Digital BW, The Print

Eric is right. The date of reviews is really important. 

I routinely scan black & white 4x5 negatives at 5,000spi and 16-bit pixel depth into 1Gb files. These files are Photoshoped QUICKLY and EASILY, typically with 4-8 layers using a $3,100 computer that contains a single 3.0GHz quadcore processor, 8Gb RAM, and a solid state HardDrive that is reserved for Photoshop scratch. For backups, I use inexpensive 1Tb external HardDrives. 

By the way, if I were to buy another computer today, I would load it with 16Gb of RAM. 

Randall R. Bresee.


--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "E.Neilsen" <e.neilsen2@...> wrote:
>
> Michael, this section is I believe what caught your eye. 
> 
> "The answer is simple, you can squeeze more detail out from the film, of
> course there is a trade off. A 5x4 scan at 4800 dpi is going to produce a
> whopping and unmanageable file size of 1.27 gb, a 35mm slide at the same
> resolution produces a 88.26mb file. You will need a high specification
> computer with lots of RAM to work on 35mm scans and you can forget about
> doing anything else whilst working with the 5x4 scans. For everyday ink jet
> printing needs this resolution is way over the top, a resolution of 3200 or
> 2400 will be more than enough."
> 
> In addition to my Nikon 9000 and Epson V750, I have a Epson 3200 ( just
> sitting now - any buyers) and he refers to writing up that unit a year ago.
> Those are older scanner - the 3200 and 4870, good for what they are, but
> older. At the time of that write up, in 2004?, RAM and HD space was much
> more expensive than today. He also did qualify his statement with "way over
> the top" . There are for sure trade offs when working with your system.
> Today a 64 bit system is quite normal and back then not so much. Point being
> that looking at the date of reviews is almost equally important to what is
> being said as the context for the authors statement might be really
> important to how you interpret what he is saying.
> 
> Eric Neilsen Photography
> 4101 Commerce Street, Suite 9
> Dallas, TX 75226

> 
> From: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
> [mailto:DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Michael
> Sent: Friday, June 04, 2010 11:33 AM
> To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [Digital BW] Re: Advice needed
> 
> 
> Re: scanner resolution. Here's a link to a review of the scanner I'm using,
> the Epson 4870. It's in this review that the comment was made regarding 3000
> dpi as being the max setting for b&w negative film; read a couple of pages
> to get the gist of what he's talking about.
> 
> http://www.photo-i.co.uk/Reviews/interactive/Epson%204870/page_6.htm
> 
> Michael K