[filmscanners] RE: Dynamic range question

["Austin Franklin" <austin@darkroom.com>]

Hi Berry,

> Austin, with respect to your last sentence, isn't the point
> really that the
> contrast range of negative film is greater than slide film?

I'm not sure what "contrast range" is, but I know what density range is.
Slide film has less exposure latitude, and records on a higher density
range.  Negative film has more exposure latitude and records on a smaller
density range.  Negative film records a higher scene density range (which is
really the same property as has more exposure latitude), and records that
higher scene density range in a smaller density range on the film.

> What
> I mean is
> that you can lose either the shadows or the highlights...

No modern film scanner I am aware of will lose shadows or highlights from
negative film with "proper" setpoints.  A scanner *may* lose either from
slide film, depending on the scanner, and the setpoints.  It is a
misunderstanding that a higher dMax allows a film scanner to "digs into the
shadows"...you simply expose longer to "dig into the shadows", and if the
scanner isn't capable of recording the entire range, it will be at the
expense of the highlights, obviously.

> but slide film
> requires more precise exposures and is more limited in the range
> that it can
> handle.

Slide film requiring more precise exposure when taking the image (not when
scanning) is a different issue.

> Where I live and shoot, there is great contrast (high elevation
> southwest desert), and I think that is one reason for me to shoot negative
> film.  I never lose either end that way with the great latitude
> of negative
> color film.  But I'd like to hear what disadvantages there may be to this
> approach, if any, in my situation.

None if you don't plan on projecting the images.

Regards,

Austin


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