black and white slides versus prints

[Bill Wright]

Slides have a greater dynamic range if projected in a darkened room.

Bill

[NY]

The only black and white slide film I've tried (I was given a roll, process-paid, by a camera shop where I had films developed - they probably couldn't sell it!) was horrendously slow - about 25 ASA - and gave very moody, contrasty results, with a lot of highlight and shadow detail missing. It certainly didn't have the tonal range of Kodachrome or Ektachrome but in black and white.

But I think that was unusual. In general, slides give better dynamic range than prints. However, it is the printing stage where you lose extreme tonal detail with prints: I was gobsmacked the first time I scanned a negative and compared it with the print that the shop had made: there was a lot of highlight and shadow detail in the negative that had been crushed to black or white on the print.

[Andy Bennet]

Yeah, right. They may have a greater dynamic range on the slide, but remember the projected 'black' is actually a white screen illuminated by the light in the room.

A black and white slide would have higher dynamic range if shown on an OLED TV in a darkened room, as the blacks will be deeper as the screen itself is dark and there is no breakthrough from the screen backlight.

[Brian Gaff]

Yes but they need to be actually copied correctly to stop them being like a tv with the contrast full up, Soot and whitwash as we used to say. Brian

[tabbypurr]

To get that dynamic range you need a pitch black room. Most audiences aren't ok with that, so one usually gets poor contrast.

NT

[whisky-dave]

I used agfa dira-direct at 32 ASA difficult to get and expensive which is w hy we used stock pan F which was cheap and DIY develop it for RAW chemicals from the chemisry lab.

I remmeber we had do downrate the film and expose for longer than the 50 AS A pan F was rated at IIRC 10 ASA was nearer the mark so we went to FP4 125 asa and rated it at about 50 asa.

We weren't really interested in that, it was the process.

But that also depends on your technique, don;t forget printing papers came in many types and weights and contrast even I had grades 0-5 and I think yo u could get an extended range. There was also matt, pearl, stipple, glossy and many semi finishes which also affect the look of the final print. Then you could use a glazzing machine for a super gloss finish, which had the effect of increasing contrast and sharpness.