Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/08/31
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I have been using the very popular Nikon LS-2000 for 3 years. The motivation of buying it in the first place was coming from clients who wished to have pictures transmitted electronically. Since then, the new scanner has opened many doors by offering new possibilities. Like being able to provide to a client a colour print right on the spot, matching the client's needs and my personal tastes. Actually, the scanner/computer/printer combo has put me back in control of my colour work, like the wet darkroom allows me to work my monochrome images. This has also been the beginning of rediscovering old colour slides I have not printed in the past. If scanned pictures from Velvia printed very well on my Epson's, I always had a lot of problems with Kodachromes, especially the 200 version. The density, the colours were wrong, the grain not as pleasant as on the light box. In other words, I questioned the use of my beloved Kodachromes since I was not happy with the "electronic" printed results. The LS-2000 had another big drawback for me: it did not scan the 2 1/4 format. And medium format represents more than half of my professional production. So I decided to buy the new Nikon Coolscan 8000 ED. It is not cheap at 4500$ CDN, but it still makes sense in a commercial photographic business. The results from any medium format film is gorgeous. E-6, C-41, or b/w, all are producing great scans, as long as I am patient. To produce a 200 mg scan (28"x28" @ 300dpi) requires a lot from my old Mac G-3. But the result are very well worth it. Since this forum is Leica oriented, I must point out how fantastic the machine is in producing scans from 35mm Kodachrome. Actually, this new scanner has a Kodachrome option in the film selection palette. It definitely seems to read this type of film more easily. Is it because of the 4.2 of dynamic range? i do not know, it is possible. The colours are much more faithful, the finesse of details is improved, thanks to the 4000 dpi resolution, the original scan are now bigger @ 300 dpi. etc.... A real winner! Alleluia! I can love shooting K-200 again! I can print from my favourite slide film. Pierre Charbonneau Montreal