[Leica] Large JPEGS, TIFFs, C-41

[Frank Filippone]

During the process of taking any image and scanning it, for the sake of this
discussion, we will assume there is no degradation of the image.  When the
JPG is made, there is some degree of degradation and artifacts are created.

If you then process this again, you get more degradation and more artifacts.
Again and again?  Yup, more degradation.

Lightroom takes the original image, no matter what format, and adds to that
image, a side file that contains the instructions to modify the image in a
particular way.  There is NO degradation of image no matter how many times
you edit the image.  Only the instruction set is changed.

I am not sure how other image editing programs work.

Most C41 processing  machines are set up to create Jpg files.  They also use
only jpg files to crerate prints.  ITOD, this was not true.

If you want the best there is, have your film processed and scanned.  Look
at your images.  Buy a scanner and scan yourself those images you want to do
something with.

Frank Filippone
Red735i at verizon.net

I had some C-41 that I shot because I wanted to use my "real" Leicas again.
I went to a store that I used to use over many years of film photography and
who had dealt with C-41 film for me and done it well. They told me that
their new kit could only produce jpegs.

I guess I have a few options:

(i) Use the large jpegs that they generate and convert them to TIFFs and
work from there.

(ii) Find someone else who will dev the C41 and produce me TIFFs

(iii) Soup it myself - not really on (although I could use true B&W film, eg
FP4)

(iv) No, that option isn't even up for consideration - and if you thought
it....

So, questions:

* What are the relative merits of using large jpegs, converting them and
using the TIFFs, or and can they be seen as a viable alternative to TIFFs?

* @UK LUGers - any one got any ideas of good UK houses that can handle C41
and generate TIFFS? Peak seem only to want to produce JPEGs and are
definitely not cheap.

Thanks for your help/comments

Peter