[Leica] can't beat the minilab

[Alan Ball <AlanBall@csi.com>]

After a few days of pixels v. grain on the LUG, and related debates i've
had through private mail, I wish to share a little story. Nothing
original to it but...

Today 2 of my best friends delivered babies. The mums were at the same
clinic. I visited them, equipped with my problem free R8, its problem
free winder and a flare free 50mm Summicron. I shot 2 rolls of Royal
Gold 200 with no flash (plenty of daylight in the rooms)... 

Now the interesting part: I paid my double visit between 2 and 3.30 pm
(GMT+1). At 5.30 pm, I was back at the clinic with 2 small photo albums,
one for each mum, filled with VERY nice 10x15cm prints AND 2 framed
18x30cm enlargements of the best picture of each baby.

The thrill is obvious. But that is just the usual daily round the corner
minilab service, nothing more. 

Now, if I had chosen the digital chain (scanner+inkjet), I would now at
6.45pm be stuck in the horribly slow process of scanning the negs that I
would have had processed 2 hours ago. I would be nowhere yet, since I
would have no idea of the quality of each image. Then, at around 9pm,
after some Photoshop color tweaking, I might start printing. At +/- 2
minutes per print, if the balance is right, it would take me a further
hour at the very strict minimum. If everything went well, with not too
many computer crashes and paper jams, I would have been in a position of
delivering prints to the mums sometime tomorrow.

Count the cost of using the PC (no other work done during those long
hours), the cost of consumables (inks, paper), check the late delivery,
check the probable quality problems, etc.

I did not sell the pictures, but I often use minilab service for the
pictures I do sell. A good minilab, with a good processor/printer and
cooperative -as well as capable- clerks, and you have one of the best
image processing solutions in the world for color prints at a cost of
zero investment. The price of 1-hour processing/printing is not the
lowest, but remains very affordable.

Brussels is not a gigantic high tech city. And I know a few excellent
minilabs with great people in this town. I'm sure this is the case in
most medium to large towns anywhere in the industrialised world.

Conclusion: Leica glass + good minilab = the fastest super high
resolution/high quality image printing solution available today !

Alan