Re: [Leica] enlarger or scanner: which outfit do you use?

[Henry Ambrose <digphoto@nashville.net>]

>dear all,
>
>I am also considering to go digital since some time.  The discussion was
>very interesting and gave a first impression of your equipment. Would some
>of you ( Tina, Dan, Mark, Nathan etc) tell us what setup they have?
>
>Scanner/Printer/inks/Paper and what is their favorite combination of the
>last two?

>Andreas
>
Here's what I'm using now and some opinions:

Polaroid 400 scanner @$1400 US
Gives a 4000 ppi scan, 12 bit into Photoshop capable, pretty good 
performance from the current "Release candidate 4" software - Polaroid is 
providing their not-quite-final software versions for download as they 
develop it. A good move as it lets users have a say in how it works. They 
have good color conversions for lots of different films. I think this is 
the best 35mm scanner out right now that is affordable. 

The Imacon is better hardware and software. It starts at $9000! It will 
do MF,  the higher end models will do  up to 5X7 for about $15,000. Great 
if you can afford them.

My opinion about digital ice scratch removal - its nothing more than a 
trumped up sales feature. If your film is that bad I suggest you change 
labs or your darkroom habits. Dust your film with a Staticmaster brush 
and scan it. Its really pretty simple to spot your scan if need be.

Epson 1270 @$500 US (up to 13X19 inch paper size)
The latest photo printer from Epson. The best results I've seen from an 
inkjet. Excellent results using Profile to Profile from Photoshop with 
the standard Epson supplied profiles. Wonderful black&white that you can 
tone warm or cool or whatever thrills you. The prints are said to last as 
well as conventional color prints. This printer and its inks and papers 
all work together to give a fine result. Very fast and quiet. Also in a 
smaller model the 870.

Epson 1200
Probably being replaced by the 1270 - makes nice prints, the permanence 
of standard epson supplies is not good. After market inks and paper give 
more permanence, maybe not as wide a color gamut as Epson inks.

WiziWYG by Praxisoft $79 US
Makes color profiles for printers and scanners. Simple to use, good 
results.
http://www.praxisoft.com

Epson 3000 $900-1200 US
One of the first big inkjets. Up to 17 inch wide paper. I've been using 
mine with MIS quadtone inks and Concord Rag paper for the past year. 
Makes very nice big prints. Kind of short range. I consider these to be 
"alternative process" They look like some kind of antique carbon print. 
Good AND different from what you're used too seeing from the darkroom. 
One of my studio mates printed a show on 17X22 paper from 8X10 film scans 
- - the results were spectacular.
Lacks fineness for small intimate prints. The Cone Piezo stuff probably 
fixes this. I have not seen really black blacks from MIS inks - I hope 
the Piezo inks/driver fix this too. I'll know in the next week or so.

If you want to go digital with your Leica negatives I suggest the 
Polaroid 4000, and Epson 1270 and Photoshop. I think this is the state of 
the art for affordable 35mm digital printing. Excellent prints without 
the darkroom. 

Henry Ambrose