For me the cost was simply the camera and printer. I already had lenses and a computer, the software came with the camera. The printer, capable of bigger than A3 prints, was about $800, about the same as my enlarger and the 2 lenses I used for MF and 35mm. It produces prints effectively better than I usually got in my darkroom, which I have now dismantled and regretfully put in storage. I haven't the heart to sell anything. Doubtless if one has everything one needs in a camera and darkroom and doesn't shoot many photographs going digital doesn't make much financial sense, but photography as an enjoyable hobby has never made any sense financially....... Frank --- Marc James Small <marcsmall@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > At 02:11 AM 5/30/2008, FRANK DERNIE wrote: > >Sorry Marc, Peter is right. All digital cameras > come > >with bundled software necessary to process and > print > >pictures taken with them. Photoshop is > unnecessary. > >Most cameras and photoprinters even come with a > direct > >link so you can print direct from the camera to > the > >printer without a computer at all. I have not used > >them myself but I am advised they are very good. > >I shot Kodachrome and printed onto Cibachrome > (later > >Ilfochrome) in my own darkroom for over 20 years. > >Going digital has improved the quality of the > prints I > >make very considerably, though I don't have the > latest > >model camera or printer. I scan my Rollei > negatives on > >a Nikon 8000 scanner then print digitally by the > way. > >I can not comment on B&W, I have done very little > >since the 1970s. > > Hmm. Understand that I already own all of the > stuff necessary to take pictures and to develop > and print them. I do not need to add anything > save to find the space for a darkroom to do so. > > Even without Photoshop or like software, the cost > is still prohibitive for high-end work: > > camera at least $800 > lenses take your pick, but at > least $250 or more for a single one > printer a high-end printer is > going to run several thousand dollars > dedicated computer $1200 or more (I am > running on a 2002 Pentium Four, by the way) > specialty inks several hundred dollars, > with the need to restock frequrently > specialty papers about the same, with > usage controlling total price, of course > > Again, I already have all of the darkroom gear > and tanks and reels and cameras and chemistry and > paper und so weiter. It is difficult to see how > a decent digital set-up can be had for much under > $5,000 and it could easily go a lot more, say, with > a Leica M8. > > Marc > > > msmall@xxxxxxxxxxxx > Cha robh bàs fir gun ghràs fir! > > --- > Rollei List > > - Post to rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > > - Subscribe at rollei_list-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > with 'subscribe' > in the subject field OR by logging into > www.freelists.org > > - Unsubscribe at rollei_list-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > with > 'unsubscribe' in the subject field OR by logging > into www.freelists.org > > - Online, searchable archives are available at > //www.freelists.org/archives/rollei_list > > --- Rollei List - Post to rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx - Subscribe at rollei_list-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'subscribe' in the subject field OR by logging into www.freelists.org - Unsubscribe at rollei_list-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the subject field OR by logging into www.freelists.org - Online, searchable archives are available at //www.freelists.org/archives/rollei_list