internegs

[4play]

Q - I shoot 135 chromes. Prints are, as you know, expensive. Whether they be enlarger prints or digital. I like the digital prints greater tonal range though. Anyway... I have thought "what about an interneg "? Why not scan the 135 chrome to output a 4x5 neg that has been pre-manipulated in imaging software so I can then make straight enlarger prints ? In printing multiples of images this would be more cost effective, right ? Especially if I print myself. & a whole decade ago I saw the same thing being done w/ B&W 135 negs scanned & manipulated & output to 4x5 negs for straight printing. They looked great. No difference from the 4x5 original negs I was printing. I am all new to this digital thing, prefering the stink of fixer. Comments appreciated.

[ssim]

I really think that internegs are a thing of the past.

Why not just scan your 35mm slide to a digital image and then have your digital printed. I have been scanning some of my old slides and while the quality is not as good as the original I have had some pretty decent results.

I used to shoot alot of stuff with the Pentax 6X7 on Ektachrome transparency film and then have the interneg made. There is always a loss of quality to a certain degree each time you have a copy made.

I have scanned a couple of the 6X7 slides and taken the Tiff into be printed and the quality is pretty much the same as the original print from the interneg. In some cases I felt that it was better because you can do the manipulation in Photoshop.

[4play]

thanks ssim,

my main concern is cost in exploring this idea. i don't know exactly how much it would cost to scan for greatest quality 4x5 neg output, but once done i can print personally & save the $$$$$, AND get a much better image than hoping joe lab tech has the exact same vision of (& standards in printing) the finished print that i do. or even be able to print (more cost effectively) larger images by scanning the 4x5 neg, since the 135 format has to be enlarged soooo many times more than a 4x5 neg for the same printed image size. but being aware of the successive loss of quality in each generational step away from original, i am not sure i want to scan again a neg which is an already interneg.

i really need to get another 4x5 field camera....

[Yance]

I'm not sure if you would get any major benefit from the interneg process. Why not scan the original slide with a high res film scanner and then have the file printed by a specialty digital lab?? I don't know how much scanning and getting a 4x5 interneg is but I would think it is just as expensive as getting a digital enlargement?