On Sat, 22 May 2004 17:35:37 +0100, "Bandicoot"
wrote:

"Stacey" wrote in message
...
Raphael Bustin wrote:

On Thu, 20 May 2004 19:19:00 GMT, Any Moose Poster
wrote:

In article ,
Raphael Bustin wrote:

I think I've shown on my "scan comparison" site that
a good film scan holds its own against optical prints
made with moderate skill in a home darkroom.

Depends on d the film original, the scanner, the printer
etc. Highly subjective.


Well, that's why I asked my lab -- very well
known and respected around these parts --
if they'd do an optical print for me. Their
response was, "Huh? Who does optical
prints these days?"

See Mikes post, it's about how long it takes to do it. Digital is
faster and easier for them to do, that's why they like them so
much!


I'm sure that drives the commercial decision.

However, while there can be (and is!) much debate as to which is better at
small to moderate enlargement, for really big prints digital printing seems
to have the edge. I'm talking about laser output to real photographic paper
here, though iris prints and similar have their place too. (I rather like
Epson Archival Matte for some things, and that's a hard effect to duplicate
with photo paper.)

This actually makes sense, since a laser outputter scales up without all the
issues that accrue as an enlarging lens is moved ever further form the paper
and/or has to be of ever wider angle.

The lab I use for exhibition prints does wonderful 30" square (or more, but
I seldom want more) prints with a Durst Lambda, for which I like Kodak
Endura Metallic paper. Ilfochromes are wonderful, but at smaller sizes the
difference is not that great, and as size increases the Lambda (or Light
Jet) results are sharper to my eye.



Even at 8x10", I'm quite happy in most cases with
prints off my Canon S9000. Lightjet and Lambda
are really beautiful, but a well tuned and profiled
Epson wide-format printer isn't far behind.

Yes, with a loupe, you can always tell it's an inkjet
print. But most folks don't buy art that way.

When I scan 4x5 and print on my Epson 7000 at
24x30", you can see individual pine needles at
thirty feet, and the tonality beats any Ciba print
I've ever made.


rafe b
http://www.terrapinphoto.com