Changing from v700 to IQSmart2 for 8x10?

[ryanmills]

Thanks Pali! The fine detail is what I was most curious about. its fairly evident in the scans. Shooting portraits I really want that detail, kids with fair skin wash out quickly, just a lack of texture. I have had to meter slightly under if the sun is bright just because their skin acts like a reflector lol. I also hope it can handle the denser negs. The v700 really needs a kind of thin neg to keep detail well. It really rolls off with thick highlights. When I first got it i still had an enlarger and there were prints I could do in the darkroom that just did not scan as well. The photographer who recomended the creo likes thincker negitives. I prefer them myself just starting to understand why its worth it. Now I just have to decide how much i really need a second kidney.


richardman: I want to be clear I was never bashing the v700. Everything on my site was scanned on one. I get good results, just could be better. But were talking about a price jump from $600 to $6500. I think for most people the v700 is fine. In my case im selling work and i really want it exceptional. Despite what some in this thread think. With a difficult negative even at 16x20 you can start to see a difference, 40x60 it stands out, even with 4x5. I will say with a perfect negitive it does a damn good job. I have 6x7 shots that look better than 4x5 shots printed. Its all about the negitive and what the scanner can pull out.

[Jim Andrada]

Bigger house???

Just kidding. I have the same issue so I tore out the inside of my office closet and am building a cabinet for the IQsmart and the 4880. That's why I delayed taking delivery. Hope to have the cabinet finished by the end of this week.

[Pere Casals]

Is Ektar 100 a more high-res film? I have "standardized" on Portra 160 and 400 since I am doing 3 portrait projects, but I do shoot landscape and other stuff occasionally. May be I should start a separate thread, but for 4x5 Color Neg scanning, if size, weight, and convenience of use are all factors e.g. drum may be least convenient to use and an IQSmart may be too heavy (130 lbs!!!), then wouldn't something like the V7xx/V8xx be the best low cost solution and something like the Flextight X1/X5 be the best high end solution?

I mean I can dream to own a Flextight, but a 130/200 lbs machine is just a bit much to consider...

Portra and Ektar are engineered to have lower "resolution" than its silver grains can provide. Color clouds are bigger than they were in the past.

When minilabs became digital Noritsu, Fuji (Frontier), KIS, etc started printing discretization noise from the new scanning technology: that was "the future for sure".

The industry solution was making bigger color clouds. Kodak states that Portra and Ektar scans better and this is true, but they don't say it's because cloud size. IMHO. Anyway Portra results are atonishing. Film resolution charts is something overestimated.

Best solution for roll film is a dedicated roll film scanner, a discontinued Nikon 5000 throws unnecessary 4000 effective dpi a flatbed don't reach, the 9000 makes 120. Then there is the Plustek range. 135 likes good scanning, and a good scanist.

For sheets best solution for individuals is flatbeds, in LF optical performance beyond 2400 is absolutely irrelevant for LF. The other day I was laughing a lot because I found a link where Ken Rockwell also was saying it : ) Even Rockwell says it to every body.
In my opinion Flatbed has to be not too expensive, and send some rare jobs no flatbed can do to drum service.


Yes, I'm a strong supporter that V7xx/V8xx is as good for the job than machines with 10X cost, and that performance is more related to operator. If one has money to burn there are other nice options that make sense, of course. Personally I'd prefer an Ebony to caress it : ) chacun à son goût


Please everybody, look again this scan from Bohman done with a V750:

http://www.paulbohman.com/blog/2011/...rtrait-camera/

Nice to obtain such a 3d sensation, that perfect highlight roll-off, that beauty !!!!!

Left eye do not look that sharp because browser image resize criminal behaviour of browsers, but look at the crop of the eye.

You can go with a negative to a drum service and ask for that result... but it's better to ask Bohman.

Or you can read what Bohman says here:



IMPORTANT: http://photo.net/film-and-processing-forum/00Zdeb



(If the V750 is good for Bohman it's more than perfect for me.)

[Pere Casals]

The v700 really needs a kind of thin neg to keep detail well. It really rolls off with thick highlights.

Even in the case of Jose Villa style, who set fire to film, V700 will peform perfectly with those top 3.0D densities.

Looking datasheet, page 5

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/profe...1/e4051_es.pdf

Red channel can reach density 1.8D, green channel can reach 2.2D and blue 2.8D. When all layer (logarithmic addition) densities added it results some 3.0D.

At this density level Multi-Exposure is recommendable, as multi-exposure is usefull for dense velvia shadows it is also good for negative dense higlights, it works the counter, of course.

My experience is that the V750 depicts a perfectly highlight roll-off for Portra films to the extent the medium is capable.

Portra is very easy to scan because it's engineered to shine when processed/printed at the Digital Minilabs of that era.

Here it's well exlpained, IMHO: http://photo.net/film-and-processing-forum/00Zdeb see 1st and 3rd posts.

http://www.paulbohman.com/about

[Ari]

Pali, those are pretty awesome test targets; where did you get them?
In comparing the Epson vs the Creo, the test targets tell the whole story.

Like some others here, I never printed that large, maybe to 13x19 paper, but the Epson scans always seemed to be lacking.
For general-purpose use, and moderate-size prints, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend a v750 or v850, but if someone needs higher quality scans coupled with ease of use, the Creos and their ilk are the way to go.

I have no problem with Pere defending the Epsons, they do fill a need, but Creos and drum scanners are in a different league altogether.

[Pere Casals]

Pali, those are

I have no problem with Pere defending the Epsons, they do fill a need, but Creos and drum scanners are in a different league altogether.

In the past V750 defenders were well beaten, but here you have a tougher contender : )

Let's take it with some fun. Analyzing targets let's see as both perform exactly the same

No... the Creo is much the same than a V750, drums and X5 are in a different league.


Well, first what shows targets certifies that there is no practical difference.

Second, the ES Pro shows clear noise from "in hardware" sharpen, at 4000 dpi those optics cannot deliver that grain noise in any way, but only smoothness.

I took the time to prove it to you, by taking the smooth Epson image and adding sharpen with PS it appears just the same grain noise, also I normalized contrast to make look Epson scan it even better. If you see the lines at the 40 position... now the EPSON is better.

Single difference is that Epson do not make the in hardware sharpen to you have the option to do it in your way later.

I prefer the EPSON way, as to apply two times the sharpen may be worse than a single one.

So Epson Perform the same than the other, about resolution, any doubt now?

The smoking gun:

[Jim Andrada]

Took a look at the links Pere suggested. Meh!! Nice try

Oh well, as Pere said "Chacun à son goût/好きなように/As you like it". Might be time for the "ignore" button again. Great invention.

[Pere Casals]

Took a look at the links Pere suggested. Meh!! Nice try

Oh well, as Pere said "Chacun à son goût/好きなように/As you like it". Might be time for the "ignore" button again. Great invention.

Hey !!! Jim... Imagine it... To caress an Ebony, kissing its titanium, smelling its bellows, well... even licking its GG...

Would one exchange this for couple of plastics that make weird noise when pressing a button ?


Or an Universal Heliar 36cm... the diffusion ring is clitoric... !!!


So, so you think you can tell Heaven from Hell, blue skies from pain.
Can you tell a green field from a cold steel rail?
A smile from a veil?
Do you think you can tell?

Did they get you to trade your heroes for ghosts?
Hot ashes for trees?
Hot air for a cool breeze?
Cold comfort for change?
Did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage?

How I wish, how I wish you were here.
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year,
Running over the same old ground.
What have we found?
The same old fears.
Wish you were here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3j8mr-gcgoI

[Pali K]

I love that Epson scans have hidden information that only Pere can access.. oh wait it's just stolen from "the good scanner" which is not that good because Epson is just as good.



Pali

[Pere Casals]

I love that Epson scans have hidden information that only Pere can access.. oh wait it's just stolen from "the good scanner" which is not that good because Epson is just as good.

Pali

Le me check it, I've edited both and both were quite equal after performing best sharpening, it is possible I took one by the other because both were equal, let me 10min to check it.


PD: Sorry, this is the V700 right file:



As you see as good as the good one. Click in it to enlarge.

Please check it you on your own with PS, and tell me if you do not obtain just the same result like me...