[Leica] Film/Dev combos and Scanner contrast range

[mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner)]

On 3/2/07 7:35 PM, "Alastair Firkin" <firkin@ncable.net.au> typed:

> I have spent the last 2 weekends working on my film/dev combinations,
> using the recommendations of the 205 FCC  magazine. The process is
> easy, BUT SLOW, and the results are pretty scary --- at least for me
> it explains a lot of my problems ;-)
> 
> The bottom line seems to be the EI rating of the film is a
> combination of the film and developer type. T-max 100 rates as 80 in
> ID-11 and 64 in Rodinal FOR ME. The contrast range is determined by
> the development time. You measure Zone VIII negs to give you a
> contrast range to suit your enlarger.
> 
> Does any one know what contrast range suits scanners, in particular
> Nikon 5000 !!!! Is it the density range of 1.2 as for diffusion
> enlargers or 1.01 as for condenser enlargers?
> 
> cheers


My entire 35mm body of work gets scanned with through my Nikon 5000 I have
it right here in a bag on the floor ready to be set up when I put together
my desk tomorrow.
And I've not found any botched unprintable negs which don't scan fine on it.
>From bullet proof to thin tan stains of images way under developed.
They all print print later fine. It takes a revaluing of everything you've
ever done when you put together a portfolio of digital inkjet prints. Negs
you never could get a print out of which you've dismissed you can now work
with fine.
Lots of over exposed stuff you can print fine with inkjet. Those crushed
highlights can be separated in Photoshop without too much problem playing
around with curves levels and the magic highlight shadow control. And that's
after scanning it well using levels in the first place.
I'd be interested if people think they need to make a different kind of neg
for inkjet than for darkroom. From all I can tell the inkjet can take
anything.
I find scanning chromegic a tiny bit easier than real film. But those
differences are diminishing with every scanner coming out.


Mark Rabiner
8A/109s
New York, NY

markrabiner.com