Is Betterlight Still the Standard?

[evan clarke]

HaHa Tmy is the standard..

[StoneNYC]

HaHa Tmy is the standard..

TMY?? For fine art color reproductions? Hah!

[Adamphotoman]

The Betterlight is a Trilinear Scanner and one can use either the 10 stop curve or the repro curve.
Try to put a 4'X12' painting with 1/2 inch texture on a drum scanner.

This type of capture technology requires the best operators to get the best results. These units are Not Forgiving in the least, however, if one pays attention to all the steps, one will be rewarded with simply the best.

[Adamphotoman]

The Super 6K HS uses a 14 bit analogue to digital converter. This makes 14 stops dynamic range a potential, however this is only achieved in laboratory conditions. This means using the devise in a deep freeze.
In the real world the devise will still realize 11.5 stops throughout most of it's useable range. [without freezing]...
With film, a drum scanner needs an optimum start point. This translates to a a perfect exposure with film. However, the over exposure and under exposure end points [in film processing] will reduce dynamic range. From film to digital a modest reduction of dynamic range, film grain, is expected.

MF cannot compete with LF scanning with regard to pure RGB values. A secret spice is always introduced in software intervention. The newer technology can surpass scanning backs for instant capture, however, the much larger capture wells in scanning will give much smoother tone gradations and with proper user interaction better sharpness.

[Math]

If you're going to do artwork, nothing much beats a D800E with some macro lenses for it's price. Sure is a whole lot better than a betterlight back.

[Drew Wiley]

That was a joke, right?

[StoneNYC]

That was a joke, right?

+1

[Peter Mounier]

I think he means the price is a whole lot better.

[Drew Wiley]

Yeah, but is the Light Better ?

[8x10 user]

+1 for sinar multishot

Even with my old 22mp version I can make a 200MP image in 64 shots that would match or surpass a betterlight scan.

It uses the same 9 micron kodak CCD technology but mine has an active peltier cooler and can be used at ISO 25. Both are light hogs but with the one I use 22 million sites receive light at the same time versus 24,000 on the betterlight. Its the lower iso and peltier cooler that would IMO give the multishot sinar solution an edge.

Both have very good software for reproduction purposes.

As for the new Sinar exact. It should also be very good for flat art. I dont think the extra resolution would be attainable with 3d objects due to the diffraction/DOF issue.

I believe the new cruise scanners still use the same old Kodak Trilinear sensors. There was a version of the trilinear sensor with a peltier cooler that was sold for use in the Eversmart Supreme and Imacon 949 (Hasselblad X5) scanners. I do not know of it being used for a fine art scanner or copy camera.

If you want to know what is the best you can currently get, then it is multi-shot MF. I've worked for many years with Eyelike multi-shot backs, made by Jenoptik (Carl Zeiss Jena of old). They no longer sell to the general public, but still make backs for Sinar. A 50 megapixel, 16-shot back from Sinar will beat anything else you have. We're talking a 200 megapixel *non-interpolated* file, in pure RGGB, just like a drum scan. The software will correct uneven lighting and will make the most accurate colour currently possible. Sinar even make a dedicated motorised repro camera these days.