Originally Posted by
Sweep
I don't think it is what it does but how it does it. How it works is for someone else to answer.
Wet mounting on a drum makes the film as close to perfectly flat as can be achieved as it is held taught around the drum so the distance between lens and film always remains constant. Then there is the use of photomultiplier tubes which, as far as I understand, are several thousand times more sensitive to light that the technology used in, for example, the Epson V series. Whether you can get, need, or perceive, any or all of the advantages from the drum scanner depends, as others have mentioned, on the skill of the operator.
I own a Howtek D4500 and whilst I love owning it is not without issues. Mounting time, scanning time, consumable costs etc, all should be part of the equation.
Can I tell the difference? Nope, but I have never owned anything else :-) I suppose that's a bit like auditioning televisions in a shop; once you get it home you have nothing to compare it to so you just have to keep telling yourself it is better.
Do I have need for a drum scanner. Nope, but its a hobby so I liked the idea of the drum scanner to get the very best out of my film whether I can tell the difference or not
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