Type 55 Scanning on Epson V700?

[jay rustle]

thanks for all the feedback. i have to admit it somehow seems "too easy" to just tape them on the glass after all the postings i've seen back and forth about wet mounting and holder height adjustments, etc. Anyway, not to beat a dead horse but i'd really like to clarify that there are no focus / newton rings (already answered by one person i know) or anything that might keep it from producing quality scans for potential small/medium (printed size ~ 11x14 max) gallery type work? i just am trying to make sure it's going to work for what i need, we were burned at my old office by all the claimed capability of a large microtek flatbed (~$1400) which turned out to be a big pile of crap. thanks again.

[PViapiano]

Here's a Type 55 neg scanned right on the glass of a 4990 as described above:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/viapian...7594181176569/

Levels, curves and toning in PS and just a hair of sharpening...

Also... realize (as a poster said above) that the only way to scan 8x10 is right on the glass using the film area guide.

[Ted Harris]

You can go on and on about holder height adjustments and wet v. dry mounting and each step you take will result in some small incremental improvements. Bottom line, however, is that you are using a consumer scanner that has upper limits in terms of its resolution and the ultimate print size you will find acceptable. I underscore "you" since one person's "sharp as a tack" print can look like total mush to another. For example, recently went through a portfolio review with a workshop participant where two of us found his images mostly slightly out of focus but he thought they were just fine. Having said that, most of yoru negatives/transparencies should give you acceptable prints at 11x14 from carefully done scans on a 4990 or a V700. You need to be the judge so be sure you buy from somewhere that you can return the machine. Unfortunately there are no other options that will do any better without spending lots and lots more money. Again, you should be ok most of the time and you should be fine all of the time at 8x10.

We run a Microtek 1800f (maybe a bit better but not by much than the V700) and a Screen Cezanne and for an 8x10 print from a 4x5 negative I am not likely to fire up the Screen if I am sure I am never going to print larger than 8x10.