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Thread: Recommend a scanner

  1. #1

    Recommend a scanner

    Hi,

    I am looking for recommendations on a scanner for 4x5. I merely need the scanner for the Web. I have no plans at all to ever print from a scan.

    However, I would like a scanner that shows as best as possible the detail and sharpness that LF can bring. The majority of 4x5 scans that I have seen have really underwhelmed me at this point.

    Does this scanner exist or am I deluding myself?

    Thanks

    J

  2. #2

    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Posts
    184

    Recommend a scanner

    The web can not show the best possible detail and sharpness from an LF neg, so why does your scanner need to be able to pull it?

    Your two requirements are somewhat at odds. What is your budget, that will help us narrow down what is reasonable.

  3. #3

    Recommend a scanner

    I am quite new to digital scanning and it never occured to me that the web isn't capable of producing the detail and sharpness from a LF neg.

    I did however look at these: http://www.kgcphoto.com/Utah/willow-cottonwood-4x5.htm

    and was rather impressed with the scan. They were drum scanned.

    Thanks for your reply

  4. #4

    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Posts
    184

    Recommend a scanner

    For the most part, I think most any scanner with an optical 800 or better, and a transparency adapter big enough will serve your purpose. What will make the difference is learning your scanning software, and how to effectively take that raw data and make it web ready.

    Good sharpening techniques, understanding the restrictions of web color (not safe palette mumbo jumbo, but at least knowing roughly what it will look like on different systems), and file size optimization will make more of a difference for your stated purpose, than a super sharp drum scanned original vs. a pro-sumer flatbed.

    The Epson 3200 photo would be a great budget buy for this.

    the newer Epsons (4990, etc.) and the Microteks are fairly reasonably priced too, and more than sufficient.

    Beyond that you can spend as much as you want to. Imacon, Creo, Howtek - all are fantasic an will take better advantage of the format than the low priced machines, but that will make very little difference once you put them on a web site.

    Caveat - the big machines will pull more detail out in the shadows, and it is very difficult to cheat that data up from an insuffienct scan. Depending on the density of your negs/trannies that may not be an issue.

  5. #5

    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Posts
    184

    Recommend a scanner

    Note: Almost no scanner I know of gives you a ready to use image. They all tend to look soft (some more than others) and require at least some color correction - even with great profiles. Often a bad scan started out fine, and got bollocksed up by the human on the mouse end of photoshop.

    This link shows some very high end scanners compared with lower end models, both sharpened and unsharpened (raw). (Ignore color balance for the most part).

    http://largeformatphotography.info/scan-comparison/

  6. #6

    Recommend a scanner

    Justin, If you check the properties of that image, it is about 500 by 600 pixels. That is a dpi of only about 100, and less information than in a 1-megapixel digital camera.

    Web images do not require the detail of a large prints, so they are generally scaled down so they will display quickly over the internet. A drum-scaned 4x5 can easily reach over 100 megabytes in size, which is unrealistic to present on a website.

    For web images, just about any scanner that handles 4x5 transparencies will be fine. The epsons are generally reccomended. I have an old canon 1230uf, which scans up to 1200x2400 optical dpi. I generally scan at only 600 dpi, then scale down to a 600x800 image for web display.

  7. #7

    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Posts
    184

    Recommend a scanner

    Here is a scan I did last night with the Epson 3200 from a Polaroid type 55 negative.

    http://www.rogue-designer.com/12stone/FurlaPhoto1.jpg

    On the full size scan, you can read the fine print (about 10pt type) at the bottom of the Notice on the door.

    Would a drum scan have been sharper? Yes. Would that sharpness have translated and maded a difference for this purpose? No.

  8. #8

    Join Date
    Dec 1997
    Location
    Baraboo, Wisconsin
    Posts
    7,697

    Recommend a scanner

    Scanning for prints and scanning for monitors are very different. Deatil and sharpness of an image on a montior are a function of the monitor, not the scan. All that dpi of a scan for monitor viewing does is affect the size of the image on the screen, it doesn't affect the quality of the image. That's determined among other things by the video driver and the video board, not dpi of the scan (in fact the driver and board don't even think in terms of "inches"). Just buy any half-way decent inexpensive scanner, that's all you need for web viewing, the size and quality of the monitors of all the different viewers on the web will determine the quality of the image.
    Brian Ellis
    Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you do criticize them you'll be
    a mile away and you'll have their shoes.

  9. #9

    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Posts
    444

    Recommend a scanner

    I use an Epson 2450 and have been underwhelmed by the web sized scans but have been very happy with scans for up to 16X20 prints. Here are some of my web shots. The first nine in this folder are Epson 2450 scans.

    http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=478357

  10. #10

    Recommend a scanner

    First off, thanks to everyone for all the replies.

    It appears the Web just can't handle 4x5. I have a dedicated film scanner for 35mm and I would say that for Web, they do about as well as most DSLR's. I think when it comes to scanning, I'll leave that to 35mm and anyone who wants to see my 4x5 work will have to come over. ;-)

    Thanks again

    J

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