B/W with Canon 20D

[paul_chan4]

This is a newbie question. I like to shoot portraits in natural

outdoor environment with the 20D set on its built-in b/w parameter.

If I intend to enlarge it only up to 13"x19", would I lose out any

quality in the image without resorting to RAW? Would the highest

jpeg setting at its highest end be sufficient to produce acceptable

prints of equivalent size comparable to b/w film medium shot with

35mm format?

[v.anisimov]

Should be fine. Use large/fine JPG setting, set your custom parameter to yellow filter, +2 contrast, +2 sharpness. I also often need +2/3 to +1 exposure compensation on my 20d.

 

Good luck

[pjmeade]

Hello Paul,

 

Happy Christmas.

 

The generally accepted wisdome is that you get much beter control over your BW images by converting a colour/RAW image in photo-manipulation software.

 

Do you have any particular reason why you want to use the 20D in-camera conversion?

 

My experience confirms that in-computer is better than my 20D in-camera system.

 

Best wishes for the New Year. Peter

[awindsor]

<blockquote>

<I> f I intend to enlarge it <B>only</B> up to 13"x19", would I lose out any quality in the image without resorting to RAW?</I>

</blockquote>

Personally I think that in general 13" x 19" is pushing it from a 20D but portraiture takes enlargement well. In the days of optical enlargement this woulde be a huge print from 35mm. Large digital prints look "better" than equivalent sized film prints to most people

since there is no "grain". I find overly large digital landscape prints "empty" but this is not a problem with portraiture. <P>

 

I would shoot RAW but not because of resolution. The JPEG would be fine if you didn't want to make extreme edits. However in B&W you often want to make extreme contrast changes. The RAW file has 12 bit data and thus resists posterization better. If you are satisfied with the B&W from the camera then JPEG is fine but don't plan on making many edits in post processing.