• Please use real names.

    Greetings to all who have registered to OPF and those guests taking a look around. Please use real names. Registrations with fictitious names will not be processed. REAL NAMES ONLY will be processed

    Firstname Lastname

    Register

    We are a courteous and supportive community. No need to hide behind an alia. If you have a genuine need for privacy/secrecy then let me know!
  • Welcome to the new site. Here's a thread about the update where you can post your feedback, ask questions or spot those nasty bugs!

Best Digital Compact for B&W Tonality?

Kenny Gerlach

New member
I am trying to find a digital compact pocket camera that can produce high quality B&W artful images of full tonal range for 16x20 inkjet prints suitable for gallery exhibition that come closest to the old film on fibre print quality:

1. Any opinions or discussion on the viability of achieving this ambitious goal?

2. Any success or failure stories out there?

2. Can anyone suggest compacts to consider or should one wait till these small chip cameras improve their noise reduction algorhythms and increase higher ISO ratings and resolution? A very short list seems to be Panasonic LX2, Leica DLUX3, Fuji A30, Canon A800. Shooting RAW seems most likely.

Frank Piechorowski's posted nu__ (abbrev unclothed0 image (Pulchritudinous) is a wonderful example of full tonality captured as a monochromatic image. However, Frank indicated he is using a Canon 10D DSLR.

--Kenny
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Hi Kenny,

I like your quest. You are in great company. If you have any camera there are many ways to start the process.

Lighting is one of the first requirements since shading provides the depth and 3dimensionality and sensuous impression of images.

Next the camera. There's such a lot of work that can be done with any well exposed digital image. The key is to use RAW, of course since that alone will allow one image to be developed with the tonality you wish in the clouds and the shadows.

Controlling the range of light in the original exposure is worth a huge investment in time as trying to recover subtle tonality in a poorly exposed image is an impossible challenge.

Lighting is in fact, IMHO, far more mportant than the choice of Camera.

In the developement of the image, again before investing in an expensive camera, knowledge of the extra advantages of assigning colors to tones wield deliver a huge advantage over vanilla transformations.

Then of course there's printing but that's another subject entirely.

I'm impressed by the dynamic range of the 1DsII and the 1DII camera, which together with the extra capabilities for discriminating betwen colors with the same tonality by assigning new levels of brightnes, provide an increased dynamic range over less professional cameras.

It is said that the Fuji DSLR's are expecially valuable for this type of work and I have heard wedding photographers who shoot Canon still have a fuji to get the detail of the white satin and silk bridal gown and delicate veil.

If there's more money, then one can get better sensors such as the Leica M8 which uses a Kodak CCD

and produces wonderful pictures. I have made available M8 siles which you can request and practice with but not for publishing.

The M8 has issues with being sensitive to infrared light and so needs an external filter especially when working with synthetics which others wide will appear as purple/ maroon. But for B&W it is no bother at all. Look at Sean Reid Reviews online which does cost but is so worthwhile.

Asher
 

Kenny Gerlach

New member
B&W Art Photography With Compact Camera

Asher,

Thanks for the thoughtful and comprehensive reply that agreeably emphasizes importance of dealing with LIGHT first. Yes, it in the end it is how light has been handled that most attracts me to an "artful" image.

Eventually, I will plan on shooting in RAW and getting the best exposure to begin with. Your camera recommendations and discussion helps me to focus on the appropriate choices.

1. Until I can afford the dream Canon 1D or M8 do you have any recommendations on a lower cost and smaller pocket compact model with RAW (i.e. Panasonic LX2 and Leica DLUX3 which will require expensive lens, Canon S60, and Canon G7 if they come back with RAW, for examples) so I can practice on B&W high tonality portraits in lower light conditions?

2. Also, what would be the better non-RAW pocket cameras (i.e. Canon AS800-IS and G7, Fuji 30 for examples) for the same goal?

3. You mentioned printing and I would like to ask if you had a limited budget to consider lower cost printers what would be the one printer you recommend to produce the highest quality B&W print for the best value (i.e. Epson 2200 as an example). For gallery hanging, etc. I would plan on working with a local digital lab.

Thanks again, members' insight would be most valuable.

Kenny
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
The S 70 is the last S series camera made by Canon with RAW format as well JPG of course.

It zooms form 28 mm to 100 mm (3.6 x) and the ISO possibilities are Auto, 50, 100, 200, 400, but you can extend that by dialing in negative exposure comp. The CMOS chip is 7.1 MP and very well regarded.

The only fault is that it doesn't have a shoe for Canon flash.

For that get a G series digicam used.

These cameras are not to expensive and represent good value for money. In order to print 16x20, one has to decide on standards by which you'd be happy.

For example, what distance would you view the image and by what standard would you call it good or bad. How much fine detail do you ned to resolve? This is very much subject dependant. Skin, for example may not be as challenging in B&W as a an image of very fine structure such as a crowd of known personalities where each head at 16x20 might be only .5" and need the detail.

I'd just get one of these cameras, or even earlier versions, and you are set to start.

Lighting and workflow then is all you have to work on. Let's deal with orinting once you have the files preopared to your satisfaction. Still, an inexpensive Epson Photocolor printer that takes 8x11 paper would be perfect to start with. You can always reprint.

Show us how you start and then you will get help at every stage.

Good luck,

Asher
 
Top