Screen 1045 AI or ScanMate 5000 ?

**renes** · 2-Oct-2011, 07:35

I have oportunity to scan my 6x9 b&w films for a good price with one of two drum scanners: Screen DTS 1045 AI and ScanMate 5000. I am going to send to both scanner owners two the same frames to check and compare the scans quality (destination printing size will be 50x70cm or 40x60cm), but I know most depends on scanning skills. So based on my jugement, I will not be albe to say which scanner is better (or whether the scanner or the scanning man gave the quality of the scans) .

Have anybody skaned with both scanners? Are these scanners equal or one is significantly better to another? Any suggestions or advice would be great.

**LF_rookie_to_be** · 2-Oct-2011, 12:16

Are the owners pros (as in pro-labs or repro houses) or do they own them for personal use? That could give you a clue.

**Lenny Eiger** · 2-Oct-2011, 12:26

Originally Posted by LF_rookie_to_be

Are the owners pros (as in pro-labs or repro houses) or do they own them for personal use? That could give you a clue.

Actually, I think the better question is whether they are photographers, and whether they understand your work.

ProLabs and repro houses usually do very poor scanning work. Offset printers are used to much smaller color spaces.. No, I'd go with a photographer, especially a good printer, any day...

Lenny

**LF_rookie_to_be** · 2-Oct-2011, 12:45

Lenny, of course you're right. It's just that in my neck of the woods, I haven't heard of a photographer owning a drum scanner during the last 10-12 years. One or two do have an Imacon at home, but that's just not it. Two or three drum scanners that are still in use and aren't 20+ years old are owned by printing/repro houses. One is a very recent ICG (running on OS X!) which is constantly outputting reproductions of artworks - that particular publisher's main bread and butter - which are outstanding. I have on my table right now such a book which I know for sure (as its designer/co-author told me personally) is loaded with drum scans, both from negatives and transparencies. But the access to that particular scanner - No.1 in town - has been a veritable maze,
until now at least.

**Lenny Eiger** · 2-Oct-2011, 12:52

Originally Posted by LF_rookie_to_be

Lenny, of course you're right. It's just that in my neck of the woods, I haven't heard of a photographer owning a drum scanner during the last 10-12 years.

Maybe you should be the first to buy one? ;-)

FWIW, many of those 20+ year old scanners will do just fine.

Where are you?

Best,

Lenny

**LF_rookie_to_be** · 2-Oct-2011, 13:04

Lenny, I'm in Croatia. Over here a lot of drum scanners from the 80s were simply dismantled and scrapped. Some of Scanview scanners were replaced with Creos and similar flatbeds taking their place, and the whereabouts of those Scanmates are a bit mysterious. I heard a few were literally dumped, but some did end up on the used market. One 3000 I saw a few years ago was in such a sorry condition that it looked the seller found it right there in the dumpster. I read about one or two Screen 1030ai-s, but never saw them. But this ICG is a different story, thanks to the mentioned publisher (specialized in fine art books). We'll see how things turn...

LF_rtb

**renes** · 3-Oct-2011, 00:35

Originally Posted by LF_rookie_to_be

Are the owners pros (as in pro-labs or repro houses) or do they own them for personal use? That could give you a clue.

Thanks. Indeed the one with ScanMate 5000 offers scanning services and seems he have worked for many years in pro-lab, second one with Screen 1045 AI owns it rather for personal use and makes scanning for a friends, sometimes for money too, he offers three times lower the price which is tempting...

Originally Posted by Lenny Eiger

Actually, I think the better question is whether they are photographers, and whether they understand your work.

ProLabs and repro houses usually do very poor scanning work. Offset printers are used to much smaller color spaces.. No, I'd go with a photographer, especially a good printer, any day...
Lenny

I know the guy with Screen 1045 AI is photographer. So first seems to have more scanning skills, second more in photography.

**LF_rookie_to_be** · 4-Oct-2011, 00:59

Give the negs/transparencies to the photographer guy, but try to be present during scanning, if possible. Even if it means extra cash, it's probably worth it. This Screen scanner seems to be less prone to vibrations. There's a wealth of real-world info and examples about some problems with a top-of-the-line Scanmate (in Italian) here: http://www.effeunoequattro.net/htdoc...C&type=&mode=0
Good luck and let us know how it worked out in the end!