Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/07/20

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Kodachrome: small prints from slides???
From: "TSL" <eno22@enter.net>
Date: Tue, 20 Jul 1999 19:04:57 -0400

<<Hello,

I've been an observer of this list, normally too busy to read the digest but
still find the information great. I have been thinking about switching over
to transp. from negs and like the original poster, have the same problem. I
was thinking of a digital solution. Could I simply get a low cost scanner,
and scan my transparencies?

Bruce>>
- -----
This problem just gets more complicated every day. Digital cameras are not
the issue but digital printing is, storage, manipulation, correction, etc,
etc, I use a Nikon 1000 and it's a good scanner and I use Photoshop but I
stay clear of this process for my "photographs" - I use it for many purposes
but not the final print. Mostly because I am not very good with pixels and
the whole thing so I'd mess it up.  But more importantly I find it
impossible to NOT mess with the image as it can always be better.  All my 35
chromes are processed and printed professionally.  Once I have the mounted
slide when I go to get a print I want exactly the image as it is,
realistically the closest match. If the darkroom is digital it wouldn't
necessarily matter to me if the final image was impressively the same as the
slide which a good digital specialist can do. Sure I like enhanced images!
But if I do this myself I'll have purple trees!  So the scanner is great but
using it as a serious medium depends upon your skill and your objectives.
The scanner is good for some who save and print from a great printer (some
swear by the Epson which has crossed my mind more than twice), or upload or
the various other methods. But then you will start expanding, printing,
better scanners....and then, ...I'm waiting until I have no alternative (or
until I can learn this stuff). It maybe easy but I'll find a way to mess
things up.  It's like framing - I've spent an hour cleaning one piece of
16x20 glass...