet wet but certainly not the final answer. 
My guess is that anyone who is using high quality camera gear will be 
dissappointed by the results.
For a print quality that will consistently rival and in some cases 
surpass the traditional darkroom I suggest a quality film scanner as the 
route to a complete digital darkroom.

A couple of years ago the affordable digital darkroom was mostly a 
tantalizing mirage on the horizon. Today it is a reality, fully capable 
of producing fine prints for an investment not much different from 
setting up a traditional darkroom. The level of control and creative 
possibilities are more complete than most anyone - even the most diehard 
traditionalist - would or could endure in the dark.

At the same time the one thing you can't make in the digital darkroom is 
a wet darkroom print. You can make a beautiful inkjet print. The two are 
different animals, each with a distinct and often equally wonderful look. 
That is why I suggest that if possible, having both methods available is 
the best of both worlds.

Henry