best options for 8x10 scanning

[roger michel]

what are the options for scanning 8x10 negs?? does the 4870 take 8x10??

thanks!!

[Doug Dolde]

Do a search or browse the 'Digital" section. This has been discussed many times here.

[CXC]

Microtek makes a couple of 8x10 scanners, the i900 and the 1800f. But why bother with 8x10 if you are going to scan? Unless you prefer shooting with the larger camera, or plan on printing really huge, IMHO 4x5 is plenty big. Personally, I need a REALLY good reason not to use ReadyLoads...

[David A. Goldfarb]

Old Agfa Duoscans can do 8x10", and the quality is pretty good. Try to get the HiD model, if you can, which has the best Dmax. It also has one of the best interfaces I've used. These things are really cheap (often under $100), but require a SCSI connection. Here's a 4x5" scan I did on the Duoscan yesterday--


http://www.apug.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=854 (http://www.apug.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=854)

Details--Astia, Tech V, 11.5" Verito, f:32, 1/4 sec. (as fast as I can fire the shutter), scanned at 800 dpi 16 bit, downsized and converted to 8 bit. Max resolution on mine is 1000 dpi.

[roger michel]

as for the why, i am going to try my hand at my own gigapixel project. i am going to make the highest resolution negative i can in 8x10, then scan it at 4800dpi -- 9600dpi, then print out an 8 foot by ten foot print (in strips) on my friend's new epson 4000 printer. we have spent a lot of time calibrating the thing and working with various aftermarket printer drivers and really feel like we are getting some good prints. needless to say, it's the kind of thing we will only do once in all probability, but a fun holiday week project nonetheless.

may well just get the neg scanned at a shop since it's a one-off.

thanks!!

[roger michel]

thanks again for your help!! cool stuff david.

[Henry Ambrose]

I suggest the Epson 1680 with tranparency adaptor - and I'm selling mine - write me directly if you are interested.
The Agfas are pretty good (but maybe a bit old these days) but I'd go for the 2500 model especially if you want to go with bigger prints, its a big step up from the Duoscan. I've owned and used both.

[Ralph Barker]

At those resolutions, Roger, your only real option is a drum scan from a commercial service. None of the 8x10-capable desktop scanners will come close to those resolutions.

[Brett Wylie]

Umax makes a scanner that will scan 8x10. Used market.

[Leslie Gordon]

Does anyone have any sample scans (8x10 film or transparency) done with the Microtek i900?

[CXC]

Ralph's right, for a one-off project go with professional drum scans.

[Graeme Hird]

CXC is right .....

[Graeme Hird]

Actually, forget it - at 4000 dpi your file will be around 2GB. How will they deliver the file to you?

You'd better buy a drum scanner - I think the cheaper ones that cover that size film and that resolution are around $200,000 (I could be wrong ... they might be more)

[tim atherton]

"Actually, forget it - at 4000 dpi your file will be around 2GB. How will
they deliver the file to you? "

easy - DVD

[roger michel]

a 2 gig file (actually i hope it will be a bit larger) is nothing. i will have them put it on a 40 gig hard drive for me. i will need at least 80 gig i reckon to handle the upsizing that inevitably will occur once i import it into photoshop.

i assumed once i realized the 4870 was out that i'd have to use a pro drum scanner. boston photo imaging seems good for any NE area types intersted in drum scans of 8x10. very reasonable pricing.

thanks again!!

p.s. i bought an agfa on ebay as you suggested for test scans etc.

thanks!!

[mark blackman]

I scan 10x8 negatives with an Epson 2450. Each sheet requires 3 separate scans which I then stitch together with Photoshop. So long as you lock the exposure for each scan & make sure the film is kept parallel for each stripe it works fine. At full resolution, you'll end up with a file around 1GB in size.