Digital BW, The Print

Hello Martin,

I will take your advice and have a few commercially scanned to see what quality I can obtain...

As I recall, there are hundreds of these old 4x5s. I just need to get my Father to send them all to me then I can ascertain the value in purchasing a better scanner.

Do you think the Epson 1680 would be an 'effective' scanner for this purpose - considering the age, film grain and general degredation of old glass negs ?

Thanks ( again and again ),
Alex

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I
> would recommend that you check out the Epson 2450 and 1680 scanners, $399
> and $1,149. The best for the glass negs would probably be one of the high
> end Scitex scanners but I assume you don't want to part with several
> thousand dollars. As someone suggested, you might want to contact a service
> bureau with a high end flat bed and have some things scanned so that you can
> see the difference.
> 
> The scanner is probably more important or as important to getting a good
> print as the printer.
> 
> Martin Wesley
> 
> http://www.borderless-photos.de/guests.html
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "B. Alex Pettit Jr." <a_pettit_jr@y...>
> To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y...>
> Sent: Sunday, September 15, 2002 3:44 AM
> Subject: [Digital BW] Cheap Scanner ??
> 
> 
> > Well, now that I finally have a good BW printer ( Epson 2000P + MIS FSe ),
> I set up this Microtek X12USL scanner ($270) and 5x7" transparancy adapter
> lid ($80).
> >
> > I have some old glass 4x5 negatives from my grandfather that I wish to
> scan and print, and I thought this scanner would work fine : Wrong !
> > Although it is rated for 42 bit color and 2400x1200 resolution, the
> dynamic range is just miserable. I cannot resolve anything in the darker
> negative areas - they just show as white. I improved it a bit by scanning as
> a Positive and then swapping afterwards ( in Picture Windows 16 bit mode ),
> but in examining the negatives with a magnifier, I am loosing a great amount
> of detail. No afterscan correction curves work properly - the data is lost:
> the subtile grey shading in these deeper areas is not captured.
> >
> > 1) any tricks for wide white to black ratio negatives ?
> > 2) what is an 'inexpensive' scanner capable of properly acquiring the
> information from these, somewhat grainy and imperfect, but still interesting
>  circa 1900 negatives ???
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Alex
> >
> >
> >
> >
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