Digital BW, The Print

I received a catalog from Publishing Perfection listing refurbished Polaroid SprintScan 45, 4x5 film scanners for $1,199.95. I have no experience with this scanner myself but I though that this might be of interest to those of you searching for a 4x5 scanning solution. They are 12-bit scanners with a resolution of 2000dpi. While not up to the standards of the recent MF film scanners this still might be a way to go at that price range. I would expect them to match or exceed the 4x5 scanning performance of any flatbed scanner at that price.

You would need to call them as there is a discrepancy between the catalog which describes a SprintScan 45 and the website which says it is a SprintScan 45 Ultra (2500 dpi, 14-bit). If they really are 45 Ultras then this seems like an exceptional deal.

http://www.publishingperfection.com/

http://www.polaroid.com/products/product_list.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=352787&bmLocale=en_US&bmUID=1034570430548&PRDREG=POL

If anyone has any first hand experience with these scanners, please post what you think of them.

Martin Wesley

http://www.borderless-photos.de/guests.html




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Hello Martin,
I purchased the SprintScan 45 (  original model ) off Ebay a few weeks ago. I am trying to determine its quality over a Microtek X12USL that was also purchased as an intended film scanner.... The SprintScan has a much higher degree of focus and lower noise in that it takes a dark frame prior to each scan. The problem is finding Software. The Polascan is marginal, VueScan from Ed Hamrick, although much better than the Polascan, does not support multiple scan averaging: the result is posterized. Even SilverFast, at $425 does not seem to run on this scanner. I downloaded the demo over the weekend ( 20 Mb ) and it would not recognize this older model. ( email sent to LaserSoft about that )

SO, the first results are that it is 'better' than the Microtek... 
I don't know a standard method for scanner evaluation ....
Someone have a neg for me to scan as a reference ??

Oh, it does however hold 4x5 glass plates. The floating spring loaded film frame needs to be removed and replaced with a soft foam frame. That, with electrical tape against the mating half of the film carrier makes a gentle but firm holder for these 100 year old negs....

Best,
Alex


--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "Martin Wesley" <mwesley250@e...> wrote:

> I received a catalog from Publishing Perfection listing refurbished Polaroid SprintScan 45, 4x5 film scanners for $1,199.95. 
> If anyone has any first hand experience with these scanners, please post what you think of them.
> 
> Martin Wesley
>