Re: [Leica] Best film scanner for use w/Leica optics?

[Adam Bridge <abridge@mac.com>]

on 8/31/01 10:47 AM, George Kenney at georgekenney@earthlink.net
thoughtfully wrote:

> Here's a suggestion with a small caveat: I don't have any
> experience scanning other than that I just bought a scanner and a
> photo printer. But, I did do a fair amount of looking around. I found a
> couple things: The technology isn't quite there for multiple format, at
> least not at a reasonable price (ergo, scan 35s and work with
> medium and large format in a conventional darkroom or get two
> scanners, a 35 for film and flatbed for larger). I wouldn't get Nikon
> because of software issues -- some users have no trouble and
> others trash their computers (having had an early Coolpix camera I
> recall Nikon's ineptitude with software). Nor would I get a Polaroid
> for fear the company will go out of business (support? hello?).

I think this is a bit hard on Nikon. On the Mac side I've been using their
scanning software, actually learning how to make it work, and find it seems
to work pretty well. I may try an alternate package one of these times to
see how it works.

I have this feeling that it's almost an apprenticeship proposition about
learning to use these critters. I often wish I had someone who REALLY knew
the ins and outs leaning over my shoulder to make suggestions.

If you'd like to see some 35mm B&W images scanned you can go to:

<http://www.splitsecondfilms.com/SanDiego/>

Which has some images I took with an M6, the 35mm F2 asph lens using Delta
3200 shot at 1600 but processed as if it were 3200 (which, I was told, gives
better contrast). The images are all only 720 pixel wide so you can't really
see the detail. I can do some larger ones.

The subject of the images is the DSRV Avalon and some other support
equipment and people from the Deep Submergence Group in San Diego. Located
on North Island the DSRV can be loaded on a C5 transport and airlifted
anywhere in the world within 24 hours.

It was tricky getting reasonable images - the lighting was from way overhead
but I wanted to get some detail in the dark areas.

I was disappointed with the amount of grain in the images. I didn't process
them myself because me knees have been so bad lately that standing in the
darkroom to develop and print was just too painful. So I can't give you all
the processing details. I'm sure the lab would tell me the developer they
used. I've been using XTOL.

Any comments are welcome.

Adam Bridge