RE: filmscanners:minolta and med format

["Laurie Solomon" <laurie@advancenet.net>]

Other than the info I cited, there are no pictures of the Universal Film
Holder for any of the scanners or of the Milti Format Set accessory; what is
worse is that I could find no specifications or detailed information on
either.  You might want to check in your manual to see it says anything
about the two since you say you have the Scan Multi Pro film scanner.  I
only have the original Scan Multi and do not have either the upgraded
software which they want to charge $100 for nor the Universal Film Holder
which comes ith the software at an expensive price since I would find it a
pain to have to do all the repositioning and stitching just to get the
increased optical resolutions.

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-filmscanners@halftone.co.uk
[mailto:owner-filmscanners@halftone.co.uk]On Behalf Of Wilson, Paul
Sent: Tuesday, December 18, 2001 1:07 PM
To: 'filmscanners@halftone.co.uk'
Subject: RE: filmscanners:minolta and med format


Actually, it looks like I'm at least partially wrong on this.  I didn't know
about this other film holder.  Are there any pictures of it on the web?
They have versions for both the Scan Multi and the Scan Multi Pro.

Paul Wilson

> -----Original Message-----
> From: LAURIE SOLOMON [mailto:LAURIE@ADVANCENET.NET]
> Sent: Tuesday, December 18, 2001 12:19 PM
> To: filmscanners@halftone.co.uk
> Subject: RE: filmscanners:minolta and med format
>
>
> >For the Scan Multi Pro, this is misleading at best.
>
> Ok, I am willing to concede and accept this since I was
> extrapolating from
> the information that I have on the two earlier models and
> what I have heard
> or read on mailing lists and catalog blurbs for the Multi
> Pro.  However, it
> is not inaccurate or impossible for the two earlier models
> using the new
> Scan Multi software upgrade and the Universal Film Holder
> which was designed
> purposefully for the purpose of scanning medium format frames in three
> sections by relocating and repositioning the frame in the
> holder so as to
> achieve maximum optical resolution scans of 2280 DPI across the whole
> negative when stitched.  Otherwise the medium format frame
> could only be
> scanned down the center portion at that maximum optical
> resolution and then
> only when using the newer upgraded Scan Multi software.
>
> >on the subject of interpolation
>
> I agree with Ed on this; it certainly is interpolation.  I
> think it may be
> debatable whether or not the scanner is actually extracting
> more information
> *from the film* at 4800 dpi than at 3200 dpi or if it is as
> Ed appears to be
> saying - the increase in dpi represents a function of the
> mechanics of the
> stepper motor and not the amount of information being extracted by the
> sensors.
>
>       From the mouth of Minolta (i.e., their web site):
>       4,800 dpi scanning
>       The new Minolta DiMAGE Scan Multi PRO film scanner is
> equipped with 4,800
> dpi optical resolution for 35mm. With a pixel count of more
> than 33-million,
> an A3-size output can retain a resolution of more than 400
> dpi. *Medium
> format film also can have a 4,800 dpi interpolated resolution
> for up to 6 x
> 9cm high-resolution*, clear and crisp images with more than
> 169 million
> pixels and a 600 dpi. (emphasis indicated by * is mine).
>
>       And in another page of the web site for the Multi Pro:
>
> Optical Resolution
>  35mm film: 4,800 x 4800 dpi
> 120/220 film: : 4,800 (by interpolation) x 4,800 dpi
>
> Maximum Input Resolution
>  35mm film: 4,800 x 4,800 dpi
> 120/220 film: 4,800 (by interpolation) x 4,800 dpi
>
>
> >I have the Scan Multi Pro at home.  Simply, no stitching is
> needed to scan
> >at 3200 dpi or 4800 dpi for medium format film up to 6x9.
>
> The information on the Minolta site suggests differently in
> that it suggests
> that to obtain an optical resoplution on medium format up to
> 6x9cm you need
> to use the optional Multi Format Set accessory which Minolta
> describes as:
>
> Question: What size film can be used in the multi-format
> attachment HS-P1?
> Answer:  The acceptable width in the attachment is 102mm at
> maximum. The
> height (the length in film loading direction) is not mechanically
> restricted, but the film beyond 167mm from the edge cannot be
> scanned. The
> actual size of the scan area at maximum is 56.5x83.8mm (6x9).
>
> I assume that this Multi Format Set along with the Universal
> Holder permits
> one to reposition medium format film frames so as to be able
> to scan the
> sections at the optical maximum of 4800 dpi resolution
> without interpolation
> across the entire frame after stitching.  I say "assume"
> because this was
> the case with the earlier models using just the upgraded
> software and the
> then optional Universal holder alone and because I dould not find any
> detailed information on the Minolta site regarding the Multi
> Format SET
> optional accessory or how it works.
>
> My tentative conclusion is that you may think you are
> scanning the entire
> medium format frame at an optical 4800 dpi when in reality it is an
> interpolated 4800 dpi.
>