Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/02/13

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Film Scanners
From: Carl Pultz <cpultz@earthlink.net>
Date: Fri, 14 Feb 2003 01:30:14 -0500

I can add a few data points, maybe. I use the old Nikon Coolscan III 
(LS-30). For Kodachromes, it totally sucks. Anything too dense, it sucks. 
But for correctly exposed color negs, it's pretty good, and like the fellow 
who compared Nikons to  condenser enlargers, I get a very nice gray scale 
out of it with snappy contrast. (Always preferred cold light enlargers, 
though. :-)

This makes me think you can get far better results with a modest scanner by 
using color neg (or soft b&w), and not be so hung up on dmax as a primary 
concern. You can create any look you want, it seems, with software. You are 
also freed from the torture of having to make your scan look exactly like 
your slide!

Yes, my Nikon has lousy depth of field, too. Try placing the focus point 
about 3/4 of the way across the long dimension. That usually doesn't really 
help. So, use thin films, and dry them slowly.

Hamrick for President,

Carl

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