Re: slide vs print

[P3D John W Roberts <roberts@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>Date: Sat, 19 Apr 1997 07:36:29 -0500
>From: P3D ron labbe  <studio3d@xxxxxxxx>
>Subject: slide vs print

>Prints are always second generation images- never as crisp as originals.

As I mentioned in the reply to George, I would consider slides to be
second-generation as well, at least in terms of the processes used.

>They are best as contact prints which is rarely done.  

Please clarify. Is the grain size, etc. of print paper at least as good as
good color negative film? I expect that an 8"x10" contact print (made from
an 8x10 negative) would be superior to an 8x10 enlargement made from a 35mm
negative, but I remain to be convinced that a 35mm contact print will provide
a better image and more usable detail than an 8x10 enlargement made from the
same 35mm negative.

>Also, I've never seen any
>color prints- including Cibachromes and dye transfers- with color as
>brilliant as with color transparencies- 

I won't dispute that (at least without some numbers :-), but an analogy comes
to mind: many's the time I've seen a TV commercial for a color television set,
and I jump up and shout "Wow! I've got to buy that set - the picture looks so
much better than mine!" - and then I think "Wait a minute - I saw that picture
*on* my set - how can it look better, even if the set being shown is completely
perfect?". I think the answer is that this type of commercial is very selective
in the type of image shown - sunsets, blue ocean, colorful tropical birds,
etc. - things for which saturated color improves the image, and then they
crank up the color in the commercial (perhaps just by choice of subject,
perhaps using electronic means as well). But if I'm watching Clint Eastwood
glaring at Lee van Cleef across the Spanish desert landscape, I don't
necessarily *want* to see intensely saturated colors - they weren't there in
the original scene, and they wouldn't look natural there. (Those of you who
shop for color printers may have noticed that many vendors will show sample
prints of brilliant tropical scenes, and maybe autumn colors - a much tougher
challenge is to get good results with human faces.)

I have some autumn color prints taken with Ektar 100 that would really hit
you with a blast of color - you'll want to hold your hands up to protect
your eyes, especially with the reds. But I'd almost have preferred it if
they'd toned the color down a little, at least for that subject.

John R


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