Drum scans vs Epson 4990

[Zaitz]

I sent some of my negatives to get drum scanned. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I guess I expected these to be quite noticeably better. Maybe I am just seeings things wrong. Mine are scanned on an Epson 4990 with low sharpening set on the scanner. The drum scans are straight as I received them.

First one is 8x10 HP5. So the file sizes are similar.

4990:


Drum


For 4x5 I lowered the size for the drum scans as they were scanned larger.
4990


Drum


The drum scans are darker. Perhaps because I didn't set a black point.

[Zaitz]

4990


Drum

[Peter De Smidt]

The drum-scanned images look better to me.

[Frank Petronio]

What were you expecting them be like?

It's impossible to really tell from a couple of jpgs but just looking here, the "darker" ones have increased contrast and the edges of things look sharper.

[Zaitz]

The drum-scanned images look better to me.

They do to me too. But I guess not by as large a margin as I thought they would. It seems I am not gaining much by sending them out. I don't think I'd be able to tell in a print. The 8x10 drum scan looks noticeably softer to me.

[Bob McCarthy]

There is not a lot of detail in the images to help make a comparison. find an image with plenty of DOF and crisp detail and you will see a didderence.


Bob

[Kirk Gittings]

You want a real test? Have Lenny Eiger do a drum scan and then compare them. Not all drum scans are as good as they should be.

[Zaitz]

You want a real test? Have Lenny Eiger do a drum scan and then compare them. Not all drum scans are as good as they should be.

That may be the truth.

4990:


Drum:


The drum scan is better. I guess I'm going to have to print these out to see if I can even tell a difference.

[neil poulsen]

These comparisons are quite illustrative for me. The difference I notice is that the drum scans have more detail in the shadows and in the highlights.

The flatbed scans are kind of hazy and appear to have more grain. But, that doesn't mean necessarily that they wouldn't necessarily print well.

[Roger Cole]

That may be the truth.

4990:


Drum:


The drum scan is better. I guess I'm going to have to print these out to see if I can even tell a difference.

Well the drum scan has considerably more contrast. I don't know how they would compare if you equalized that a bit.