Comments on: Why shoot B&W film if you can desaturate color film after scanning?

By: hoodoorocket

hoodoorocket — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 09:28:22 +0000

Different BW film bases are sensitive to different segments of the light spectrum and are impossible to duplicate by desaturating an RGB or CMYK file.

The most dramatic example would be infra-red, but the same holds true with orthochromatic and panchromatic films, especially if controlled by the correct color filters.

Desaturated files can be punched up by adjusting the gamma, and splitting channels will give you a selection of different (tiny) segments of the light spectrum, but all of this is pretty anemic when compared to a well done B&W negative…

Good luck.

By: monophoto

monophoto — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 09:28:22 +0000

Because I can process the black & white film in my own darkroom. I can’t do that with color film. As a result, I have TOTAL control over the process with black and white film, something that is simply not possible with color film.

Because a digital black and white print can’t begin to compare with a black and white print made on real silver paper. Digital simply doesn’t have the dynamic range to handle highlights the way that film can.

And because I like using film and doing my own processing.

By: Bruce M

Bruce M — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 09:28:22 +0000

Have you seen anyone who can make a digital "black and white" look as good as a bad print from a master printer like A Adams? I have not.
I can not do it. I make much better prints in a darkroom then on the puter any day.