Originally Posted by
koraks
I think you can download the Epson driver and Epson scanning software from the Epson website. Either that, or, as Randy suggests, use 3rd party software such as Vuescan.
I would just start using it, really. Try dry scanning first to get the hang of how your scanner works. I have never felt the need for wet scanning, especially with large format.
Opinions will differ, but I can make very decent 40" prints from dry scanned 4x5" negatives; I doubt I would see much improvement by wet mounting. Especially since prints at this size will generally be viewed from some distance. Of course, if you intend to scan smaller film formats, the need for further optimization becomes more important. But then I would reconsider the use of a flatbed scanner.
At 3200dpi, close to 25600px x 32000px, but the real-world resolution is limited to ca. 1900dpi, so you may want to scan at a lower resolution or downsample the result. Everybody has their own way of working. File sizes will be around 1-4Gb (uncompressed TIFF) depending on bit depth and if it's color or B&W. Like I said above, a 4x5" negative will provide more than enough data for a good 40" print, so 8x10" has a lot more than you need.
Bookmarks