Digital BW, The Print

Imo this is a job that suggests backup to film, reducing all formats
to one ( 35mm would probably be just as good as 70mm). Detail
resolution of modern films and macro optics are far beyond film/optics
of earlier eras (save for 35mm microfilm and optics). Once the
format's been standardized and at one's leisure. Archive one set, use
another set for economical outsourced scanning.

Multiple film backup sets could be stored at redundant secure
locations, per motion picture industry practice. Archival processing
of Estar-based films would assure far more than 100yrs. 

A 35mm form-factor DSLR would inherently be a waste of time, given the
relatively low  resolution (and uneven sharpness}, and the inevitable
desire to do it better in the next several years, when today's are
forgotten. 

Film would be a good middle step, would be inexpensive, a superior
holding action at the very least, would lead to very inexpensive
scaning, and would take zero digital processing time.

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "sagaface"
<sagaface@...> wrote:
>
> Thanks all, for the responses so far. It gives me a fair amount to
report back for 
> consideration. Some other info that I didin't make very clear:
> 
> My friend has inherited from several sources a vast collection of
old maritime negs dating 
> from the late 1800's thru about 1970. All together i think there are
three sources, totalling 
> something close to 4000 negs! He had been sending out his scans - 
just a few so far - at 
> $130 a pop. Then he found someone to do it for $75....but doesn't
know what type of 
> scanner they used. 
> 
> He has been considering purchasing one, because the
scanning/archiving of all these is 
> going to take quite some time, and he figured sending them all out
would eventually 
> bankrupt him. He assumed (rightly or wrongly) that the initial
outlay for a better-than-
> decent scanner would save him money in the end, considering how many
negs there are.
> 
> The $5000 is just my guess at what he'd be willing to spend on the
scanner alone....I just 
> threw that number out there for him to consider, thinking about used
drum scanners in 
> my mind. I had no idea how off the mark I might be but I knew they
were quite expensive 
> and I wanted to prepare him for a high number. Obviously less $$
would be better! He was 
> then hoping to hire someone to work for him, scanning as well as
other things. He 
> wouldn't be printing them himself.
> 
> 
> Thanks again for all comments,
> Sarah
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, wkm@ wrote:
> >
> > I'd take a look at the Epsons as others have suggested. Drum
scanning requires a skilled 
> operator and those folks are few and far between. If drum scanning
is something that 
> becomes a must then I would send the negs out to a lab with a
skilled operator using 
> equipment that they are familar with rather than trying to find one
to operate yours.
> > 
> > Walt
> > 
> > >-----Original Message-----
> > >From: sagaface [mailto:sagaface@]
> > >Sent: Monday, July 9, 2007 04:49 AM
> > >To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
> > >Subject: [Digital BW] All you scanning pros: Great scanner for
4x5 negs?
> > >
> > >Hi all,
> > >
> > >Can any of you recommend a scanner for (old and delicate) 4x5
negs? It's not for me, 
> but 
> > >for a friend who is considering purchasing a pro-sumer oriented
model and hiring 
> > >someone who knows what they're doing to use it, with the end
result being poster 
> sized 
> > >prints.
> > >
> > > I think his price range is up to around 5-ish grand.
> > >
> > >If this topic has been beaten to death, could someone direct me
to an archived thread? 
> I 
> > >haven't found anything specific yet.
> > >
> > >thanks!
> > >Sarah
> > >
> > >
> > >
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