Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2014/04/13

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Subject: [Leica] Comparing film and digital resolution
From: hjwulff at gmail.com (Henning Wulff)
Date: Sun, 13 Apr 2014 09:59:24 -0700
References: <osxM1n00u0AFV7C01sxN9J> <6BB0304864D946309D842C5A630088C2@billHP> <03c601cf5650$28fd8730$7af89590$@verizon.net> <1397320524.66269.YahooMailNeo@web87701.mail.ir2.yahoo.com> <03fa01cf56cf$caea1070$60be3150$@verizon.net> <1397378795.19541.YahooMailNeo@web87702.mail.ir2.yahoo.com> <048401cf571d$9ec5e070$dc51a150$@verizon.net>

Actually I find this list a fine place to discuss things like this. 

Even though my use of film has been minimal since digital came along and 
isn't going to ever go up again, I like thinking about and discussing things 
like this. After all, I used film for a very long time and am very familiar 
with it.

This list is a good one for discussions like this because most of us have 
enough commonalities to have understandable frames of reference. Most of us 
are older and have used a large variety of cameras and photographic 
techniques whereas most discussion forums now have quite a few members who 
have never shot film.

I know well enough for my own satisfaction that the technical quality of my 
digital photography is substantially higher with less effort than I achieved 
with film. I have prints from my Olympus OMD M-5 that are technically better 
than what I was able to produce with my Mamiya 645 gear in the early 90's.

I know that under very specific circumstances film can provide higher 
resolution than digital, but very little of my film photography involved 
high resolution high contrast copy film with my best lens in front of it, 
all attached to a tripod. Normal colour and B&W photography doesn't produce 
that kind of resolution though.

In any case, discussions about why this is are interesting and we have 
enough people on this list who have enough experience and intelligence to do 
a fair job, even though we wander off easily in other directions.

The basic concept, that 'analog' film photography at the grain level is 
digital, and that 'digital' photography at the pixel level is analog has 
been discussed for quite a while, and is certainly relevant to this type of 
discussion. It shows that there is no 1:1 correlation possible at a basic 
level to determine ultimate resolution and that subjective valuations and 
perceptual concepts need to be considered. On that basis digital mostly 
comes out ahead, as to me prints from quite small digital sensors outresolve 
(most) film quite handily. But again, that doesn't mean that much for most 
photographs that touch us, as so many other factors, principally content, 
tend to be so much more important.

Henning



On 2014-04-13, at 6:38 AM, "Frank Filippone" <red735i at verizon.net> wrote:

> I sent a note to Frank D privately ..... 
> 
> I do not find this list a good audience for this level of technical
> discussion.....
> 
> I would think the Delete button would suffice, but apparently not.
> 
> I think I am getting a bit testy about the level of tolerance in this 
> group.
> 
> Frank Filippone
> Red735i at verizon.net
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> 



Replies: Reply from mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner) ([Leica] Comparing film and digital resolution)
In reply to: Message from billcpearce at cox.net (Bill Pearce) ([Leica] Comparing film and digital resolution)
Message from red735i at verizon.net (Frank Filippone) ([Leica] Comparing film and digital resolution)
Message from frank.dernie at btinternet.com (FRANK DERNIE) ([Leica] Comparing film and digital resolution)
Message from red735i at verizon.net (Frank Filippone) ([Leica] Comparing film and digital resolution)
Message from frank.dernie at btinternet.com (FRANK DERNIE) ([Leica] Comparing film and digital resolution)
Message from red735i at verizon.net (Frank Filippone) ([Leica] Comparing film and digital resolution)