Digital BW, The Print

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Carolyn Frayn" <carolynfrayn@...>
To: <digitalblackandwhitetheprint@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2003 8:34 PM
Subject: Re: [Digital BW] Any New Film Scanners Coming?


>
> On Thursday, May 29, 2003, at 08:48  PM, Austin Franklin wrote:
>
> snip
>
> >
> > Do you really need more than 4k SPI?
>
> Dunno, do we? ;)  I'd like an 11k spi drum scanner but isn't going to
> happen ...With the new Minolta 35mm film scanner announced at 5400
> spi... I'd assume 120 is next. and so on and so on...
>

Carolyn,

Supposedly B&W films resolve to a dpi equivalence of 3000 to 7000 dpi. I
imagine that in real world situations you have much less than that by the
time you take into account optical issues when you shoot. Some people
suggest that about 2500 dpi true optical resolution would be plenty for B&W
film scanning. So a true 4000 dpi scanner should really do the job.

The problem is that the resolution calculated from sensors or samples per
inch don't correspond to actual optical resolution. The Nikon 8000 scanning
at 4000 dpi tested out at ~2,900 dpi. optical resolution but that should be
very good for our purposes. I would guess that the Polaroid and Minolta MF
scanners are similar. Comparing Polaroid 120 scans to scans of the same
negatives on a Howtek 4000 which has an optical resolution of ~3500 dpi
there is a difference. While I like having that extra bit of data, I am not
sure the final print is better. If anything it may just be making it easier
to get a print I like.

If the next generation of 5400 dpi CCD scanners can deliver 75% as optical
resolution then they would be at 4000 dpi and that would be very nice!

The Aztek Premier drum scanner gives an optical resolution of over 7000 dpi
from an 8000 dpi scan so you wouldn't lose a bit of information on the film.
Not quite sure how you would handle files that big though. Not to mention
that you could get a nice new car for the price. <G>

Martin