Digital BW, The Print

I need advice on upgrading to new scanner & printer

I work in 35mm, exclusively in B&W (Kodak T400CN). My present scanner is 2720 
dpi and my Epson 3000 prints max 1440 x 720. Different tech experts tell me 
different things. One says get a Minolta DiMage 5400 and another says Nikon 
8000. The price difference is enormous, and the Nikon scans medium format, which 
I don't use, so why pay for it? The Minolta scans at 5400, and the Nikon scans 
at 4000. What's your consensus?
I use PS7 and MIS quad inks carts.  Trying to fill the carts was a disaster, 
and I won't even contemplate CIS.
Is there an advantage to upgrading my printer from a 3000 to a 7500 when they 
both print at a max 1440 x 720? The 7600 is 2880x1440 - and is $3000! It 
would be a big stretch - is it worth it?    I will continue to dedicate my printer 
to B&W , and my prints are always 11 x 14 and 16 x 20. Can a  35 mm neg  go 
larger? I appreciate all the input you can give. I'm not a techie and don't 
understand half of what you all talk about, but am boundlessly grateful for this 
forum. Thanks to all.
                     Arlene


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Nikon has announced three new scanners, two of which may interest you,
the Nikon 5000 and the Nikon Scan V.

They are 4000 dpi scanner with better dmax than previous models. 
Stated DPI is not everything. Real dpi is, as is dmax.

You may find that your Epson 3000 printing better images with scans 
from one of these scanners.

http://www.letsgodigital.net/en/news/articles/story_522.html

Cheers,
Andre







--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, ArleneLoveL@a... 
wrote:
> I need advice on upgrading to new scanner & printer
> 
> I work in 35mm, exclusively in B&W (Kodak T400CN). My present 
scanner is 2720 
> dpi and my Epson 3000 prints max 1440 x 720. Different tech experts 
tell me 
> different things. One says get a Minolta DiMage 5400 and another 
says Nikon 
> 8000. The price difference is enormous, and the Nikon scans medium 
format, which 
> I don't use, so why pay for it? The Minolta scans at 5400, and the 
Nikon scans 
> at 4000. What's your consensus?
> I use PS7 and MIS quad inks carts.  Trying to fill the carts was a 
disaster, 
> and I won't even contemplate CIS.
> Is there an advantage to upgrading my printer from a 3000 to a 7500 
when they 
> both print at a max 1440 x 720? The 7600 is 2880x1440 - and is 
$3000! It 
> would be a big stretch - is it worth it?    I will continue to 
dedicate my printer 
> to B&W , and my prints are always 11 x 14 and 16 x 20. Can a  35 mm 
neg  go 
> larger? I appreciate all the input you can give. I'm not a techie 
and don't 
> understand half of what you all talk about, but am boundlessly 
grateful for this 

> forum. Thanks to all.
>                      Arlene
> 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi -

If you don't need a medium format scanner, you are spending a lot of money for nothing.  I have a Microtek 4000tf and it is doinf a 
good job for me.  The resolution is so high (4000 ppi) that I usually see the grain of the film rather than the pixels.

Try to honestly evaluate if you JUST WANT a new scanner and/or printer
or if you want better looking prints. If you just want new hardware,
simply buy the what you want the most. 

But, if you want better looking prints, scan a neg in your old scanner
then mail the neg to someone who will scan it for you on the scanner
you're considering and send back a file. Manipulate both files best as
you can, then print both. Mark on the BACK of each print which is
which. Put them away for a day or so, then shuffle them and try to
decide which is better. And if you can tell the difference and the one
you like better is with a different scanner, decide is it's worth the
money.

Repeat a similar process with the new proposed printer, having someone
print an identical file. Compare the prints without knowing which is
which.  

My way is almost too practical and not near as much fun. In fact, if
most people did that with cameras or lenses, they'd not buy new ones,
and constrict the market for new products. But it does work. 

Bob Michaels

  --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com,
ArleneLoveL@a... wrote:
> I need advice on upgrading to new scanner & printer
> 
> I work in 35mm, exclusively in B&W (Kodak T400CN). My present
scanner is 2720 
> dpi and my Epson 3000 prints max 1440 x 720. Different tech experts
tell me 
> different things. One says get a Minolta DiMage 5400 and another
says Nikon 
> 8000. The price difference is enormous, and the Nikon scans medium
format, which 
> I don't use, so why pay for it? The Minolta scans at 5400, and the
Nikon scans 
> at 4000. What's your consensus?
> I use PS7 and MIS quad inks carts.  Trying to fill the carts was a
disaster, 
> and I won't even contemplate CIS.
> Is there an advantage to upgrading my printer from a 3000 to a 7500
when they 
> both print at a max 1440 x 720? The 7600 is 2880x1440 - and is
$3000! It 
> would be a big stretch - is it worth it?    I will continue to
dedicate my printer 
> to B&W , and my prints are always 11 x 14 and 16 x 20. Can a  35 mm
neg  go 
> larger? I appreciate all the input you can give. I'm not a techie
and don't 
> understand half of what you all talk about, but am boundlessly
grateful for this 

> forum. Thanks to all.
>                      Arlene
> 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Arlene,

>I work in 35mm, exclusively in B&W (Kodak T400CN).
>My present scanner is 2720 dpi and my Epson 3000
>prints max 1440 x 720. Different tech experts tell me
>different things. One says get a Minolta DiMage 5400
>and another says Nikon 8000. ...

Buying a Nikon 8000 just for 35 mm doesn't make sense to me.  Get a good 35
mm, 4000 (or 5400) dpi scanner.  With T400CN, the difference between 4000
and 5400 dpi is probably irrelevant.  What would be most important to me is
to get the scanner with the best grain reduction program.  I shoot T400CN
also, and the grain reduction algorithm on my 8000 is really nice to have.
The 35 mm version of this scanner has the same features.  Also, the dust
removal option saves a lot of time with T400CN.  The Nikon has this; I'm not
sure of the others.  I'd search the internet for tests that compare the
Nikon, Minolta and competitive Canon and see how these grain reduction and
dust removal programs compare on these scanners.

>Is there an advantage to upgrading my printer from a
>3000 to a 7500 ...

The 7500 handles thicker paper much better than the 3000.  If you use thin
paper (like Epson Enhanced Matte), that might not be a big issue.  With the
Epson 4000 coming out there will be more papers in 17" widths.  That will
help those with old 3000s.  With 35 mm, I would not recommend going above
16x20.  In fact, I'm finding that the larger prints I make with the 7500 are
usually too large for the display areas and a hassle to store.  So, if your
3000 doesn't band and is handling the paper you like, I'd save your money
(maybe for a 4000 next year).

Paul
http://www.PaulRoark.com

From one reluctant techie:

Three weeks ago - give or take a few days - I got a Minolta 5400. 
Proceeded to lash it to my system (Power Mac 7600 with 
newly-installed 500mHz G3 upgrade, Epson 1270 [color] and 
1160 [b/w]). Made a few tests. Made a few prints (11x17" for b/w, 
13x19" for color). Jumped out of my chair...for "quickie" scans 
made with a minimum of "A-R"*  fuss, this was wonderful - 
detail, scale, and...no interpolation! No more "digital Hamburger 
Helper" for large prints.

I'm now convinced that you can never have too much RAM *or* 
scanner resolution, even for 35mm. I saw the difference in scans 
with the "broken" Polaroid SprintScan 4000  I was given a little 
while ago (and sucessfully fixed) compared with my previous 
Minolta (2900, which my 5400 replaces). I can also see the 
difference the 5400 makes over the Polaroid. Overkill for certain 
films? Maybe (a scan of Neopan 400, pushed one stop, probably 
benefitted marginally, but benefitted nonetheless), but I also 
shoot with a few slow films, including Konica Impresa 50, which 
absolutely benefits (ask Paul Roark about this film - he did 
something amazing with it in tandem with my favorite compact 
35, a Ricoh GR1). Color print tests on an Epson 2200 I got just 
last week drive the point home even harder.

As for the new Nikons, the only advantage I can see is in 
scanning speed. So it's a question of speed versus resolution, 
perhaps, but resolving power is hardly all the 5400 offers (too 
much for me to go into here). I can only speak for myself, but I'm 
absolutely sold on it.

As for upgrading the 3000: I'd try a new scanner first, then 
decide; the benefits of casting aside the necessity of 
upsampling for larger prints, IMO, cannot be overstated. And the 
Epson 3000 is a solid printer for b/w.

And, if you'd like, I'll gladly make a scan of a negative for you to 
test-print (he says while racing to put his new computer system 
together).

- Barrett

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, 
ArleneLoveL@a... wrote:

> I need advice on upgrading to new scanner & printer
> 
>I work in 35mm, exclusively in B&W (Kodak T400CN). My 
>present scanner is 2720 dpi and my Epson 3000 prints max 
>1440 x 720. Different tech experts tell me different things. One 
>says get a Minolta DiMage 5400 and another says Nikon 
>8000. The price difference is enormous, and the Nikon scans 
>medium format, which I don't use, so why pay for it? The Minolta 
>scans at 5400, and the Nikon scans at 4000. What's your 
>consensus? I use PS7 and MIS quad inks carts.  Trying to fill 
>the carts was a disaster, and I won't even contemplate CIS.
>Is there an advantage to upgrading my printer from a 3000 to a 
>7500 when they both print at a max 1440 x 720? The 7600 is 
>2880x1440 - and is $3000! It would be a big stretch - is it worth 
>it?    I will continue to dedicate my printer to B&W , and my prints 
>are always 11 x 14 and 16 x 20. Can a  35 mm neg  go larger? I 
>appreciate all the input you can give. I'm not a techie and don't 
>understand half of what you all talk about, but am boundlessly 
>grateful for this forum. Thanks to all.
>                      Arlene
> 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I understand that these will be available in the Spring.  Has anyone heard
anything about pricing?

From: "sceptre12345" <am1000@...>
Reply-To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tue, 11 Nov 2003 22:16:31 -0000
To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Digital BW] Re: need advice on new equipment

Nikon has announced three new scanners, two of which may interest you,
the Nikon 5000 and the Nikon Scan V.

They are 4000 dpi scanner with better dmax than previous models.
Stated DPI is not everything. Real dpi is, as is dmax.

You may find that your Epson 3000 printing better images with scans
from one of these scanners.

http://www.letsgodigital.net/en/news/articles/story_522.html

Cheers,
Andre






[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]