[filmscanners] Re: Filmscanners - is this about as good asitgets?

["Bob Frost" <bob@frost.name>]

Austin,

Please realise that I'm new to this digicam business, but it seems that, as
Julian said, when the raw file is converted to a tiff or jpeg in camera,
only part of the recorded 'dynamic' range is used. If you do that conversion
in computer with Nikon Capture or similar raw file converter, then it seems
you have the choice of which bits of the range to throw away (as well as
rechoosing how you want it sharpened, what color temperature, etc). I may be
wrong here; if I am, would those more knowledgeable about how these things
work correct me please.

My experience with some 300 images processed so far suggests that I can
recover more highlight or shadow detail by reprocessing the raw file with a
different exposure setting (takes about 5 secs) than I can by using levels
or curves on the normally exposed and converted image. To do that on my
LS4000 with more or less analog gain takes ages and you can never be sure
that the two images will register perfectly.

In the space of just 6 weeks  with my D100 I've become a full convert to
digital. I'm even getting sharper images, because, unlike you, I don't use a
tripod very often, and I can now use shutter speeds of 1000-2000 by simply
winding up the sensitivity when necessary (100 - 3200 iso at the tip of your
finger). Ok you get extra noise with the higher sensitivities, but then
faster films tend to have more grain, and you can't keep swapping film.



Bob Frost.


----- Original Message -----
From: "Austin Franklin" <austin@darkroom.com>

Boy, Bob...  Do you do this using a raw image file?  What does it do for
you, that you couldn't do with the raw image file, aside from "automate" the
process?  If you could elaborate more on some of the particulars about this,
I'd appreciate it.

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