Re: filmscanners: You have several hundred thousandtransparencies to scan...

[Jeremy Nicholl <mail@jeremynicholl.com>]

Tony Sleep wrote:

>
>
>I suggest you look at pro-lab-type scanning stations from Pakon, Konica,
>Sony, Kodak, which are capable of machine-gunning this rather large stack
>with little human intervention, so you can sit in the garden with a G&T
>counting the rest of your wad and looking at holiday brochures. Prices
>£10-15k-ish. Resolution in the 2,000-3,000dpi range AFAICR.
>
>Alternatively, I'll do 'several hundred thousand' for a couple of quid
>each, money up front, and get my butler to post you the CD's from
>Mauritius <g>
>


A very kind offer, but if I could get the money up front I'd do it myself!

The problem with all the solutions you mention above is that the 
scanners all appear to sacrifice quality for apparently incredible 
speed. So far as I can see the Kodak HR500 is the only one which 
offers a large enough file size: the others all max out at around 
10x8 at 300dpi, which will not be enough. I note that even the Kodak 
claims a Dmax of only 3.2, which mean that theoretically it's behind 
even a Polaroid/Nikon 4000 in its' ability to handle difficult 
transparencies.

I had thought of the Scitex Supreme, which although slower can batch 
scan about 40 at a time, and the results are impressive, at least to 
my eye.

So the jury's still out. Any more suggestions?

Jeremy Nicholl