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[OM] Re: Digital B&W vs Film B&W

Subject: [OM] Re: Digital B&W vs Film B&W
From: Moose <olymoose@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 27 Jun 2005 00:12:04 -0700
AG Schnozz wrote:

>I've been doing quite a bit of experimentation with conversion
>of color images to B&W.  Simple you say?  Sure, but with a
>twist.
>
>A huge advantage of conversion to B&W in post-production is the
>ability to experiment with different "filters" to achieve
>different effects.  These are just as good as using filters on
>the lens when shooting actual B&W film.
>
>Really?
>
>Uh, no.
>
>You can achieve similar effects, but there are notable
>differences.  Film has response curves which are different than
>digital sensors or color film.  The way film renders blues,
>greens and reds is in different ratios than the human eye. These
>differences are critical as the film is able to then reproduce
>what we "think we saw" instead of pure reality.  Skintones are
>better and the tonal sweep is more pleasing.  Most of all, film
>has a shoulder and toe that renders details in ways that give
>you a long+short tonal range, whereas digital/color is either
>tonally long or short.
>
In theory, though, there is no reason why the raw, linear output of a 
color digital sensor can't be mapped to reproduce the spectral response 
curves of various B&W films. The techniques you and others mention and I 
have used are rough approaches, but nowhere mear what could be done. 
This stuff is still all in its infancy. One of these days, some lovable 
fool will gather spectral response data from some B&W films and create a 
RAW converter that duplicates them. Of course, it will probably be 
written for Can*n or Nik*n.

Moose


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