Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/06/21
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]This is an all too true situation! Actually, the machine can be programmed for the given 'bias' because each emulsion type has its own 'filter pack', as I referred to it since I started printing color back in the 70's when you used a stack of gelatin filters of various values to get the right balance. We had test negatives that the scanner could read, and if the balance changed, like when Fuji went from the older Fujicolor to the 'Superia' emulsions, before we had the test negatives, we could do what was know as a 'ring-around' print- this was a series of prints from a negative, and we picked the one having the closest balance- then we ran it again, and the printer would make a ringaround series with the new setting, making changes in different filtration in a ringaround pattern- that is to say, it made a print from the chosen bias, and made a series of prints that added increments of filtration, in small steps, and numbered each print- the operator had only to enter the number of the print that was closest to the desired balance. After a couple of ringaround prints, the balance for a new emulsion was pretty close, and then you assigned it a channel number, and programmed the printer to use that channel for that barcode. The problem with the chromogenic film was that the paper had three emulsions, each with a different 'slope' or characteristic response. IF you balanced the printer for a neutral gray at normal exposure, then when you encountered an overexposed negative, the longer exposure time to print it meant that the balance of the three emulsions shifted, relative to each other since they had different responses to different exposures. Normally, the channel program made corrections- to counter this 'bias', and with color negatives, the variation was not usually noticable unless the slopes where really on the shoulder or down on the toe. This meant that for the most part, the prints were withing acceptable balance. Certainly not what a 'custom' lab would do, but good enough for government work, as we used to say. The B&W chromogenic film however, would have a noticable shift- as I recall, overexposed negatives would hae a slight green cast, and under exposed would have a slight magenta cast. This bias could be either a coolness or sepia tone, to a puke green or rosy reddish cast, depending on how over or under the negative was!!! These printers are, as you know, are not idiot proff. IF you take a pretty sharp person who understands a bit of color theory, then you can teach them to run the machine in a week, and get pretty good results 75-85% of the time. Some folks are naturals and can start to 'read' the negative, even on machines with video monitors, and within a relatively short time, tell what bias to add to the channel- for example, the green light from flourecsent light give a magenta cast to a negative, so if you are printing along, and see a negative with a strong machenta cast, you almost instuinctively add 30M+10Y and depending on the situation, get a better looking print ( Our discussion of hospital lighting comes to mind- here the hospitals use these horrid cheap tubes that often require +40M to get close!) Unfrotunately, since the printers are somewhat 'automatic', you find too many instances where the operators, even with a video monitor, don't know about the density and color changing keys that let you 'get what you see!' I had a roll developed at the beach at a Wal-Mart where they had a brand new SFA-298 printer, and got prints back that were not properly exposed- I asked why hadn't they made any changes, and the little girl (well, I'm a grandpa, so anyone under thirty is a little girl to me!)why she hadn't made the necesary corrections- she said that she didn't know you could! I spent five minutes showing her which keys made changes in the density, and color, and she felt like she was suddenly empowered! I told her to read the manual until it made sense, get John Hedgcoe's book on color, and she'd probably be managing the place in six months! My only gripe is that the bulk film I get doesn't have the barcode (which is why a lot of places DON'T like to do bulk loaded film- it not because they are afraid of 'contamination'- they just are helpless to know what channel to use if the barcode doesn't tell them! Sorry for the ramble! I would say that many one hour labs are dependable- I worked at a Wolf Camera, and they were very good about maintaining the machines and seeing that the operators were fairly competent, and if you do find a competent one hour lab, it's not improper to ask to have a specific person do your film! I worked on weekends only, and had a 'regular' clientele who asked for me, or came by on weekends, and gave me sodas and houseplants in appreciation at times! A regular customer is easy to please once the operator knows what makes 'em happy! I personally knew who like darker more saturated print, or slightly lighter prints, those who liked a 'cool' look and those that like a slight warm look. Good luck on your search- I am sure that you can find a lab that has a kid in there that loves to make photos, maybe as much as I do/did and just pray that the manager treats 'em right, and pays them what they can be worth! Dan (Love to do it in the dark!) Post - ----- Original Message ----- From: AWSteg <upstream1@mindspring.com> To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> Sent: Tuesday, June 20, 2000 7:35 AM Subject: Re: [Leica] Delta 100 barcode?! > On some mini-lab printers it tells the operator which pre-set (Konica has a > set of keys) to set the printer to so that the prints are biased (by an > intelligent factory operator who set the presets) correctly. I have seen > this on the Konica only. It helps most of these one hour labs who hire > people with one hour of experience produce a decent print from various films > be it color or B&W. > > However, after finding this and getting some good reference prints form some > chromgenic B&W of both flavors I went back and the prior operator was gone > and the new operator looked at me like I was talking Greek when I asked him > if he used the key for the proper film (my B&W prints were magenta). He had > no idea what I was talking about. > > Al Stegmeyer > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Dan Post" <dpost@triad.rr.com> > To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> > Sent: Tuesday, June 20, 2000 1:14 PM > Subject: Re: [Leica] Delta 100 barcode?! > > > > The only instructions it could tell the scanner would be the frame number > as > > well as film type. The Fuji Printer we used could do index prints from APS > > or 35mm and you could even do it with film that had no barcode, but if it > > had no barcode- you had to enter the starting frame number manually. This > > was with the SFA-278 printer with the APS carrier and negative scanner. > > Dan > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: Mike Stone <mike.stone1@virgin.net> > > To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> > > Sent: Tuesday, June 20, 2000 3:22 AM > > Subject: Re: [Leica] Delta 100 barcode?! > > > > > > > Byron > > > > > > I believe that it is an instuction for mini-labs to create index prints > > > in the style of APS. > > > > > > Mike Stone > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Byron Rakitzis wrote: > > > > > > > > Hi, > > > > > > > > The last few rolls of Delta 100 that I've run have a barcode imprinted > > > > on one side much in the same way that I see in C-41 films. > > > > > > > > Does anyone know what this barcode is for? > > > > > > > > BTW, if anyone is curious the lot number for the Delta 100 is: > > > > > > > > 38CTB7X03-01 (exp. Aug 2002) > > > > > > > > Byron. > > > > > >