The Wandering Photographer

Photo Printing: A Test of Luster Photo Papers

I would like to start making some fairly serious prints of some of my best photographs, so I decided to get my hands on a selection of papers from a couple of manufacturers and run some test prints.

I ordered an 8.5x11 sample pack from Red River Papers, as well as a small package of Ilford Gallerie Gold Fibre Silk.After a quick test of the Letter size sheets, I followed up by ordering 13X19 versions of the paper to make bigger prints for better comparison

So Here is a list of the Papers tested (Prices based on 13x19 sheets)

My Current Papers

• Epson Ultra-Premium Luster - Resin Coated - $1.54 / sheet
• Ilford Gallerie Smooth Pear - Resin Coated - $1.92 / sheet

New Trial Papers

• Ilford Gallerie Gold Fibre Silk - Baryta Coating - $4.40 / sheet
• Red River Arctic Polar Satin - Resin Coated - $1.18 / sheet

Here are the photos I used for comparison purposes. These are not great shots but I thought they brought something to the test.

 

I chose these because I thought they would give a good representation of what I want to see in a paper. The shot of the Grand Tetons is dark and foreboding. I thought it would be difficult to render. I was right, it gave slightly different results on all papers. Mount Rushmore is a nice standard tourist shot that combines color with the beige rock. The butterflies are intended to see how the papers render bright saturated colors. The Lighthouse is one of my favorite B+W shots and I wanted to see how neutral the papers rendered grayscale images.

I print on an Epson R1900 printer using Epson inks. I have calibrated my display with the i1 Display 2 from XRite. I used printer profiles supplied by the paper manufacturers to do the printing.

Results

Tests of the Semi-Glossy Papers

The Resin Coated (RC) and Baryta papers are of the semigloss or luster type. All four did a very nice job of rendering the saturated colors of the butterfly picture. The Epson Luster, The Ilford Pearl and the Red River Satin were almost identical and either would make fine prints for display. The Ilford Gold Fibre Silk showed slightly less saturation but its lack of a resin coating might contribute to more longevity.

The Mount Rushmore shot showed more differences between the papers. The Ilford Gold Fibre Silk rendered the scene just a bt warmer than the RC papers did. It was note an unpleasant warmth, almost like a slight warming filter was added to the camera. The RC papers were, again, almost identical and slightly cooler than the Fibre silk. It was not bluish but more neutral. All papers did a great job and again I would base my choice on use (sale, or home display) and price.

The Grand Teton Shot showed the differences more starkly.The Epson Luster and the Ilford Gold silk presented an off-putting, slight green tinge to the clouds. The Ilford Pearl and the Red River Satin rendered the clouds as I saw them. It also showed more definition in the dark fir trees and foreground grass. The clear winner here is the Red River Arctic Polar Satin Paper.

The Black and White rendition of the lighthouse also showed the differences in the papers.The Red River Satin gave the most neutral and pleasing version. Second best was the Epson Luster with a very slight pleasing warmness to the shot. The Ilford Gold Silk had a sickly yellow tint and was entirely unacceptable. For black and white glossy photos I think I'll stick with the Red River Paper. If I need to add a tint I will do it in Lightroom.

Conclusion

While there was no clear winner. I will probably keep the Epson Ultra-Premium Luster in my cabnet and will add the Red River Arctic Polar Satin to my repertoire. If the quality of the Satin holds up its cheaper price will make it my everyday media of choice. I will also keep a quantity of Ilford Gallerie Gold Fibre Silk on hand for those special prints where its attributes shine. Ilford Gallerie Smooth Pearl just doesn't stand up to the rest and when my supply is gone I won't be buying any more.

Thanks for Reading my take on Photo Papers. Remember that YMMV and the best way to find a paper you like is to test a batch. Also, it is critical that you use the printer profiles from the paper manufacturer and that you calibrate your monitor with appropriate equipment.

I also tested three Matte Fine Art Papers -- Buts that's another post.

Until next time.

© 2011 Time Marks

Quick Review: Olympus E-PL2 Micro Four-Thirds System Camera and Lenses

William McKinley Memorial and grave site. Canton, Ohio

Note: I know there has been a year long gap in posts on my blog. It was unfortunately unavoidable. But, I'm back and I'll make a sincere attempt to post at least three stories a month in the future. Thanks for all the support.

Introduction of the Four-Thirds camera system allowed Olympus and Panasonic to create high quality interchangeable lens camera systems that are much smaller and much lighter than traditional Full Frame and APS-C DSLRs. The Micro Four-Thirds cameras reduce the size and weight even further, with no loss of image quality. The smaller sensor in the M-Four-Thirds cameras results in a so called lens "crop factor" of 2X, as apposed to 1.5X with my D300 (ASP-C camera). Therefore the 14-42mm kit lens delivers an angle of view equivelent to a 28mm-84mm lens on a 35mm camera.

 The desire to cut weight, and save my poor back, led me to explore the Micro 4/3rds system and I ended up going with the Olympus PEN E-PL2 and the 14-42mm kit lens. The PEN delivers 12 mega-pixel images of a quality indistinguishable to me from my D300, The body weighs only 12-7/8 oz. and the lens add only 5-1/2 oz., My D300 body alone weighs in at 29 oz. (almost 2lbs). As you can see below the Olympus is much smaller than a DSLR.

Olympus PEN E-PL2 with 14-42mm lens sitting next to a Canon EOS 30D with 18-200mm lens

To Round out the kit I added a Panasonic Lumix 20mm f1.7 pancake lens (3-1/2 oz.), yep the Panasonic uses the same Micro Four-Thirds lens mount, and an Oly 40-150mm (6.7oz.) for a complete package weight of only 28-1/2 oz. (1-3/4 lbs). Thats right the whole kits weighs less than the D300 body alone! I carry it all in an unpadded Duluthpack #100 Double Shell Bag That brings the weight of the entire package, incuding bag, to less than 4lbs.

So, how well does the PEN system work for me? So far very nicely. I was able to take system with me on a trip to Mid-Ohio and used it exclusively. I also to it with me on a visit to Belle Isle Park in the City of Detroit. Despite some limitations I was quite happy with the results.

The image at the top of the page is a shot of the William McKinley gravesite in Canton, Ohio. Shot with the 14-42mm lens set at 21mm and an ISO 0f 200 I was qute happy with the results.Image quality is excelent up to 400 ISO and quite nice at 800. Anything above gets awfully noisy but can be used in a pinch. Below is a photo inside the Canton Stark Museum and a small 100% blowup to show the noise. The photo was shot with the 14-42mm lens at 800 ISO as you can see the noisy is noticable but for my purposes acceptable, especially for online presentation.

Interior shot at the McKinley Presidential Museum in Canton, Ohio

!00% example of noise at 800 ISO

The visit to Belle Isle yield some very nice images as well. These pictures were taken with the Panasonic 20mm f1.7 at 200 ISO.

 Downtown Skyline including the General Motors Headquarters (Renaissance Center)

 Belle Isle Casino (not the gambling kind)

So what is the bottom line? This camera won't replace my D300, but I think I'll be finding myself carrying the Oly more and more often. There are a number of pros and cons. The thing I miss the most from my DSLR is a viewfinder. There is an add-on available but it is way overpriced at $200+. Despite the price I will probably eventually buy one.

Pros

• Extremely light weight
• Extremely high image quality, especially at 200 & 400 ISO
• 12 mega-pixels are more than enough.
• Small package fits in a small bag for a very easy day of carrying

Cons

• Noise at 800 is acceptable, at 1600 not so good
• Viewfinder is high cost extra
• Not a lot of lenses available yet
• Build quality is good but not at a pro level

My recommendation is that if you want a lightweight system camera for short trips or long days walking aroung the city take a close look at the Micro Four-Thirds system. It is reasonably priced and the number of lenses and accessories for it is growing.

Below is my Duluthpack bag with body, three lenses and ThinkTank Peewee Pixel Pocket Rocket. Lots of room in the front pockets for phone, wallrt, etc. Since the bag is not padded I have the lenses in neoprene pouches.

Come back later in the month for some more adventures in photography.

© 2011 Tim Marks

Camera Bag Review: Think Tank Retrospective 20

"Camera Bags, I've had a few. But then again too few to mention." Apologies to Paul Anka

If you are anything like me you have a pile of, way too many, camera bags in your closet. we are always looking for the perfect bag/backpack to haul around our ever growing collection of lenses, bodies and accessories. Unfortunately for us, but to the joy of the bag makers, there is no perfect bag for all purposes.

I use an old Lowepro Nature Trekker backpack for hauling my equipment while on a plane or in the car and I often use the Think Tank Modular Component Belt System when I am on a hike or elsewhere in the field. Neither of these work for me at events or just walking around town on a shoot. Until recently I relied on my trusty Domke F2 Original shoulder bag for just those occasions. Being an old design the domke has issues with today's larger camera bodies and lenses, it is certainly usable however.

Enter the Retrospective 20 by Think Tank Photo.

This is the shoulder bag I've been waiting for. It doesn't look like a camera bag, more like an oversize messenger bag. The strap and shoulder pad are the most comfortable of all the shoulder bags I've owned over almost 30 years of photography. And it looks really sophisticated.

The Bag has plenty of storage space for all the equipment most people will need for any assignment, or a day of shooting on vacation. A pro body with 80-200mm f/2.8 or 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 attached fits nicely in the center compartment. Compartments on the side will hold lenses and or a flash with no problem. The front exterior pocket will allow you to carry a second body without lens.

As you can see above it is no problem fitting 2 - 3 extra lenses and a flash unit inside the main compartment. This configuration is how I usually carry the bag. I have the camera hanging from my R-Strap. Without the camera and third lens inside it is easy to carry the bag all day. My first outing was a 2 hour photowalk in a local garden and the bag never felt heavy thanks to the wonderfully designed strap.  Because the padding is minimal (much like the Domke), the bag conforms nicely to your body making it even easier on your back and shoulder. The minimal padding is sufficient to protect your equipment while limiting weight and bulk.

The Retrospective has plenty of storage space for accessories. There is a zippered exterior pocket on the rear of the bag that will hold paper work and notes. Some folk even put an i-Pad in this pocket but I would worry about the lack of protection. The inside back panel also has a similar zippered pocket. the end pockets are very tight but will hold a camera manual without problem. There is also attachments for Think Tank modular components on each end.

the front side of the bag comes equipped with an interior and an exterior pocket. The interior pocket is perfect for small notebooks, a memory card pouch, a cell phone, and assorted pens, pencils, and tools. All of the pockets (except the zippered ones) and the main flap have hook & loop closures. Because the closures can be awfully noisy, each can be locked into a position out of the way to allow silent access to all equipment. This is very important when shooting concerts, weddings or similar events.

Here is a common load for me when shooting form this bag, though I will often substitute the 80-200 f/2.8 for the 70-300 zoom. The bag certainly will hold much more but my 57 year old back will not :)

Bottom Line: If you want a bag that is great for events such as concerts, art fairs, photowalks, farmer's markets, or just walking around town, the Retrospective line from Think Tank Photo is hard to beat.

© 2010 Tim Marks all rights reserved