Slide or Negative for enlargements ??

[gustavo_semeraro]

Hello !

 

I'm taking aerials using a 35 mm and I would like to enlarge some

pictures to sizes like 80 cm X 120 cm ...

 

The digital lab guy told me that he can do that with very good

quality by scaning the negative ...

 

However, I had some recommendations to use slide films instead of

negative ... Scanning a slide film would give me more quality for

enlargements of this size ...

 

What would you recommend ?

 

Thanks in advance !!

 

Gustavo Semeraro.

[yat_tang]

If you are going to scan the film, then I would use slide film. My home scanner works much better with slide. Its quicker, have better color and much less grain. If you don't scan it, then why not use negative film. I am sure the result can be just as good.

[freehueco]

Assuming equivalent ISO ratings, the slide film will have much finer grain. This is most noticeable in big enlargments.

 

Of course, with prints of 80cm by 120cm, you'd better be using medium format( or larger) film. The difference wont be quite as much.

[scott_eaton]

<I>The digital lab guy told me that he can do that with very good quality by scaning the negative </i><P>If the lab guy is telling to use neg film, why are you considering slide film? Just to make his life difficult? The relative merits of slide vs neg for scanning seem a bit irrelevant if the lab you are using would prefer you to use neg film. Many commercial scanners I've worked with, particularly the Kodak PhotoCD system, deliver horrid results with slide film because of their lack of dynamic range. If slide film gives you better results with a home scanner, then buy a home scanner.<P>I've printed thousands of arial photos and found the biggest problem to be getting through the haze, color correcting that haze (much more difficult with slide film) and having enough contrast in the images if taken from a high altitude. If the air is clean and dry, and you're not shooting from a super high altitude, use the loWest speed print film you can like Fuji Reala, which will scan just as good as all but the finest grained slide film. If you're not familiar with the technical nuances of slide film you might want to stick to the forgiving lattitude of print film for this job.