Digital BW, The Print

The results of an ISO 16067 test (new method) by the German
magazines C't and Color Foto. I can add more results from
slightly older models like the Nikon 4000 etc if there's an
interest. The summary here was actually done for the Epsons and
the Nikons are added to get real film scanner figures. But it can
work the other way around too.

The test methods in Color Foto are the same to the one of C't
that I did cover some time ago. There are three tests in this
February issue, Epson 4870, Nikon LS 50 and LS 5000, the Nikons
are 35 mm film scanners as you will know.

ISO 16067 test, which is a new test method not yet cleared when
the C't test was done but now definitive.
I add the 3200 results of C't test to the results of Color Foto.

Dynamic range, Color/B&W:
3200-3.2, 4870-3.22/3.30, N50-3.18/2.44, N5000-3.08/2.28
Higher is better

Dmax:
3200-3.6, 4870-3.91, N50-4.80, N5000-4.75
Higher is better

Signal/Noise at 2.85 D:
3200-3.8, 4870-2.88, N50-1.91, N5000-1.73
Higher is better

Color reproduction in deltaE:
3200-6.4, 4870-7.11, N50-6.20, N5000-6.05
Lower is better

Lighting evenness:
3200-96%, 4870-98.14%, N50-98.62%, N5000-98.94%
Higher is better

DOF in mm:
3200-2.9, 4870-1.96, N50-0.26, N5000-0.26
Higher is better

Length difference to original, fast/slow scan in %:
3200-no figure, 4870-0.00/0.06, N50-1.00/0.31, N5000-0.50/0.31
Lower is better

Pixelshift in pixels:
3200-1.1, 4870-0.33, N50-0.16, N5000-0.20
Lower is better

Resolution slow scan/fast scan:
3200-1200, 4870-1600/1700, N50-3600/3600, N5000-3600/3600
Higher is better

There are several comments possible on the results. One is based
on the fact that the Epsons have a fix focused lens system that
asks for some adaption to get the best focus. There is quite a
fluctuation in the focusing distances (at least with the
2450/3200 models), so one may wonder which part of the DOF is
represented in the tests. Second is the internal
reflections/optical path of the Epson flatbeds that can be
improved in several ways. The Dynamic range and Dmax are already
impressive though. However resolution and Dmax will
be better with the adaptions. Epson inflates the resolution specs
but it doesn't inflate the density figures.

The signal/noise ratio at 2.85 D is a new approach in the ISO
test. In the past the Dmax figure was related to the amount of
acceptable noise at a given density. Too much noise meant a lower
Dmax end result then. There are good arguments to do it that way
but this new method is less subjective and makes it easier to
compare results.

For the older C't test with more scanners:

http://members.chello.nl/e.dinkla/Verhaal.pdf

Ernst