Digital to Film

[Jerry White]

OK, I've seen lots of discussion regarding scanning film to digital and more discussion of print sizes from digital but not much about digital to film.

Since the new series of digital cameras (D30, 60, S2, D100) can give excellent results at 8x10, wouldn't it be theoretically possible to create a digital 4x5 file, output that on film and then print any size print you want with results equal to a 4x5 negative?

What am I missing here? I'm thinking that I can shoot digital for everything and if someone requests something larger than an 11x14, simply have the file output to film. Would that work?

Jerry

[Cal Maier]

A copy will never be as good as the original photo. You would not be gaining any advantage by photographing a digital print and then developing and enlarging the resulting negative.

The second generation image will not be as good as the first because you will be inserting another lens plus any flaws(no matter how small) into the equation.

You would be better off to res-up the original digital file with your software and make the large print from that.

I've seen 16X20 D30 prints that looked great, a lot depends on how you process the original file, and the printer that you choose.

Cal

[Jerry White]

Cal;
Thanks for the reply but I think you misunderstood. I'm not talking about copying a digital print.

I was speaking of taking a hi res digital image, creating a 4x5 digital file and then rather than printing, outputting via film recorder to 4x5 sheet film.

Jerry

[Dans_D60]

It not the size of the image (4X5), it’s the resolution and color density. The maximum resolution from the D60 CMOS sensor is 3072X2048. This would yield about 500 pixels per inch on a 4X5. Since film, for the most part, is considered an analog medium, the translation into comparable pixels per inch is a matter of discussion. There is no shortage of discussions related to film vs. digital and what the human eye will perceive. Nonetheless, any good quality medium format film would yield much higher concentration than an equivalent 500 pixels per inch. All kinds of other factors are involved including number of points in each pixel for color depth. I can tell you from real world experience that the D60 will produce excellent results up to 16X20 and even 20X30. But, sophisticated software is required to “fill in the dots”.

Good quality color printers require about 240-300 lines per inch. The D60 can produce 8X10, or slightly larger, at 240 lines per inch will no alteration of pixel depth. Anything larger does require software to interpret the missing data if one desires to print at 240 or more lines per inch.

It’s a matter of simple math. Your 4X5 film image from a D60 would yield approximately 500 pixels per inch. Not to mention the extra step of digital to film and then to print would also reduce resolution and color depth as part of the process.

Hope this helps.

Dan