On Oct 3, 2005, at 4:52 AM, Frank Wajer wrote:
... the prices of prints is getting outrageous, about six times more expensive than internet printing services. So I'm thinking about buying a filmscanner ... I need a cheap solution that gives me good pictures up to 13x18 cm prints. ...
I've been using a Minolta Scan Dual II since 2000, operating it with Vuescan software. It's made many hundreds, maybe thousands, of excellent scans from 35mm and smaller format negatives. 13x18cm (5x7 inch) should be no problem at all: I've managed to make satisfying 11x17 and 13x19 inch prints from full frame 35 with it. A full-frame 35mm scan with the SDII will net you a 300ppi print resolution at just about 9x14 inch image size. The Scan Dual IV is the current model in this line and has higher resolution (3200ppi vs 2820ppi). That's good for a 10x15 inch image size at 300ppi print output.
My recommendation would be to stick with a dedicated film scanner like this if you are only going to be working with 35mm negatives and slides. If you are working with older film images (color negative, color slide and C41 B&W negatives), one of the models with infrared- based auto scratch and dust removal (ICE) is well worth the additional money. ICE does NOT work with Kodachrome slide film or traditional B&W film, however (the silver grains are not transparent to IR) so if your work is primarily traditional B&W film, there's little reason to go for the more expensive scanner.
As an alternative, another friend recently bought the Epson 4990 flatbed scanner and has compared his scans from the same negatives against a Minolta Scan Dual III and Nikon Coolscan IV film scanners. He said he was very impressed that the Epson 4990 produced quality on par with both of them. I haven't experimented with this Epson yet myself, but it's worth taking a look at.
Godfrey
