Digital BW, The Print

> 
> Is anyone doing digital capture and obtaining BO prints that rival BO 
> prints from scanned images which were originally caputured on large 
> format cameras? 

"Smoothness" will always be limited by fixed printer dot size,
irrespective the film size or original file: Black Only makes fewer
dots, which inherently means less smoothness than multiple pigments
(eg with QTR): This is exaggerated by smaller print sizes. 

If you print at 3200dpi you'll get smaller dots than at lower dpi, so
you might try standardizing on that for more smoothness from Black Only.

Dot size remains the same at all enlargements, UNLIKE film grain, so
larger prints in Black Only inherently look smoother than smaller
prints: the same image detail (eg an eye) has more dots in a big print
than in a small print...Black Only loses detail in small prints, gains
detail in larger prints...unlike optical enlargement. 

In small(letter sized) prints in fine B&W print exchanges, 8MP digital
is more coarse with Black Only than with QTR...IMO. 

Also in print exchanges, Nikon D2 smoothness with QTR seems equal to
4000ppi 120 (I've not seen examples of Canon 1D)...coarseness isn't a
matter of digital Vs film, it's a matter of printing technique (QTR vs
BO) and quality of original digital file (eg D2 Vs D70). 

> 
> I don't believe that the 8 meg CMOS sensor is lacking in resolution 
> since I am only printing 5x7's and 8x10's.

Your Black Only looks rough specifically because you're making tiny
prints. If you printed medium sized (eg 11X17 plus) your images would
look a lot smoother. If smoothness is critical to you, you should try
QTR before throwing your baby out with the bath water.

> 
> Am I better off changing my image capture approach to medium format 
> or large format film? Or should I simply move to a full ink system 
> like Piezo or the 2400?  My guess is that using a full ink system can 
> overcompensate for the less than ideal digital files.

Black Only inherently looks coarse sometimes...it's not necessarily
your D70. My own 4000ppi Nikon scans of 35mm film hold greater detail
and look smoother when printed using QTR with Epson OEM pigments and
2200, than when using Black Only...same files.

  The bottom line is 
> that I have proven that BO is very capable - it simply requires 
> extremely high quality files.

Black Only is "capable" but is inherently LESS capable than QTR in
many situations. Nonetheless BO can be an appealing choice for the
same reason grainy film can. 

Prosumer digital B&W (D70/20D)has inherent disadvantages Vs film
scans, but it also has inherent advantages and offers its own nice
effects : notably, it can render scenes with a sharp, edgy, etched
look. IMO digital usually looks more film-smooth in color than it does
in B&W.