Drum Scans - What to order?

[Ben Diss]

I'm about to order some Drum Scans. These are some of my most prized shots and I want to make sure I get the best possible scan in order to make the best possible print. I've done the math to figure out how large a file I need, but I'm going back and forth with 8 bit vs. 16 bit scans. The shop I'm thinking of using has a Tango, and I think the scan is always done 16 bit, but I don't think that matters if only 8 bits are stored. For the four slides I'm having scanned, the difference in price is $120. How do I decide if it's worth it?

-Ben

[Ralph Barker]

As these will be your "master" digital files, getting the full 16-bit data is probably worthwhile. Rather like ordering the filling with the pie, or the sauce with the pasta. ;-)

[paulr]

Why aren't they storing 16 bit files?
The great advantage to those extra bits is that your files can handle much more tonal manipulation without breaking up. But you need to have the full 16 bit files to work with in photoshop. I wouldn't pay money for scans unless the shop could put all 16 bits on a disk for me.

[Ed Richards]

> Why aren't they storing 16 bit files?

Remember that Photoshop was 8 bit in a lot of its operations until CS1, so it did not make much sense to collect 16 bit data.

[paulr]

Ahhh, that makes sense. I got CS1 at about the same time that I started making digital prints. so it was never an issue.

Now that you have the option to work on 16 bit files (if not right now, then some time down the road), I would definitely encourage you to get 16 bit files.

[Frank Petronio]

If the drum scanner business you are thinking of uses legacy software that only deals in 8-bit, then I would question doing business with them. Shop around, check out places like Nancy Scans or Lumiere Photo.

[tim atherton]

here's one place

http://www.colorfolio.com/

I have another somewhere, can't find it right now

[tim atherton]

here's the other one I had

http://www.autumncolor.com/lab/index.html

[Scott Schroeder]

Maybe you could ask our very own Danny Burk.
I'm sure he would give you a straight answer.
http://www.dannyburk.com/drum_scanning.htm

[Brian Ellis]

There's no advantage to simply printing a 16 bit file vs an 8 bit file. But you presumably plan to do some editing in Photoshop before printing from the scans. If that's the case, and particularly if you'll be using Photoshop CS or CS2, then you should get 16 bit files.