Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/07/04
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Martin, The previous posters have it correct. Fuji Photo invented or bought the patents for a blue laser which made practical the current digital printer. Their "Frontier" trade name is a line of digital printers that print on normal photographic paper. Because it is a digital file various software magic makes even really bad negatives look OK. You know, Kodak 800 speed film that has been X-rayed a few dozen times, left to bake in the glove compartment in Florida for a few weeks, and last, well seasoned with a few years spent in the closet. The Frontier line also unleashed the digital market as it makes digital files look just as good as it does negatives. The Frontier is an amazingly well designed engineering feat. The software knows what size print will be made and scans to a resolution sharp enough to make that size look very good indeed: It is not designed to enlarge further than that size. However, if ask for an 8X10 then it will increase the scan resolution to provide the needed resolution for that size. Maximum resolution is about 5000dpi which would be across a 2 1/4 inch wide slit. Also understand that bringing in a really large file will not appreciably increase the image quality of the finished print. Either the Aladdin unit or the PIC unit on the Frontier will convert the JPEG or the TIFF into a specific bitmap for the lasers to burn. Yes, image information is thrown away as the lasers can only print roughly 300dpi on the paper. Don dorysrus@mindspring.com - -----Original Message----- From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us] On Behalf Of Martin Krieger Sent: Friday, July 04, 2003 8:29 AM To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us Subject: [Leica] Fuji Frontier 4R prints lose detail that is in the negatives? I would expect that a 4x print in a reasonable enlarger would retain all the detail visible in the negative with a 10x magnifier and make that detail easier to see. Yet when I examine 4x prints made in a Fuji Frontier digital system, I seem to be losing detail. I gather that the Frontier digitizes the negative and then prints with a laser onto ordinary photographic paper. I imagine that the scan is insufficiently fine to pick up all the detail in the negative, just enough so that when the print is examined with the bare eye it appears as sharp as one might hope. (Perhaps also, electronic manipulation, say sharpening, loses some detail?) Hence the 4R print, examined with a loupe, is inadequate. If I understand all of this correctly, optical enlargement with a decent enlarger, is "inefficient." Lots more detail is retained in the print than can be seen with the naked eye. Digital scanning and enlargement can be more "efficient," putting down just enough detail so that the image feels sharp and complete with the naked eye. This is not necessary, in that a digital system could have all the detail available in the negative, and print it out (at say a real 1000dpi). Am I right in my understanding? MK - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html