Re: [Leica] The cost of consumables

["Anthony Atkielski" <anthony@atkielski.com>]

From: Paul Chefurka <Paul_Chefurka@pmc-sierra.com>
Sent: Monday, September 27, 1999 23:12
Subject: RE: [Leica] The cost of consumables


> I'm making one exception to this - a digital darkroom.

I can definitely vouch for a digital darkroom.  I scan everything directly from
film, and from then on, it's digital.  My current scanner is 2700 dpi and gives
me scans of about 3800x2500--enough for a 38x25-inch enlargement (with a
100-line screen), and even though many would dismiss that as "not enough
resolution," it still looks great.  And it's a lot easier than trying to project
slides.  And of course you can tweak things endlessly.  I have no need of
prints, so I don't miss them--and I can always have a lab make prints if I want
them (they all provide digital to print now, even to photographic paper if I
want).

The investment depends on how much quality you want.  You need a reasonably fast
computer with a truckload of memory, a big, sharp, good-quality monitor (Sony is
my favorite), and a good film scanner.  A printer is optional, depending on how
often you print and what quality you require.  It can be easier just to burn a
CD and have the print done by a lab; conversely, you can also have a lab do a
high-resolution scan and put it on CD if you need a better scan than your own
scanner provides (but make sure you have lots of RAM if you go this route).

  -- Anthony