RE: Digital camera blues

Judy,
Noise is just like grain in film. It varies from camera to camera and from different exposures, image details, sensibility setting, etc. I have not found it to be a problem. If the noise does present a problem, it can be corrected in Photoshop.
 
If you decide to purchase a digital camera, you might want to check out this book:
"the photoshop book for digital photographers" by Scott Kelby

        -----Original Message-----
        From: Judy Seigel [mailto:jseigel@panix.com]
        Sent: Sun 11/9/2003 1:19 AM
        To: alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca
        Cc: alt-photo-process-error@sask.usask.ca
        Subject: Re: Digital camera blues
        
        

        Dear List,
        
        Wow -- I have to download & print everything out (except the part about
        the altoids, I'll remember that) so I can study properly. Nothing I've
        read so far got into the operational details this way. Thank you 100
        megapixels. So glad I asked.
        
        Someone mentioned cost, leading to the thought that in a year or so the
        digital camera is free... In my weight bracket (under 8 oz) it costs
        about $450 (many now with rebate) and the peripherals (memory card, etc.)
        maybe another $100? Total about $550 (??)
        
        If I shoot two film rolls a month, that's about $12 for the color film,
        and another $30 or so for processing, and I still have no real prints, but
        spend about $504 plus tax in 12 months. Which would "pay for" the camera,
        to assuage my guilt if I dump it.
        
        Question: everyone talks about "noise," which I take it is an artifact of
        digital photography more than analog. B&H catalog gave a serious
        description of how camera X CANCELS noise, which did, I admit, ring alarm
        bells -- I figured I'd HATE it just like I hate the auto correction of
        word programs -- but why do some folks get noise & Peter Marshall doesn't?
        Will I really mind noise? I tend to like blur, consider myself an f2.8
        photographer. Will it be more noise than gum prints have anyway? Does it
        get noisier in large prints? For instance, a project of the moment
        wouldn't be reproduced larger than, say, 5 by 7 inches. But later I want
        to make 13 by 19 negs. Would they have more noise ?
        
        Are folks who prefer analog developing their own film? I don't have
        time/heart for that in my old age. Too persnickety... And certainly I'm
        not about to develop color. Heaven forfend !
        
        Charlotte --ignorant question: what kind of files are 240 megabytes?
        Good Grief !! And your point about how to store the files when they're
        digital -- I didn't think of that... Burn a CD? Uh oh, Yuck. It is
        awfully nice to have that piece of film... is there a photoshop plugin
        that puts your digital neg on film? (Maybe next year?)
        
        You say with digital files "you only have images if you print them." As I
        recall either photoshop or my Epson software will print an array -- if so,
        theoretically one could print a contact sheet. I hate the thought of
        learning to do all that stuff... more learning curve, ugh ! But scanning
        film negs is also time consuming, so I see no easy way out. And I do know
        that I can't/won't carry 2 pounds of Nikon everywhere. (I suppose if the
        answer were simple, everyone would be doing it.)
        
        More questions ASAP.
        
        Meanwhile, many thanks to all...
        
        Judy