Digital BW, The Print

> Wow, you've stayed "clean" for ten years!

It's easy when you have neither space nor time to run a darkroom! :-)

> There are PS plug-ins that apply TX grain - isn't that special?

It sounds like you can have some fun with effects. I usually just prefer 
to let the film express itself through the scanner and don't bother with 
such things.

> Is VueScan better than the SilverFast that comes with the 2450?

I run Mac OS X. None of the software delivered with my 2450 was Mac OS X 
ready at that time, although my single test run under Mac OS 9 looked 
pretty good. VueScan was ported Mac OS X fairly early on and Ed updates 
is quite frequently, so I just started using it a lot. He has good 
algorithms and, while the interface is a bit on the funky side, he 
allows a lot of flexibility and control in driving the scanner 
accurately.

Epson and Silverfast have since released a software bundle which is Mac 
OS X based. I've downloaded them but haven't gotten a chance to use them 
just yet ... After all, I'm getting the results I want, why perturb the 
system?

> I set the scan at "extra sharpen" when I go 1800dpi or higher. Is that 
> not good?

I prefer to scan without sharpening and do all the image manipulation 
past grayscale/color neg inversion and basic acquisition curve 
application in Photoshop. That includes Levels, Curves adjustments, 
cropping, sharpening, sizing for particular output, etc. I'm just more 
comfortable working that way and it gives me the results I like.

> Also you have found the sweet spot for distance from the glass. I've 
> been using AN
> glass flat on the top - no holders.  Wonder if I should try raising the 
> neg
> by slight increments?

I don't like putting additional surfaces between the scanner element and 
the negative if I can help it. The 2450 is a fixed focus scanner and has 
a lot of depth of field. The standard negative holder works well for 
medium format film.

To find the optimum focus point for small format negatives, I did a bit 
of testing with different thicknesses of paper shims and an ultra sharp, 
super fine grain Minox negative (Tech Pan in Rodinal 1:100). Such a 
negative was able to demonstrate minute variations in the focus point. 
The tests showed that you didn't have to be so precise, but that the 
optimal focus point was just a touch higher than the 35mm negative strip 
carrier achieved.

Post-It notes make good experimental shims. ;-)

Godfrey