Epson V750, conclusion?

[neil poulsen]

Must be I got lucky with this 750, and it is a special version. I'm not blind. I've done darkroom work for a living, making custom prints for the pro's long before digital was available, so I do have some frame of reference.

You guys have it all figured out though. Anyone who differs is incorrect. So be it...

There are a lot of variables that affect picture quality, other than the scanner used. For example, much can depend on the printer, and the way it's used. I have a friend who enlarges 35mm scans from a flatbed to 24x36 using a printer based on thermal wax transfer. These prints look really good, very aesthetically appealing. The saturation is terrific. One could say that the resolution isn't that great on these pictures. But, they are neat images. I would love to be able to hang one of his large flower abstracts on my wall.

The term picture quality itself is subject to many definitions.

The repeatability of digital can tempt us into thinking in terms of specifications and absolutes. But, the creative application of digital photography can lead to many interesting and different results.

[Kirk Gittings]

Neil,

I don't think anyone was suggesting that a large aesthetically pleasing image could be made with flatbed scanners. I think the point was about how well they compare in terms of resolution etc. to dedicated film or drum scanners.

All.......I have been beta testing an aftermarket wet scan module for the 750 and other scanners made by Doug Fisher at Betterscanning.com. While not anything revolutionary it is clearly an improvement over the Epson and other modules as it incorporates anti-newton glass, screw shims and Kami fluid impervious components. When it gets on the market it will help extract truly what these flatbeds are actually capable of.

[sanking]

Neil,

I don't think anyone was suggesting that a large aesthetically pleasing image could be made with flatbed scanners. I think the point was about how well they compare in terms of resolution etc. to dedicated film or drum scanners.

All.......I have been beta testing an aftermarket wet scan module for the 750 and other scanners made by Doug Fisher at Betterscanning.com. While not anything revolutionary it is clearly an improvement over the Epson and other modules as it incorporates anti-newton glass, screw shims and Kami fluid impervious components. When it gets on the market it will help extract truly what these flatbeds are actually capable of.

I have also been testing Doug Fisher's mounting module wiith excellent results. The screw shims provide a simple and accurate method for adjusting mounting height above the scanner glass. Doug's module is also unique in that the negative is mounted on the bottom of the glass, which is held away from the scanner glass. In theory this should provide some slight improvement in scan quality since the light from the negative only has to pass through one layer of glass on its way to the scanning sensors.

Sandy King