Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/07/18
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]In real terms, how useful are these images? The files I get from my Polaroid scanner are over 100mg. Aren't you losing a lot of something when you start off with a file that small? Ken - -----Original Message----- From: Andrew Schroter [mailto:schroter@optonline.net] Sent: Wednesday, July 18, 2001 12:58 AM To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us Subject: Re: [Leica] Film scanner advice With slides and PhotoCD, you can pick the slides you want digitized and bring up to about 100 slides (Hi Res pics are about 4-5MB) to a photo processing retail shop. My local Ritz camera dealer charges .75/slide. So, about $5.50 for developing a 36 exposure roll (can use A&I mailers - order from bandhphoto.com) and out of 10 rolls, say you want to scan 10 slides per roll, thats about $125-130 total. You may be able to find better prices for scanning than that. Regards, Andy - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Peter A. Klein" <pklein@2alpha.net> To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2001 5:56 PM Subject: [Leica] Film scanner advice > The more I mess with scanning prints on a mediocre flatbed, the more I > realize there is likely to be a film scanner in my future. The question > is, which one? > > I've been reading reviews online, but I need a quality vs. price reality > check. It seems to me that there may be a point of diminishing returns > on price/quality where one might scan film for routine small prints and > the Web, but might as well go to silver printing for 8x10 or bigger on > one's best shots. Still, my demands are higher than what passes for > "photo quality" in the mass consumer market. So let's say the following > conditions apply: > > - 35mm film only. > > - I don't plan on enlarging digitally more than about 8x10 (standard > letter/A4 paper). How deeply I get into digital printing remains to be > seen. > > - If I really want a top-quality enlargement from a negative or slide, > I'll probably take it to a rental darkroom or a custom lab. > > - I want to see my images without spending bucks for 4x6 prints of > everything, and so I can put things on the Web. > > - I'm primarily interested in doing my own black-and-white. I will want > to scan the occasional Kodachrome slide or roll of color neg film. > > - I do available light, so dynamic range for highlight and shadow detail > is important. > > - I'm not the kind of person who likes to use things for 6 months and > then sell them and get something new. > > - Reasonable ease of use is important, as is reliablity. I don't want > "automatic everything with no options," but I'd also rather not deal > with know-to-be problematic hardware or needlessly convoluted software > (I guess that means get VueScan if I get a Nikon scanner :-) > > - I'm computer literate and have done plenty of film developing and wet > darkroom work in the past. I'm not so interested in doing wet printing > at home anymore, but I suspect I'll get back to developing B&W film. > > - There's also the option of not buying a film scanner and getting Photo > CDs of my stuff. According to semi-legible notes I scribbled weeks ago, > Kodak will do 1024 x 1536 (1.57 megapixel) "Picture CDs" for $13.75 for > developing plus $8.95 for the CD, =22.70 per roll (not sure if this is > 24 or 36 exposures). For a 36 exp. roll of color negative or B&W > chromagenic at 2048x3072 (6.29 megapixel). Still, that could add up > quickly to the price of a used scanner. > > Things like the Nikon LS-4000 are way beyond my price-point. So things > like a used Nikon LS-2000 or LS-30 look more promising. Going down a > notch, the Olympus ES-10s seems to have a lot going for it. I've > mentioned these brands only because I've read more about them recently, > others gladly considered. > > The floor is open. > > --Peter Klein > Seattle, WA