[Leica] How I plan to get my M9 while keeping both kidneys...

[mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner)]

> I really don't know. I am sure a dedicated B&W sensor would give
> better results than the current bayer pattern ones converted to B&W,
> probably by a lot, but that is hypothetical, 'cause you can't buy one.
> In terms of resolution 25asa B&W film probably still has it. The
> benefit of digital is in the colour. 1 set of 4 Bayer pattern pixels
> can produce 12 bit or 14 bit colour (and even now 16 bit colour is
> talked of for the S2) whereas it takes a lot of coloured dye clouds in
> developed film to get anywhere near that, if possible at all.
> Frank


A black and white inkjet on rag paper has to apologies to make to darkroom
silver prints. They are getting to be a standard. What you see went a
photographer has a show in a gallery. Even old timers they'll have somebody
else do it.

But its not the print on the wall its how it got there.
Workflow is the buzzword.
With an M9 or M8 you're going to shoot a ton of pictures and see what you're
doing as you go along. With film you're going to shoot 2 rolls and hope for
the best. Later. And be happy when you've got something.
In Lightroom, aperture or Bridge your going through a lot if choices to hone
in which is the very best image of what you're trying to do.
Then you spend 5 minutes Photoshopping it.
Then you put a piece of good paper in your printer and hit the print bottom.
What you end up with is going to be way better then what seems now as an
amazing expense  of materials and time of shooting film; mixing up chemicals
and printing them in a darkroom.
Its a superior process.
Which may explain why 99.9 % of all serious photographers are working in
this process. 
Its not a half assed shortcut to making images.



Mark William Rabiner