Digital BW, The Print

Thanks guys for the tips.  I've decided my first purchase will be the 
film scanner and I've got that narrowed down to the following three:

Polaroid Sprintscan 4000t/tf
Microtek Artixscan 
Leafscan 35/45
(I also plan on checking out the Kodak RFS 3600, which Wayne so 
kindly recomended.)

I'll stick to shooting with my 35mm for now and scan them in for dev. 
I'd like to incorporate an injet system into my lab, but until I have 
a chance to see controlled output from both Peizo and MIS I'll wait 
to make that decision.  It would be really nice to see what both look 
like coming out of a Epson 1280 and 3000 because those are the 
printers I'm condering purchasing.


Lastly, how do you guys make your contact sheets?  Will any ol' 
scanner do or should I be looking for something specific?  


Thanks again.  SH  




--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "zelig2 
<zelig2@y...>" <zelig2@y...> wrote:
> Greetings,
> 
> 
> (I understand that this topic has been hashed over many times here, 
> but due to the ever-changing state of the art, I figure I'd pose 
the 
> question again.)
> 
> I'm currently in the market for a digital darkroom setup to be used 
> primarily for B&W development.  I'd like to solicit your advice on 
> what I products/systems I should be looking at.   The only 
> requirement I have is that the prints are archival and of 
> professional quality.
> 
> Specifically, I'd like to know more about the following:
> 
> Film Scanners.   (I'd still like to shoot with my 35mm.)  Which 
ones 
> give the best output at the best price?  Is there any image 
> degradation?  Can the scans be used to produce professional prints?
> 
> Digital Cameras.  Which are the best for B&W photography?
> 
> Quad Tone Printing.  I've heard that the best price/performance 
> option is using the MIS inks with Cone's drivers.  Are any of you 
> using this combination?  If so, what is your opinion on the 
combo?   
> Do you know of any sample images available on the web for me to use 
> for comparisons?    Which printer should I buy (I want large-
> format)?  I like the looks of the Epson 1520 because of the low-
cost, 
> but can it really produce professional quality prints?
> 
> Software.  WYSIWYG software, does it really work?  What's the 
best?  
> Any other "must-have" software out there?
> 
> Internet Resources and Books.   Any links to sources on the web 
would 
> be appreciated. Also, if you know of any good books on Digital 
B&W...
> 
> 
> Thanks in advance and happy holidays.  SH