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Don Harpold
19-Jun-2004, 18:34
Hello,

I have been reading posts on scanners and it seems that for around 200.00 a Epson 2450 refurbished is a good deal. What would be the advantage of going the extra 100.00 for the 3200, or 250.00 for a 4870? I didn't want to spend to much to start out untill I know what I am doing and from what a lot of the other posters have said the 2450 is very good for the money.

I shoot both medium format and 4X5 and have just started developing my medium format and will do the 4X5 once I get it down.

Thanks for the help Don

Frank Petronio
19-Jun-2004, 19:01
I went from the 1680 to the 3200, and each new model is incrementally better for a slightly higher price. You get what you pay for. By the time the 2450 dies, Epson will be 4-5 generations ahead, so it makes sense to get the latest and best if you can afford it.

Leonard Evens
19-Jun-2004, 19:14
I've had a 2450, and I upgraded to a 3200. The 2450 is usable with medium format, particularly 6 x 7 or 6 x 9, but scans require a lot of massaging in a photoeditor. The 3200 is enough better for medium format that it is probably worth the price difference. The 4870 would probably do even better. Reports have been uneven with some people claiming really fantastic results and some little or no improvement over previous models. For 4 x 5, the 2450 is probably adequate, depending on how large prints you intend to make.

Erik Sherman
19-Jun-2004, 20:02
I use a 3200 Pro - an advantage is the Monaco color matching software. I've been able to pretty decent color profiling between the scanner, monitor, and my printer. I've been experimenting with some 4x5 Porto 160VC and the prints are coming out well from scanning the negatives.

MattO
20-Jun-2004, 03:35
"I went from the 1680 to the 3200, and each new model is incrementally better ..."

Frank-

Going from the 1680 to the 3200 is not a step forward....

mark blackman
20-Jun-2004, 04:12
I use the 2450 for 5x4 with no problems, it's also possible to scan 10x8 if you do it in parts and stitch it all back together in photoshop. I don't use the epson twain software, I've got a copy of Vuescan from (http://www.hamrick.com/) and it gives excellent results.

Leonard Metcalf
20-Jun-2004, 07:27
I am right in the middle of printing my second 24 x 30 inch print (from an Epson 7600 on archival 100% cotton rag paper), which I scanned on my Epson 3200 from a 4 x 5 trannie.

The verdict? I am wrapt, at a one foot viewing distance they are great, at 4 feet (near to normal viewing distance for this size) they are stunning. You only need 2000 dpi for a 4 x 5 printed at this size. Haven't put them next to the digital prints from a light jet, scanned on a drum scanner and printed on ilfochrome yet (but is this comparison really fair?). So far so good. Though it took a while to get rid of the newton rings.

Don Miller
20-Jun-2004, 09:09
hi Don The major issue is what you are willing to accept with medium format. Have you looked at the reviews of the 3200 and 4870 at www.photo-i.co.uk ?

The biggest issue with these scanners and 4x5 is not so much the ppi but the true dmax. (Ignore the dmax spec for these lower cost scanners).

I'm not sure if you will satisfied with the performance of the 2450 and MF. Good Luck.

Don

Don Harpold
20-Jun-2004, 11:05
Thanks Everybody,

I have done a little more reading, I know thats dangerous, the reviews are pretty good for both, but the 3200 is faster. I read that Vuescan is the way to go for scanner software, another question I think one of the posters said that the 2450 bundled software does not do 48bit does the vuescan solve that or is there something else I would need?

Thanks Again everybody

Don

Don Harpold
20-Jun-2004, 15:10
Thank You Don Miller,

I just read the www.photo-i.co.uk review and I think I'll go the extra and get the 3200. The 4870 is more than I want to spend at this time.

Thanks Don

Ralph Barker
20-Jun-2004, 17:32
Don H - I think you want to watch both what the scanner/software combo is capable of, and what the image editing software will support. With Photoshop, for example, only the latest version, CS, is capable of using all the tools in 16bit/chanel mode. Particularly with "Levels" adjustments, being able to do that in 16bit/chanel mode makes a world of difference.

Vuescan gets rave reviews from most scanner users as being the least expensive software capable of excellent scans. Silverfast is the more commercial product that gets similar kudos from users, but buying it retail is quite expensive. The (then) latest version of Silverfast came bundled with my 3200 Pro, but that isn't always the case. The added convenience with Silverfast is that it functions as a plug-in to Photoshop, so scanning and editing is done within the confines of Photoshop itself.

Brian Ellis
20-Jun-2004, 19:15
"With Photoshop, for example, only the latest version, CS, is capable of using all the tools in 16bit/channel mode. Particularly with "Levels adjustments, being able to do that in 16bit/chanel mode makes a world of difference."

I believe that levels (and curves) have been usable in 16 bit since at least Photoshop 6, maybe earlier.

Frank Petronio
21-Jun-2004, 07:08
Several older scanners, including the Agfa Arcus, Nikon Coolscan, and Leaf 45, had 16-bit capability before Photoshop. But just because they have 16-bit capability doesn't mean that they produce a useful 16-bit range in reality (the Leaf did.)

I'm curious why a poster said the Epson 3200 was not a step up from the 1680? Cryptic remark...

JohnnyV
21-Jun-2004, 07:42
>I believe that levels (and curves) have been usable in 16 bit since at least Photoshop 6, maybe earlier.

Yes but with Photoshop CS 16 bit adjustment layers - curves, levels and more - are now available.