Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/01/25
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Scott, The problem I've had with flat bed scanners is simply whether or not there is glass between the scanner and the negative. Those scanners that have NO glass between the neg and the scanner work great, glass can cause problems. I use mine for 2.25 and 4x5 scanning often, since I shoot almost as much 4x5 as 35mm, and I have a 15 year backlog of 2.25 negs as well. Since the i900 gives me a 3200 ppi scan, a 2.25 x 2.25 neg gives me a 7200 x 7200 pixel image, or a 20 x 20 print size, although I haven't a printer of that size. Add judicious use of Photoshop and genuine fractals and you can double that size. Reduce the print DPI to 240 and it grows again! The Epson 4990 has similar capabilities, but it does require you to lay the negs/slides on top of glass. Then again, their software may filter the noise from the glass effectively enough to warrant further examination of this scanner. But you do have to clean the glass often, and you occasionally get Moir? patterns too! The previous flatbeds by Epson really got ugly on that issue. The flat bed scanners of the last year or so have really jumped significantly in capability, and they have so many uses above what a dedicated 35mm scanner can do that they are an essential part of a digital darkroom. I couldn't do what I want to do in a digital darkroom without one, and the Microtek was the only real game in town 14 months ago, Epson only recently jumped on board. Their scanner has better resolution, so for the same price you trade glassless scanning at 3200 DPI and 4.2 gamma for glass contact scanning at 4800 DPI and 4.0 gamma. Sonny also uses the i900 - perhaps he can chime in here on how it's worked for him in MF too. Also Henning has some opinions on it too. I like it, I'm pleased, especially for the price point. I'd love a drum scanner, but then I'd have to take better pictures! Best of light, Norm **************************************** I'm curious how flatbeds do for MF film vs. the (rather pricey) Nikon 9000 type scanners. What's your assessment of the quality of MF scans on this Microtek scanner? Scott -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.375 / Virus Database: 267.14.23/240 - Release Date: 1/25/2006