"Matt Clara" <hey.wood.y@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
news:J5SdnVMeqoUs4NjYnZ2dnUVZ_oKdnZ2d@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> That's all true, but the dimini****ng return is left out. You pay a lot
> more for a little more. With some research, experience and a decent
film
> scanner, you can do nearly as well, with every format except for large
> format--then you need a drum scanner, but only because it won't fit in
the
> Nikons.
You are correct that in many cases it doesn't matter, but there is a
difference. The problem is that when you know how to do something better,
how do you know that you should stop a lesser quality? There's a
dimini****ng
return in every endeavor as you approach the best one can do, but the
original question was about how one could obtain the best scans possible
from film for museum quality prints. If film flatness (which means
sharpness) to the corners is im****tant, then a fluid mount is imperative.
While this is possible on a Nikon, it's a clumsy option that most people
don't bother with.
We use Nikons, Epsons and drum scanners, and there are valid benefits to
the
drum. There's no digital ice to distort the image for a drum because you
don't need it. The fluid fills in the scratches and wipes away the dust.
Plus there's a true point light source which yields maximum sharpness with
minimal flare. And because it uses photomultipliers, the dynamic range is
greater and smoother in spite of what Nikon marketing says. Drum scanning
software is also better in most cases. These advantages are just as true
for
roll film as for sheets. It's not just resolution because not all pixels
are
created equal. A 100MB scan from 35mm on a drum will blow up better than
the
same size scan made on a Nikon or Imacon.
One note of caution, however, is that pre-press shops for offset printing
typically make mediocre drum scans for any purpose other than press. In
spite of having expensive equipment, their approach and experience is
different, and high production, over-sharpened CMYK scans is not what this
is about. You need to find someone who scans raw RGB files into a color
managed workflow to see what a good drum scan can do.
john castronovo
www.technicalphoto.com
Disclaimer - Since my shop does drum scanning this may appear to be
marketing for our services, but sharing my knowledge and experience of
thirty plus years can't be done unless I respond to these questions. In
fact
we make all kinds of scans and drum scanning is the least profitable when
done right and probably why there are so few people still doing it.
|
