Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/01/11
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Simon Stevens aasked: > What's the verdict on the Epson 2200 for black and white? I have a chemical > darkroom, but I no longer have enough time to use it. I'd like to switch to > a digital darkroom but while I have been very impressed with the results > from Piezography, I don't think I have the time nor patience for that > either. <<< > > On paper, the Epson 2200 looks pretty good. I have heard good things about > it as a color printer, but I haven't talked to anyone who does serious B/W > who has one to get a verdict on the results from scanned B/W negatives. How > do the results compare with a chemical darkroom?<<<< Hi Simon, I can only answer the many questions re the 2200 as a novice user, but what I've seen and accomplished in a very short time, I have to say the quality of B&W prints have me "almost" convinced I only require my wet dark room for making contact sheets! The 12" X 18" prints we've made from scanned negs at 4000 on 13 X 19 paper from B&W Tri-x, Tmax, HP5 and even negs from 45 years ago are coming off the printer better looking than a wet print of equal size. It's quite amazing at the quality with better gradation, blacks and clean whites and contrast than one can accomplish through an enlarger and wet skills of printing methods and grades of paper. And I'm still learning after a couple of months. I'd say a skilled computer PhotoShop scanning technician would blow me out of the water with the extra quality available through their skills. If printers keep improving in this direction, and I can't believe I'm writing this after being in wet darkrooms since May 1950, I feel sooner than later the wet darkroom set up will only be used by the absolutely die hard folks. Trust me I'm not kidding, as this 2200 has me wanting to print like crazy as it's so easy and creating beautiful prints that once I sit down and start, I don't have any desire to quit. :-) Why? Because the prints are so incredibly beautiful! :-) ted Ted Grant Photography Limited www.islandnet.com/~tedgrant - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html