I can't say for sure about A&I, I've never used them. After my first experience with chromogenic B&W printed on color paper I decided to scan and print my own images. The border will eat into your prints, so your 4x6 prints will really be closer to 3 1/2" by 5 1/2" weather or not that's acceptable or not is up to you.
Glen Tortorella wrote: > Thank you, P.J. After learning more about this, I would have to > agree with you. It seems like the only lab that would get it right > is A&I. While their mailers are a bit expensive, it seems they > provide the proper services. What do you think? Also, if I chose > their 4x6 with borders, what effect do the borders have upon sizing? > I think the borders look nice, but are they inadvisable for the > smallish 4x6 size? > > Glen > > On Oct 3, 2007, at 10:20 PM, P. J. Alling wrote: > > >> B&W printed on Color paper is generally a bad idea. That's what you >> got >> from Wal-Mart. To get the best results, you need to print it one real >> silver based B&W paper or scan them and print them yourself. Or you >> need >> to find a lab that really knows what they're doing to get decent >> results >> on Color Print paper. >> >> Glen Tortorella wrote: >> >>> I forgot to ask: is all C-41 processing the same? I ask because on >>> my C-41 B&W I had processed at Wal-Mart, some of the whites have a >>> bit of a purplish tone. My instinct tells me that this is a result >>> of inadequate light in these particular photos...or is C-41 for B&W >>> at Wal-Mart just a bad idea? >>> >>> Thanks, >>> Glen >>> >>> On Oct 3, 2007, at 11:10 AM, Adam Maas wrote: >>> >>> >>> >>>> Try each, settle on whichever produces the better results for you >>>> (I'd forgotten the N80 was 1/2 stops only). The flash system in the >>>> N80 is essentially identical to the F100 (as is the metering) apart >>>> from the F100's selectable exposure stop increments. >>>> >>>> -Adam >>>> >>>> >>>> Glen Tortorella wrote: >>>> >>>> >>>>> Thank you, Adam, for your detailed commentary. Also, I thank >>>>> everyone else who has responded--even the fellow who said I should >>>>> have bought a Pentax (Dave, I think) :-) >>>>> >>>>> Adam: I tried dialing-in the -0.7 FEC value you suggest. It seems >>>>> the N80 will take only 1/2 increments (-0.5, -1.0, etc.). I do not >>>>> see any other way to set it. Is there something I am missing? >>>>> Also, >>>>> if I am correct about this, would -0.5 be sufficient, or would I be >>>>> wasting my time?...or is this just another reason to look into an >>>>> F100 (as you have suggested)? >>>>> >>>>> Glen >>>>> >>>>> On Oct 3, 2007, at 9:47 AM, Adam Maas wrote: >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>>> Glen Tortorella wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>>> Hi all, >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Since I have a new, more "advanced" body, the N80, I tried taking >>>>>>> some shots I would have avoided in the past. The results were >>>>>>> awful-- >>>>>>> not one good shot on the entire role, a miserable 0-for-24 (Kodak >>>>>>> Gold 200). >>>>>>> >>>>>>> In the past, I would avoid two types of shots: 1) indoor shots >>>>>>> and 2) >>>>>>> outdoor "high sun" shots in the fair weather months (i.e. during >>>>>>> the >>>>>>> hours of about 10:00-4:00). In doing so, I have assured myself >>>>>>> decent, but not necessarily perfect, results. Since the N80 >>>>>>> has a >>>>>>> better metering system (10-segment) and a pop-up flash that is >>>>>>> supposed to be pretty good, I figured: "let me see what it can >>>>>>> do." >>>>>>> As I have said, the results were dreadful. Here are the main >>>>>>> issues. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> 1) Every indoor flash shot showed at least moderate spotlight/ >>>>>>> wash- >>>>>>> out effect of the subject (people). >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>> Dial in -0.7 stops of Flash exposure compensation when shooting >>>>>> people with Nikon flashes (including the popup). Leave this >>>>>> permanently dialed in. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>>> 2) On the outdoor "high sun" shots, the camera turned a seemingly >>>>>>> minor shadows (through the viewfinder) on the subject's face >>>>>>> into a >>>>>>> black blobs that covered almost all of the subject's face. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>> Add flash, leave the -0.7 stops of FEC dialed in. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>>> 3) When taking indoor shots with the flash, I would meter (10- >>>>>>> segment) something like 1/30 or 1/45 or perhaps 1/60 at, say, f2. >>>>>>> With the flash powered up, I do not think it ever metered >>>>>>> differently. For example, 1/30 at f/2 was still 1/30 at f/2 >>>>>>> with the >>>>>>> flash enabled. Is this correct, or is there something wrong >>>>>>> with my >>>>>>> camera? >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>> That is correct, the N80 will attempt to balance the exposure >>>>>> if it >>>>>> can get the shutter between 1/125 and 1/30 or so, with a slight >>>>>> bias towards the flash illumination (hence the FEC I >>>>>> recommend). If >>>>>> you want a pure flash exposure, shoot in manual. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>>> 4) The one decent shot in the whole role--an indoor shot using >>>>>>> only >>>>>>> available light...go figure?--was spoiled by some sort of small >>>>>>> speck >>>>>>> on the subject's face. I usually keep my filter free of dust, >>>>>>> etc. >>>>>>> Could this speck have appeared as a result of the cheap >>>>>>> processing I >>>>>>> used (Wal-Mart C-41)? >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>> Probably. Check your negs. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>>> I know that using a fill flash may have alleviated the problem >>>>>>> expressed in issue number 2, but, since I have had my subjects >>>>>>> turn a >>>>>>> bit ghastly by using the flash, I am hesitant to use it >>>>>>> indoors or >>>>>>> outdoors. I would appreciate any advice or commentary (or >>>>>>> even pep >>>>>>> talk), as I am pretty down about this. What good is a more >>>>>>> "advanced" camera if I cannot even come remotely close to >>>>>>> satisfactory results on the more difficult shots (i.e. indoor, >>>>>>> "high >>>>>>> sun," etc.)? >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Thanks, >>>>>>> Glen >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>> Fill flash is your friend, but remember direct flash always >>>>>> looks a >>>>>> bit ghastly. A (cheap) SB-24 and an SC-17 or SC-28 cord will get >>>>>> the flash off-camera with full TTL, and is a much better option. >>>>>> >>>>>> -Adam >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> -- >>>>>> PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List >>>>>> [email protected] >>>>>> http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net >>>>>> to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above >>>>>> and follow the directions. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>> -- >>>> PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List >>>> [email protected] >>>> http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net >>>> to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above >>>> and follow the directions. >>>> >>>> >>> >>> >> -- >> Remember, it’s pillage then burn. >> >> >> -- >> PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List >> [email protected] >> http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net >> to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above >> and follow the directions. >> > > > -- Remember, it’s pillage then burn. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
