[filmscanners] FW: Resolution 4000Ed vs Sprintscan 4000Plus

["Hemingway, David J" <HEMINGD@polaroid.com>]

Subject:        Resolution 4000Ed vs Sprintscan 4000Plus

There was some recent posts of one list or another saying the 4000ED had
better resolution than the Sprintscan 4000 Plus. As I remember from testing
done some time ago but not by myself they were essential identical. I wanted
to do this test myself. The road getting there was more interesting  than
the result. For those that want to get to the bottom line first, they are
virtually identical in resolution as tested using an Air Force target, The
resolve between group 6 - 2 and 6 - 3.
The target I use has a black background with white patterns. In the very
middle of the target is group 6, very small. Most scanners focus by looking
at contrast differences. I am told that architectural images of tall
building are ideal for the focus mechanism. Well what could have more
contrast than a stark B&W target.
 Well it seems the focusing systems don't like extremes causing  the
focusing to be all over the place. The bottom line is I had to resort to
doing a manual focus and bracketing. With the Nikon scanner it was a little
easier as manual focus is a feature in both Nikonscan and Silverfast. I
found the advanced features in Silverfast's much easier, quicker. With my
own Polaroid scanner it was a bit more difficult as there is not a manual
focus in either Insight or Silverfast. Fortunately a running average of the
last 8 autofocus reading is stored in the registry. If you shut of autofocus
the Insight software uses this registry entry. There is an entry for each
film carrier. I disabled autofocus in the software and used regedit to
change the value and scanned the target. Fortunately you do not have to
close and re-open either regedit or Insight so the bracketing went fairly
quickly.
The bottom line is there are virtually no differences in the ability of the
two scanners to resolve. I do wish the Polaroid was better :-), guess I will
have to live with the same. If anyone tells you a Nikon 4000ED can resolve
more than a Sprintscan 4000, they are incorrect.

David

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