Digital BW, The Print

Ben,

Your print size is A3+, roughly 33x48 cm, lengthwise 45 cm will be 
usable. My experience says that 450 PPI is the optimal resolution to 
feed a printer, there is not much to gain beyond that considering inkjet 
technology as it is today. Often half of that will still be satisfying 
with the right upsampling tools. Over the length you need 8000 pixels, 
on the width 5844 pixels. With borders for matte mounting on the print 
you will need less pixels than that.

A  6x7 measures 56x72 mm, the 72mm length can vary in practice depending 
on the camera but I start from the Linhof ideal format. To get 8000 
pixels over that length you need a scanner that resolves about 3000 PPI. 
The Epsons in the V class can not do that but will do more than 2000 PPI 
with proper methods. On the length you will get 5670 pixels, on the 
width 4410 pixels. The dynamic range is usually sufficient for B&W 
negatives, it is different for slides.

Proper upsampling and sharpening tools will help.

I would say get an Epson, possibly the V600 or a secondhand V700 and 
build up experience. A good operator is worth a lot, both on an Epson 
and on a drum scanner. If you can afford and maintain a secondhand drum 
scanner later on then that is the way to go if you want to stay with 
film. The Nikon MF scanners are no longer made and cost a lot secondhand 
and in my personal opinion the Flextights are not better in their 
performance while they are going at an even higher price new and secondhand.

With a Nikon D800 camera and more like that to come the hybrid 
analogue/digital route is questionable anyway.


-- 
Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst Dinkla

http://www.pigment-print.com/spectralplots/spectrumviz_1.htm
December 2012: 500+ inkjet media paper white spectral plots.