Digital BW, The Print

Peter,

Yes, I am aware of Tony Sleep's observations and this is a good point.
However, I carefully tested scans with both the Polaroid Insight software
and the included SilverFast 5.5 full version software that came with the
scanner.   The SilverFast certainly had much more control and capability;
but, the sharpness issue (or lack thereof) was unaffected by the software.
I assumed it to be a hardware issue, indemic to the type of lighting system
the Polaroid uses.   I will say softer scans can be an advantage if you have
dirty negatives, a lot less shows up then with the Nikon scanners.   I also
did some tests with a Nikon LS4000 and found it getting almost too much
information, in a sense, requireing more Photoshop clone tool work to remove
every little mark on negatives that wouldn't even show up if printed with a
condenser enlarger in a darkroom.

I'm going to again reiterate the clumsy negative holders as a factor in
considering other scanners then the polaroid.   I did tests with a Canon
4000 and thought it very good also.

Rick

Message: 9
   Date: Fri, 15 Aug 2003 17:19:08 +1000
   From: "Peter Marquis-Kyle" <peter@...>
Subject: Re: re: B&W Printing . . . Polaroid SS4000

Rick Schiller wrote:
> My experience with the original SS4000 was very disappointing.
[snip]
> The most glaring
> imperfection of the Polaroid is the lack of sharpness.  It was
> simply no sharper then the Canon 2720, which is/was a basic 3.0
> dmax/ 2700 dpi scanner.

Rick -- just to set the record straight -- could this lack of
sharpness
have been due to the 'focus bug' in the Polaroid Insight software?
(See Tony Sleep's review of this Polaroid ss4000 scanner here:
http://www.halftone.co.uk/tech/filmscan/pol4000/pol4000.htm )

Peter Marquis-Kyle
www.marquis-kyle.com.au