Tango versus Imacon 949 Test

[Doug Dolde]

I had a 4x5 Provia F100 transparency scanned on an Imacon 949 by JaincoTech. It was done at max resoluton (2040 dpi) and 16 bit.

Then I had it scanned by WCI on their Tango at about the same resolution but 8 bit.

Both files have been similarly (but not exactly the same) processed in PS including levels and dodging and burning. The 100% crops are unsharpened. All four are jpg level 10.

The difference is certainly significant.

They can be seen here:

http://www.painted-with-light.com/scan.html

[Kirk Gittings]

Nice image by the way.

Any idea on the sharpening settings on the Imacon? The results don't surprise me much. In the broader scheme of things, while the Imacons are better than the prosumer flatbeds, they don't come close to a first rate drum scan or a first rate pro flatbed like Ted's Screen Cezanne. Even though I have free access to Imacons, when I need a first rate scan I spring for a drum or pro flatbed scan.

I will have a chance to test the newest Hassleblad/Imacons later this winter.

[Doug Dolde]

I don't know about the Imacon sharpening. I told them none but don't know if they set it at negative whatever it takes to get actual zero.

[Kirk Gittings]

FWIW, The question of why 8 bit is bound to arise?-many older professional scanners will not save a file in 16 bit, BUT this is not as much of a problem as with the prosumer flatbeds for many reasons-simply immediately convert the 8 bit file to 16 bit for your PS adjustments. Sandy King and I just a had a discussion about this in PM as we both own Scitex Eversmarts that save in 8 bit.

[Ted Harris]

BTW, Jainco also has several IQsmart 3's but, at the moment, they are only usin gthem for reflective material. Jazz Minander, their CEO, and I are chatting and I will likely be doing an inhouse workshop for them in using the IQsmart 3's for film scanning too.

[Frank Petronio]

It looks to me like the Tango was sharpened and the Imacon wasn't. Do you know whether the Tango or the scan operator imparts a sharpening pass?

Every scan needs sharpening, it's going through an optical system. A fair real world test would be to process and prep each file to the best of your ability, including sharpening, to see what you can end up with. the Imacon could very well sharpen up nicely, it looks like all the information is there, nearly the same as a the Tango.

[jetcode]

It looks to me like the Tango was sharpened and the Imacon wasn't. Do you know whether the Tango or the scan operator imparts a sharpening pass?

Every scan needs sharpening, it's going through an optical system. A fair real world test would be to process and prep each file to the best of your ability, including sharpening, to see what you can end up with. the Imacon could very well sharpen up nicely, it looks like all the information is there, nearly the same as a the Tango.

no amount of sharpening fixes a scan platform that vibrates during a scan, the Imacon platforms are quite small compared to a Tango or Cezanne

[Henry Ambrose]

What Frank wrote.

[jetcode]

beautiful image Doug - I have been rescanning images scanned with an imacon 646 and the difference is equally obvious, what further amazes me is Imacon charges $20k for the 949 and my elite (granted used) was $5900 shipped to my doorstep

[Brian K]

Having owned an Imacon 646 and not being happy with it or Hasselblad I have to say that imacon scan sample is a poor scan. I never got results that soft with my 646, sharpening set to -120, as the sample you show. It's possible the focus was off because that is way too soft.

Also the tango scan appears noisy or oversharpened. I'm not surprised as the few Tango scans I have gotten were poor and when I scanned an image with my 646 that yielded nothing but a noisy mess on a tango, the 646 scan was vastly better. Then again the Tango scan was done by Nancy scans.

One thing about scanning, while the scanner itself is very important, the weakest link in scanning always seems to be the operator. Great gear + lousy operator= poor scan, decent gear + great operator= good scan, Great gear + great operator= great scan.