Re: filmscanners: real value?

[Arthur Entlich <artistic@ampsc.com>]

I have rarely found buying top of the line works out as "good value" in 
most peripherals.  Look at things like dot matrix printers.  I bought a 
top end one which cost a minor fortune.  Sure it still could work if I 
used it, it was designed to last.  Too bad it was superseded for most 
applications by faster, quieter, nicer output from laser and inkjet at 
considerably less cost.  Sure the dot matrix printer still has a place 
for those needed multi-form printing, but mine sits and gathers dust.

I'd say the same for scanners. Most reflective images do not have a huge 
dynamic range.  A bit of tweaking with Photoshop and a couple hundred 
dollar scanner looks close to a $2000 one.  Sure, if you are running 
hundred of scans a week, it might matter, because the more expensive one 
is more durable and might be faster. But, I used to go to government 
surplus sales and see equipment that cost "us" thousands of dollars, and 
built to "last" for sale for less than 10% the value, because it was too 
slow, no longer had modern drivers, no longer had a computer that drove 
it, didn't have enough memory, resolution or whatever, even though it 
was built to last another millennium.

I now buy those $100 (or less) flatbeds, and replace them as the newer 
models come out with higher resolution, more speed, or other features. 
I'm sorry but you can't make even a "good quality 300 dpi" scanner into
a 1200 dpi one.  Besides, parts become hard to come by and no one knows 
how to fix this stuff properly if it does fail.  If I get the warranty 
period with good service from the product, that's usually not bad for 
the price.

Art

Michael Wilkinson wrote:

> Laurie Soloman ,suggests buying "two steps behind" technology.
> Good advice
> To refine that however you seem to be talking about relatively
> inexpensive kit .
> A scanner costing less than 1000 dollars/600UK  pounds is a consumer
> item.
> The manufacturers expect you to throw it away fairly soon or give it to
> your children to put in their toy shop next year.
> If you really want good value for money allied to something which will
> last a decade you have to look at what you want from the product.
> If a limited dynamic range ,a less than perfectly sharp image and a
> mediocre resolution are ok for you now to start off with and will be for
> the foreseeable future then buy the nikominotolympus OB1 whatever and
> have your fun right now.
> If you see a long term usage and don't want to keep upgrading look at
> just what you really really want out of your scanner, write your ideal
> specification down and then go hunting through the sales columns in the
> e various specialist press that deal in Repro  etc,track down a used
> high quality bit of kit ,buy it at the right price and you are set for
> the next Decade
> Make no mistake about it.
> if a scanner is doing a good job now the chances are that only a real
> expert will be able to see a difference in your final output in 10 years
> time.
> Anyway,by then the software  (Photoshop 15 ??? ) will be able to
> optimise your inadequate input to match the latest ten dollar laser
> printer giving photorealistic output perfectly colour balanced.
> 
> Michael Wilkinson. 106 Holyhead Road,Ketley, Telford.Shropshire TF 15 DJ
>   michael@infocus-photography.co.uk      www.infocus-photography.co.uk
> For Trannies and Negs from Digital Files