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I find it easier to get better tonal values with film than with digital. With digital B&W, I often need to underexpose and then postprocess to lift the mids and shadows while increasing contrast. With film, most of the time it seems that very little postprocessing is needed for basic documentary/situational photography. B&W landscape is different, I suppose, in that postprocessing carefully is needed whether film or digital.Second one is sharper, has better tonal values, uses the Golden Mean compositionally, and tells a story of isolation by separating the subject from the bustling crowd. None of which has anything to do with being shot on film.
Not so surprising perhaps, considering the decades spent tweaking the B&W chemistry to get the tonal response curves right.I find it easier to get better tonal values with film than with digital. With digital B&W, I often need to underexpose and then postprocess to lift the mids and shadows while increasing contrast. With film, most of the time it seems that very little postprocessing is needed for basic documentary/situational photography. B&W landscape is different, I suppose, in that postprocessing carefully is needed whether film or digital.
Well, from the samples I found I would guess that a certain color filter is applied and then a transfer curve to get some toe shoulder. Which is how a neg B&W film + print workflow would behave. It doesn't have to be more complicated than that.Good point Lars,what do you think of the "dynamic black and white"setting on the panasonic lx3.Is it recording the image as a black and white film would or is it just post processing a straight colour image.I presume its the later but is the former possible?
It really depends on what kind of film you refer to. Color slide film has curves that are tweaked for final presentation, i.e. it's not really suitable to make prints from (but we do it anyway). The one exception is E100G which was designed for scanning, and possibly some versions of Astia. Negative film, especially B/W, can have a huge exposure latitude due to its non-linear response, and cover in the range of 12 up to 20 f-stops. But of course it's a lot easier to tweak a digital tonal curve after the fact than using the zone system all the way through exposure and development. Come to think of it, that's probably what you meant.even though i am looking a film myself (for various reasons), i have to defend digital, especially the Epson. it is capable of beautiful tonal values, as long you know how to expose and process properly.
even better, it allows you to use older, less contrasty lenses, to greater heights.... as an example, the 50 Lux above can be murky and muddy with some film (i've read many comments on it as it's one i own) whereas it's easy to cut through the fog with digital by tweaking the levels and the like.
My older L1 also has the Dynamic B&W film mode, it isn't bad but processing a colour shot always gives more options.Good point Lars,what do you think of the "dynamic black and white"setting on the panasonic lx3.Is it recording the image as a black and white film would or is it just post processing a straight colour image.I presume its the later but is the former possible?
I a had a shoot at Chateau Versailles outside Paris last month where I used my Hasselblad 501, Contax 645, and Canon 5D's.
To be honest with you the images from the film cameras just looked so much better that I lost interest in editing my digital files.
Yea ...FILM LIVES ...How I Agree...:grin:
and I soooo AGREE
love to tweak abit after my negatives are scanned to disc
and probably PREFER that than a real darkroom of dodging & burning
and film is sooo breathtaking with its Subtleties ,Flaws & Gradations of Light & Tones
For me I'm hooked on Film & right now the M2
/everything manual no bells & whistles
BUT will buy a small compact either the gx200 or DP2 for my Pocket
and Yes I have become a Bore :ROTFL: with no more Digital Camera purchasing
CLEDRY: You are Correct not the Best Pixs to compare but it was the only Film versus Digital /same man same location shot I have
and I do get carried away with the Enthusiasm of the Moment...
Cheers ! Helen