On 8/8/06, Jack Davis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Appreciate your thorough answer. As it happens, I'd read and re-read > Fuji's on line specs, so am aware of Astia's lower RMS value. > In comparing neg/pos films, I was curious about a structural difference > that would give the advantage to one or the other.
If you look at the "real" contrast range on the film, it is very small in the case of color negative film. The darkest parts of the negative (lightest parts of the image) are not very dense, and the lightest parts of the negative (shadow areas) are limited in transparency by the orange film base. So to get the full dynamic range out of the image, the scanner is working in a relatively small range of light levels coming through the film. That's why it looks grainer. An E-6 transparency will have a contrast range from almost completely clear (film base transparency) to as dark as the shadow ranges will go in development. This is what the scanner has to deal with when scanning it, and in many cases the dynamic range of the final image is limited by the scanner, not the film. In terms of PITA factor, it is MUCH easier to scan slide film than print film. The color balance is at least relatively consistent, and your light-dark ranges are about the same film to film as well. Not to mention the WYSIWYG factor between looking at a slide on the light table, and looking at the scan coming out of the computer. -Mat -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
