what resolution scanner?

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onthechoppingblock - Stephen P. - 29 Jun 2005 23:28 GMT

I'm looking for a Negative/Tranny scanner. Mixture of colour slides, colour
negatives and (the majority) B&W negs. I don't want to have to store
thousands of huge files, and I can't see myself ever wanting to make prints
greater than, say 10x12. Also I don't want to spend a fortune and would be
quite happy with something second hand off eBay.

What sort of resolution is sensible compromise between file size and
quality?

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David J. Littleboy - 29 Jun 2005 23:54 GMT

> I'm looking for a Negative/Tranny scanner. Mixture of colour slides,
> colour negatives and (the majority) B&W negs. I don't want to have to
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> What sort of resolution is sensible compromise between file size and
> quality?

I scan at 4000 dpi, do basic color/contrast adjustments, convert to 8 bits
and save as jpegs. If you hit the scans with noise reduction before
jpegging, the files will be quite a bit smaller. (This is, of course,
heresy. But scans are grossly soft and an incredible waste of bits as tiff.)

Presumably you're working with 35mm, but 10x12 is a size I'm not familiar
with: is that a UK thing???

For prints that large, I'd recommend getting at least a 4000 dpi scanner.

David J. Littleboy
Tokyo, Japan

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onthechoppingblock - Stephen P. - 30 Jun 2005 19:11 GMT

Thanks for the advice, I will look out for something with at least 4000dpi.

I should have said - they're all 35mm media.

In the UK 12"x10" is (I think) a reasonably standard print size, betwixt
12x8 and 15x10.

Thanks again.

>> I'm looking for a Negative/Tranny scanner. Mixture of colour slides,
>> colour negatives and (the majority) B&W negs. I don't want to have to
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
> David J. Littleboy
> Tokyo, Japan

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