dale_schreiner

I just bought the HP 7960 for B&W home printing of negatives scanned from a Minolta Scan Elite 5400 (also brand new to me). I have much greater control over the final output and therefore produce much better prints than I've been receiving from the minilab's Fuji Frontier. Obviously a lot of this has to do with operator ability, but my personal workflow will be to have the lab continue to process the film and provide 4x6s of both color and C-41 B&W negative film that I'll use as rough proofs. I'll then scan and enlarge the ones I want and output them on the 7960.

I just installed the Minolta 5400 about an hour ago. This is my first film scanner so I can't compare it to the Nikon, but installation was simple and straightforward. I have scanned a total of one negative (Ilford XP-2) that seemed to go very well. I used the digital ICE function and there are no apparent dust spot or scratches.

 

I also received my HP Photosmart 7960 today so I was able to see the printed output from the first scan. I've got to say that I am extremely impressed with both the scanner and the printer. The scanner default modes and the highest quality print setting set aside any doubts I've had about moving to digital output - though I'm sticking with film for image capture.

 

Since both the scanner and printer are brand new to me, as is digital imaging in general, I realize that I have a great deal of learning ahead of me. But the initial results have really impressed me and are motivating me to get a deeper understanding of digital imaging.

Jeff - thanks for sharing these photos. My wife just returned from a monthlong visit with her parents and family in Vung Tau and Saigon. I know that she'll enjoy seeing these since she's already missing "home".

Brad - I like how the tree shadow echoes the woman's hair in the your third shot. Those are the serendipitous elements I enjoy about street photos.

I like the emotional contrast between the sleeper who is very relaxed with the dog who's senses are obviously heightened by something. The fact that we don't know what that something is adds to the tension. We can easily imagine that the dog does have a connection to the sleeper - even though compositionally it is loose - since it appears that it may be guarding the person in the hammock.

I'm also in the same situation as Trevor. I'd like to primarily output black-and-white prints scanned from Ilford XP2 negatives so I've pretty well decided on the Minolta 5400 film scanner and the HP 7960 printer. Although doesn't print A3/11x17, its mono output seems to be the best of the inkjets right out of the box and it's reasonably priced so I figure it's a good learning tool at the very least.

Kurt - I agree with what's been said above, especially the part about these types of photos just not being enough. They are a fine journalistic representation of what actually happened, but they are not what I think of (or the wedding party have have thought of) as wedding pictures. Perhaps an appropriate way for you to work in this style would be to act as a supplement to the "classical" wedding photographer. I did this for my wife's brother's wedding and it worked out very well since they got the traditional, posed work as well as my candid, and more fun, work in an additional album. The combination really rounded out the experience for them.

It'll be a shame to see this post removed. Here we have captured some of the best (and worst) that a photography discussion board has to offer. We've seen the photos, debated the merits of their technical execution, explored the photographer's rationale for the project, examined our own reactions to the subject and it's relationship to broader social issues and much more. Not bad for a few "simple snapshots".

 

Robert, please reconsider your request to remove this post.

I'll also vouch for the T3. Though it is expensive, it's lens it terrific and it easily fits in a pocket. I've had no trouble with the autoexposure, but I did need to get used to the autofocus since it was the first autofocus camera I had. The manual focus override is a pain and kind of defeats the purpose of a quicky snapshot type camera. The build quality seems very good as well.

41/14. Started with a Canon AE-1 in junior high school, moved to Canon F1 in college, got a Hasselblad for a college graduation present. I put photography on hold in my late 20s, but rekindled the flame last Christmas when I bought my first Leica - M6TTL and 35 Summicron. I haven't been this charged up about photography since my college classes and I'm looking forward to getting a film scanner in the next few months so I can experiment with digital printing and post some of my work.

David - Pro Photo Supply is probably the best all around shop. If you're looking for a Leica dealer, though, you'll need to go to CameraWorld.

Oh yeah, now that I look closer I can see a bit of writing on the bag.

The lighting/color balance looks fine - I probably wouldn't notice if you hadn't mentioned it. But I am curious as to why she has a pillow with her. Does she plan on staying a while?

<<Jewelry doesn't have any specs!>>

 

Oh yes it does -- cut, color, clarity and carat! Take it from a newlywed!

Dale Schreiner, Portland, OR, enthusiastic amateur