New Scanner coming

**Bob McCarthy** · 5-Jul-2006, 10:30

Originally Posted by Ted Harris

To answer your question regarding negatives, no, I don't make any changes in the way I shoot or process film. My most used black and white emulsions are T55, ACROS and TMax 100 with Ektapan (until my stash runs out) probably ahead in the studio. OTOH remember that I scan with a Microtek 1800f which has a measured DMax that is significantky higher than that of the Epsons and with a Screen Cezanne with a DMax over 3.5.

For my education, what determines the DR of a scanner? Not how it's measured but how the hardware differs to gain a better result.

The Nikon 5000 allows one to change lamp intensity within a range. This on the surface appears to have some use in optimizing the DR of the scan. Do the "superscanners" also allow this? As versed as I am in most things digital, I seemed to miss the scanner class!!

Can someone point me to a reference source to further my knowledge.

Bob

**Ted Harris** · 5-Jul-2006, 11:59

Bob, simple question but very complex answer which I am going to try and boil down to a few non technical statements:

1) software sophistication

2) mechanical tolerances which are much much closer, especially for the drive mechanisms and stepping motors on the high end scanners

3) the inherently ssuperior S/N ratio of the PMT technology indrum scanners over that of CCD technology. In the high end flatbeds this is overcome with larger in the consumer scanners.

The two places online where you will find reasonably comprehensive discussions area at the FLAAR review site http://www.flatbed-scanner-review.org/

and at the Seybold review site and search on scanners http://www.seybold365.com

Both of these sites have their advocates and their detractors. FLAAR, in particular, has been accused of having some significant biasises and oversights. Niether has done much to update information in the past few years but then,when discussing high end scanners there is no real need to do so since not much has changed.

Finally, take a look at "Pixel Perfect II: The Year 2000 Guide to High End Scanners"
http://www.seyboldreports.com/SRPS/s...lperfect2.html some of the scanners in this study are stil lmanufactured and most of them are still available ont he market either new or used (although not necessarily in the US) or they have successer models. If you want more on the actually technology issues, limits, hardware capabilities let me know.