Um, just a curiosity

[John Koehrer]

I know film has higher resolution than paper.
But, would it be true in a contact print as well as enlarging?

Just wonderin'

 

[jd callow]

yes even more so. the limiting factor is the lens. Some lenses can exceed the resolution of film and some lenses are on par with paper. In the image below you can read the menu board under magnification or enlargement, but cannot be read when contacted. Under enlargement it begins to break up to due to diffusion (?). With a perfect setup (APO lens, a perfectly aligned enlarger and a vacuum easel) I suspect it could be crispy and read as easily as it can be off the neg.

 

[Alan9940]

Many, many years ago I performed a little experiment where I shot the same subject on 4x5 and 8x10, then enlarged the 4x5 neg to 8x10 print size (2x) and contact printed the 8x10 neg. Viewing the prints side-by-side I couldn't believe the difference between 'em; the contact print revealed visibly higher resolution, smoother tonal transitions, and...well...just more "feeling" (sorry, I know we're getting into VERY subjective territory here.) Why would that be true? Both images were printed on the same paper, same processing, etc. I've always thought that it has something to do with not putting the image through another lens when contact printing. Regardless, I've always been a sucker for contact printing processes!

 

[Photo Engineer]

This was covered in part in the thread on the unique qualities of Azo prints. Their 3D tone comes, in part, from the incredible detail possible in contact prints and in part from the perfect perspective you get with the 4x5 or 8x10 lens at normal viewing distances. See the comments there.

PE

 

[jd callow]

Yes, but paper will not resolve the detail found on film as it lacks the resolution, which I believe is what John is asking.

 

[Photo Engineer]

John;

Agreed, but at viewing distance, you cannot see that detail clearly anyhow.

PE

 

[John Koehrer]

Yes, but paper will not resolve the detail found on film as it lacks the resolution, which I believe is what John is asking.

Sorta kinda, I'm feeling kinda thick today.........Sooooo....
If you have a negative that resolves 50 lp/mm and contact print it, Does the print also resolve the 50 lp/mm? And further if higher resolution on the neg,
will the contact print also have the higher resolution?
I accept that paper often doesn't resolve as well in an enlargement but I can't get my poor lil brain unit to deal with this in regard to a contact. I lose sleep over some of the damndest things.(OCD)

 

[Photo Engineer]

John;

Here is a question for you. If you resolve 50 lp/mm in a negative, can you see it with the naked eye at normal viewing distance. If not, then the point is moot. But to answer your question, no paper can give the resolution of film due to multiple internal reflections. Glossy baryta FB paper is probably best at doing this though with glossy RC second best.

PE

 

[John Koehrer]

Thankyew Mr PE.
Maybe now I kin sleep at night.