Scanning, Etc.

[Michael Gaillard]

I have been using an Imacon for a while to scan my 4x5 negs. It has been fine, but now that I find myself without a scanner handy, I am curious how one can find a way to rent time on a scanner. I found one place in NYC that rents use of an Imacon for 55 bucks/hour and 165 for four. Seems okay, but upon doing some research I hear mention of drum scanning being tremendously more precise than the Imacon.

My questions...
- is that true? How much of a difference does it make?
- is it possible to find use of a Tango somewhere in the NY area that doesn't cost far too much money to make it worth while?
- how can anyone possibly afford the costs of scanning with a drum scanner and be an artist?

[Kirk Gittings]

I use Imacons regularly. They give you a quality somewhere in between the prosumer flatbeds and a drum scan. Chances are, because the software learning curve is so great and the hardware is expensive and a little fragile that you will not be able to rent time on a drum scanner.

[Bruce Watson]

My questions...
- is that true?
Within reason, yes.

How much of a difference does it make?
Depends. How much enlargement are you making? How complex are your images? Tranny or negative? Color or B&W?

- is it possible to find use of a Tango somewhere in the NY area that doesn't cost far too much money to make it worth while?
Probably not. Drum scanning is considerably different that running a flat bed or an Imacon. Drums are very expensive, fluid mounts are not intuitively obvious. I doubt very much that anyone would risk a drum on an amateur operator.

And if you could find one, I doubt very much your scans could equal an experienced operator's scans. The software is different, much less automation and much more manual control. Knowing which settings are important for your work and how to use them takes practice and judgment.

- how can anyone possibly afford the costs of scanning with a drum scanner and be an artist?
Now here's the kicker. You can buy a used drum scanner and do your own drum scanning. Used drum scanners aren't hard to find and sell for a lot less than a used Imacon for example. Or used professional flatbeds for that matter.

I did this myself -- bought an excellent Optronics ColorGetter 3 Pro about five years ago. I was making scans that exceeded my flatbed scans immediately. After a few months my scans were really quite good. After six months or so my scans exceeded what I could buy from service bureaus. Largely because I had much more experience with my film and my images then anyone else ever could. This was very clearly the right decision for me and my work. I'm still very happy I bought my own drum scanner.

Is this a route for everyone? Probably not. Drum scanners are big, noisy, hot, slow, and difficult and/or expensive to maintain. But I did enough scans in the first few month to pay for the scanner. Every scan after that is gravy. And the scan quality has to be seen to be believed -- killer scans, these. And for better or worse they are all done my way.

[Michael Gaillard]

Thank you guys... Turns out I found an Imacon at a place called Print Space on 19th St. which also has a Digital C Printer for use for much cheaper than the lab I have been using.