[MacDV] Re: Film Scanners/Large Format/Specs

[Danny Grizzle]

On 12/30/02 11:39 PM, "Randy Wilson" <wilsonr at fonix.com> wrote:

> Actually, 4000x.50=$2000.  And the best price I've seen per scan for a
> high-res scan is $2, which would bump the total up to $8000.  In my case, I
> have more like 12,000 slides, which bumps the price up to $24,000.
> Impossible.

Scans costing $.50 - $1.00 ea. are cheap by professional standards, with
magazines paying unbelievable money for color separations on drum scanners.

When shopping for scanners, the two most important specs are resolution and
dynamic range. Resolution should be evaluated based on true optical
resolution, not interpolated numbers (anybody can interpolate anything in
Photoshop -- interpolation is a bogus blue sky number).

Dynamic Range is a measurement of how well the scanner performs in areas of
greater image density. It is just as critical a spec as resolution, really
the number that separates mediocre from excellent film scanners. High
dynamic range is required to produce gorgeous, luminous digital images.
Without good dynamic range, dark areas of images will turn to muddled
chocolate-colored mass, totally useless.

One thing we have not mentioned here is Kodak Photo CD Pro, the high end
product that is required if you are scanning anything bigger than 35mm film
sizes, medium format film. Photo CD Pro is a higher resolution scan, even on
35mm originals. In conventional photographic terms, Kodak Photo CD Pro would
be a custom enlargement, where Photo CD would be a machine print.

Kodak Photo CD Pro also represents a major price jump. You are no longer
looking at $1 or less per image, but rather something on the order of $15
per negative/transparency. This price differential mitigates some of the
cost/benefit analysis we've seen in this thread, if you will be scanning
significant numbers of larger negatives.

An alternate to Kodak Photo CD Pro a medium format film scanner. The Nikon
8000 ED is the one I would wish for; it equals the performance of a 4000 ED
on 35mm, plus accommodates medium format negatives plus others up to 4x5
view camera:

<http://www.nikonusa.com/usa_product/product.jsp?cat=7&grp=703&productNr=924
6>

If I were starting over, I think all my scanner needs could be satisfied by
two devices: a Nikon 8000 ED for film/transparency ($3000), and a Canon
N1220U/N1240U ($150) for reflective originals.

Danny Grizzle