 Vito A. Caiati |
Prints or Slides? I'm new to this site, and I'm fairly new to photography too... so here it goes: Should I use normal film or slides? I'm used to seeing photos of my family trips as a kid, with a projector, and I must say, that they just look better than any print we've ever had done, but is there any down side to this? Besides the obvious one that it takes a projector, electricity, time, space and a darkened room to view slides, versus flipping through a photo book which only takes... a thumb and an index finger!! Can I get good enlarged prints from a slide? would I lose any quality, compared to getting normal reprints from negative film? Thanks a ton.
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doug Nelson |
I have never been satisfied with prints made from slides. However, informed sources here tell me that I have not been buying the best processing. I got around it by scanning slides with my own film scanner and printing them on an Epson printer. I shoot prints for urban travel shots (European city scapes and general family stuff. For the intensely personal nature and landscapes, I've stuck with Provia 100 slide film or Kodachrome. Tired, washed out looking colors in prints nearly turned me off to photography in my early years. I shot only slides for 20 years or so, but later found out, through digital scanning, that it's possible to bring out gradation and color from negative film using Photoshop in ways that drug store processing could never do. Very often, the information is in your negative, but you'd never know it from the prints you get back.
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Vito A. Caiati |
Thanks Doug, very helpful...I have a couple more questions though. Do they sell film and or slide adaptors for normal scanners? are they any good? I have a normal flat-bed scanner, an HP scanjet 3200C, what would be an optimal dpi resolution to scan film with, so that it can be printed out nicely? Thanks again for the support.
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doug Nelson |
I formerly told people not to bother with the little slide adapters sold with flatbeds. Nowadays, if you get the right flatbed, the resolution is quite sufficient for scanning 35-mm negatives or slides. The Epson 2450, and the newer 3250 (go to their web page and double check these model numbers)scan film from 35-mm up through medium format and even 4 x 5. You'd want 2400 ppi to scan 35-mm. That Epson 32.. scans at 3200. Also look at the version that includes Silverfast scanning software. Such a scanner runs $400 or more, but it'd cover all your flatbed needs, too. Be sure it works with your operating system. Be sure you can add Firewire interface, if you don't already have it. These scanners, I think, will connect with USB or USB2. Alternatively, film scanners are going for $500-700 these days.
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Darren K. Fisher |
I would have to say slides are the way to go. I have sworn off all film. I have started shooting Velvia ISO 50 and rate it at 40. Since shooting with Velvia I feel my photography has improved a great deal. Better color saturation and so on. Use my Epson printer to print out the ones I want and do not have prints of those I do not want, no wasted paper if you know what I mean. I use the Dimage Scan Dual III by Minolta an excellent film and slide scanner with high reviews and it was with in my price range.
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Jody Grigg |
I shoot 100% with Fuji Velvia 50 ISO 35m Slide Film, is the best slide film on the market. I have had many prints printed upto 20inches x 30inches, results are incredible. There are a few ways to make prints from slides, the old one or still used by many places is to make a negative image of your slide then print that like regular film. Doing this you lose some quality. Another method is just to shoot light straight through the slide called E6 proccessing that way you do not lose quality. This used to be the most superior method but the new way with technology is to go to a good lab and they will clean the slide then scan it. Depending on what size print you want varies to what type of scanner a lab will use. I recommend calling the Slideprinter in Denver or checking out there website www.theslideprinter.com, I have used them the last few years and the prices and quality is great. Majority of there business is mail order. Jody
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Lisa M. Missenda |
Hi, I shoot Fuji transparency film. I print my work on a process called Ilfochrome. It is a direct positive to positive printing process. I love it because in the right hands it can create a print with great depth , color and detail. Also most scanners work better with transparency film since they don't have to deal with the conversion of the orange film base of negative film. I've scanned both and transperency has always been truer to the original shoot.
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John A. Lind |
Like Lisa, there is nothing, absolutely nothing, like a properly printed Ilfochrome. It has a glow that is unmatched by any other print material. Ilfochrome also has the longest display life of any color print material . . . bar none. They aren't cheap though. Only the BOB (Best of the Best) slides find their way to the lab that makes mine. It's reserved for large display prints. BTW, old-timers also call these prints "Cibas" as its former name was Cibachrome. It was created jointly by CIBA and Ilford during the mid-1960's (3 years of R&D). Ilford has always been its manufacturer. The name has changed at some point during several changes in the ownership of Ilford when they needed to remove the association of CIBA (and its name) with the product. I've also used The Slide Printer for small prints (4x6) from 35mm. The usual disappointment with prints made from slides is (a) the method used to print from a "positive" slide and (b) the print material used. -- John Lind
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