Digital BW, The Print

I'm new to the digital world and need to get feedback on what it takes 
to get started. I'll still shoot with my film cameras, 35mm and 2-1/4 
and scan into my computer which is an Dell XP. I'm looking for 
information on software, scanners and printers. 90% of my work will be 
in b/w and will need to be copied onto fiber based paper. I usually 
work in 8x10 or smaller but would like the option of 11x17. Thanks for 
your help. Greg

Greg,
Welcome.  I went down this same road about 4 years ago.....35mm and  
4X5 film.

Scanners:
Two basic choices.   Flatbed backlit scanners or dedicated film  
scanners.  More flexibility and lower cost with flatbeds.  Higher  
quality image output and higher cost with the dedicated film  
scanners.   Im my opinion, most "experts" will tell you that you need  
a dedicated film scanner for 35mm but that  maybe a good flatbed will  
work for the image enlargement ratio that you'd be doing in taking 2  
1/4 up to a 17" long dimension.   I think?? that only Nikon is still  
making a good quality film scanner for 35mm and 2 1/4.   I have a  
Konica/Minolta Dimage Scan Elite 5400 II  (how's that for a really  
stupid name)  that I got just before they stopped making them about  
2-3 years ago that I like a lot.   Popular flatbeds in the serious  
amateur market are made by Epson and Microtek.  Here is a link to a  
detailed Review of the Epson V700.

http://www.photo-i.co.uk/Reviews/interactive/Epson%20V700/page_1.htm

Software:
Scanning software.    Start with what comes with the scanner.  Most, I  
think, come with scanning software.  It might suffice.  If not, and  
the experts will tell you that you can do better, VueScan is a very  
popular inexpensive software and LaserSoft is popular but expensive.

Image Processing:
Photoshop..........and maybe, for cataloging and image adjustments,  
Lightroom.

Printing:
A 13" wide printer would fit your size needs (for example, 13x19  
paper).   Next you have to decide upon dye based inks or pigment based  
inks.   Dye based is cheaper and maybe (maybe not) will print a larger  
color gamut in color prints, but will fade some over time.   People  
talk about seeing some ink/paper combinations show fading in 3-4  
years.  Other paper/ink combos have published life expectancies with  
no observable fading in the 15+ year range.  (Of course how the print  
is mounted, sealed, framed and where it is displayed all matter.     
Pigment is the most long lasting printing you can do outside of  
standard, in the wet darkroom, archival B/W silver gelatin prints.   
They talk about test results in accelerated fading tests of no fading  
in the 75-200+ year range.  (since I haven't looked at printers in a  
couple years, this may be somewhat out of date....other here will be  
able to correct/update what I've said) Popular dye printers include  
the Epson 1400, Canon 9000.  Popular pigment based printers are the  
Epson 1800, 2880 (recently replaced the 2400), Canon 9500, HP 9180 and  
8850.

I think that since you said that you'd mostly want to print B/W, that  
the best results will come from the pigmented ink printers.  Lots of  
people seem to be getting very neutral B/W prints from the Epson 2880  
and the HP 9180.    Here's a link that tested the three most popular  
13" pigment printers head to head.

http://www.photo-i.co.uk/Reviews/printers/Pigs/page_1.html


Good luck with your journey.   I've found that scanning/editing and  
ink jet printing my color images has produced the best prints I've  
ever done.

Brad

On Sep 17, 2008, at 2:24 PM, yelbmw wrote:

> I'm new to the digital world and need to get feedback on what it takes
> to get started. I'll still shoot with my film cameras, 35mm and 2-1/4
> and scan into my computer which is an Dell XP. I'm looking for
> information on software, scanners and printers. 90% of my work will be
> in b/w and will need to be copied onto fiber based paper. I usually
> work in 8x10 or smaller but would like the option of 11x17. Thanks for
> your help. Greg
>
>
> 



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

Greg:
I use the MICROTEK ARTIXSCAN 120tf film scanner and finds that it  
does a very good job of scanning both Kodachrome 35mm & B&W  
negatives.  I do have VUESCAN but the software "cuts off" about  
3/16th of an inch off the end of a  35mm slide. This DOES NOT happen  
using the software that came with scanner. Unfortunately, I am not  
receiving any solution from VUESCAN on solving this problem...

terry

>
>> I'm new to the digital world and need to get feedback on what it  
>> takes
>> to get started. I'll still shoot with my film cameras, 35mm and 2-1/4
>> and scan into my computer which is an Dell XP. I'm looking for
>> information on software, scanners and printers. 90% of my work  
>> will be
>> in b/w and will need to be copied onto fiber based paper. I usually
>> work in 8x10 or smaller but would like the option of 11x17. Thanks  
>> for
>> your help. Greg
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
>

I use an Imacon (the early model) for negatives that are 30-40 years old, as well as the film I currently shoot, on my Fuji GA645's and my Pentax 6x7's. The results are perfect, using the FlexColor software from Imacon. Previously I too used a Microtek Artixscan 120tf getting excellent results with the glass film holder, using SilverFast software.



Richard Massie



www.rmassiephotography.com/photos.php

-----Original Message-----
From: terry lindquist <tsll@...>
To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:33 am
Subject: Re: [Digital BW] changing to digital world




Greg:
 use the MICROTEK ARTIXSCAN 120tf film scanner and finds that it  
oes a very good job of scanning both Kodachrome 35mm & B&W  
egatives.  I do have VUESCAN but the software "cuts off" about  
/16th of an inch off the end of a  35mm slide. This DOES NOT happen  
sing the software that came with scanner. Unfortunately, I am not  
eceiving any solution from VUESCAN on solving this problem...
terry

> I'm new to the digital world and need to get feedback on what it  
> takes
> to get started. I'll still shoot with my film cameras, 35mm and 2-1/4
> and scan into my computer which is an Dell XP. I'm looking for
> information on software, scanners and printers. 90% of my work  
> will be
> in b/w and will need to be copied onto fiber based paper. I usually
> work in 8x10 or smaller but would like the option of 11x17. Thanks  
> for
> your help
. Greg
>
>
>




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

I also use the Microtek Artixscan 120tf with the SilverFast software 
but have not used the glass film holder. Did you see an improvement 
in edge to edge sharpness?  And, are there any optical drawbacks when 
adding glass interfaces such as less fine detail...?

Thanks!
SteveB 


--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, CorrPro96@... 
wrote:
>
> 
> I use an Imacon (the early model) for negatives that are 30-40 
years old, as well as the film I currently shoot, on my Fuji GA645's 
and my Pentax 6x7's. The results are perfect, using the FlexColor 
software from Imacon. Previously I too used a Microtek Artixscan 
120tf getting excellent results with the glass film holder, using 
SilverFast software.
> 
> 
> 
> Richard Massie
> 
> 
> 
> www.rmassiephotography.com/photos.php
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: terry lindquist <tsll@...>
> To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:33 am
> Subject: Re: [Digital BW] changing to digital world
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Greg:
>  use the MICROTEK ARTIXSCAN 120tf film scanner and finds that it  
> oes a very good job of scanning both Kodachrome 35mm & B&W  
> egatives.  I do have VUESCAN but the software "cuts off" about  
> /16th of an inch off the end of a  35mm slide. This DOES NOT 
happen  
> sing the software that came with scanner. Unfortunately, I am not  
> eceiving any solution from VUESCAN on solving this problem...
> terry
> 
> > I'm new to the digital world and need to get feedback on what it  
> > takes
> > to get started. I'll still shoot with my film cameras, 35mm and 2-
1/4
> > and scan into my computer which is an Dell XP. I'm looking for
> > information on software, scanners and printers. 90% of my work  
> > will be
> > in b/w and will need to be copied onto fiber based paper. I 
usually
> > work in 8x10 or smaller but would like the option of 11x17. 
Thanks  
> > for
> > your help
> . Greg
> >
> >
> >
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ------------------------------------
> Please visit the Group Homepage to check the Files, and other 
resources as they 
> re often being updated.
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint
> If you wish to receive no emails or just a daily digest, or you 
wish to 
> nsubscribe, please edit your Membership preferences by visiting 
this same page.
> Please follow these basic guidelines:
>  As threads develop, trim off excess portions of earlier messages 
to keep them 
> hort.
>  Good manners are required at all time. No personal attacks or 
flames. Hostile, 
> ggressive or argumentative users may be removed from the membership 
without 
> otice.
>  Keep your posts and threads related to the group topic of digital 
B&W 
> rinting. Users who persistently make off-topic posts may be removed 
from the 
> embership.
>  By posting on this forum you agree to abide by the group rules and 
guidelines, 
> nd to abide by the actions and decisions of the group Owner and 
Moderators. See 
> Group Topic, Rules and Guidelines” in the Files section:
> ttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint/files/
> BY PARTICIPATING IN AND/OR POSTING MESSAGES TO THE DIGITAL BW, THE 
PRINT YAHOO! 
> ROUP YOU EXPRESSLY UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT THE “OWNER” AND 
“MODERATORS” OF 
> IGITAL BW, THE PRINT YAHOO GROUP SHALL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY 
DIRECT, 
> NDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES, 
INCLUDING BUT 
> OT LIMITED TO, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, GOODWILL, USE, DATA OR 
OTHER 
> NTANGIBLE LOSSES20(EVEN IF THE  “OWNER” AND “MODERATORS” OF 
DIGITAL BW, THE 
> RINT YAHOO GROUP HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH 
DAMAGES), 
> ESULTING FROM: (i) THE USE OR THE INABILITY TO USE THE DIGITAL BW, 
THE PRINT 
> AHOO GROUP; (ii) UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO OR ALTERATION OF YOUR 
TRANSMISSIONS OR 
> ATA; (iii) STATEMENTS OR CONDUCT OF ANY THIRD PARTY ON THE DIGITAL 
BW, THE 
> RINT YAHOO GROUP; OR (iv) ANY OTHER MATTER RELATING TO THE DIGITAL 
BW, THE 

> RINT YAHOO GROUP.
> ahoo! Groups Links
>    Individual Email | Traditional
>    http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
> 
> 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>