Digital BW, The Print

Tyler,

I usually sit quietly and listen and learn from others.  Now I may
have an idea that could help.

I recently got a 2x3 view camera and got a 4870 to scan B&W negs with.
 I haven't liked the 4870 at all for medium format.  My old FS2710
gave better crispness and detail with 35mm than the 4870 does with 120
negs.  My sister gave me a Umax Powerlook 3000, and I love the scans I
get from it.

The Powerlook was marketed toward high-end pro graphic artists who
needed drum quality scans, but couldn't justify the expense of a drum
scanner.  It was the first flatbed to claim to rival drum scanning.  I
think the claim borders on justifiable.  It uses a second "lens" for
3000dpi scanning (really, a second sensor array - I think the latest
"V" series Epsons are starting to do this too), and will easily take
120 neg strips in the part of the glass the 3000dpi scanning works in.
 The second "lens" approach really does provide superior scan results.
 Since it was marketed toward the pro graphic arts crowd, the plane of
focus is right on the glass.  Wet scanning onto the glass works
excellently with this machine.

I am extremely happy with my scans, and no longer wish for a better
scanner.  I print from an R2400 so that my finished prints are never
bigger than 13x19.  Nevertheless, I know I could print the files much
larger with perfect clarity, since my testing involved printing
enlargements from crops of very small, highly detailed areas within
the image.

The Powerlook 3000 is older SCSI equipment.  This means an e-bay hunt,
but you should find one for quite a bit less than a new Nikon scanner
(I think $500 range last I looked - they went for $5000 new).  Because
of the need for a SCSI card, it won't run on OS X (the reason my
graphic artist sister gave it to me in the first place), and I'm not
sure it will really work any better under Win XP.  But I have enough
older computer equipment from upgrading to put together a Win 98SE
machine which runs SCSI and therefore the Powerlook and my old FS2710
just fine and without extra expense.  A dirt cheap thumb drive allows
me to transfer the files to the XP machine where all the good software
and the R2400 live.  I think this idea qualifies best as "lower
budget" only if your friend has enough old computer equipment on hand
to put together an older OS machine to run it from.  Or perhaps if she
has friends with older equipment they don't know what to do with
anyway and will give it to her.

Perhaps the need for older equipment and the e-bay search would make
this an unhappy choice for some.  Nevertheless, for good, sellable
quality on little money, the approach works well for me.  I hope the
suggestion helps.

-Gary Gervin

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Tyler Boley"
<tyler@...> wrote:
>
> I have a friend, not satisfied with her Epson flatbed for anything
> smaller than 4x5, and not rich enough to have me drum scan for her
> regularly, darn it.
> I'd suggest the Nikon to her, but there have to be many here scanning
> medium format negs for B&W output with useful opinions, all would be
> welcome. I have not been paying much attention to new products like
> this for some time, I hear there's a new Microtek?
> She really does just scan B&W film, unfortunately comparing to my
> Howtek scans of same for her... there has to be some middle ground.
> Thanks,
> Tyler
>