A Buyer s Guide to Film Scanners

Film scanners are for the sole and explicit purpose of the film scanning directly into the computer. Unlike their counterparts flatbed scanner, which may be in a position to the media in different sizes and strengths and can even scan when a film transparency adapter is installed, film scanner to scan only one thing: the cinema. But because the image is scanned, straight from the original material - from the film and not a print - film scanner can be even more direct control over the image elements, such as cropping and aspect ratio. In addition, film has more detail and dynamics in comparison with prints - that always lose tonal range and color data during the printing graphics. It is the genuine concerns of photographers and graphic designers who are on the original slides and film - and film scanners - to the integrity of scanned images in the professional and commercial applications. So, if your work is based on scan negatives, slides and other types of film, a film scanner is the right choice for you. This buying guide covers some of the most important things you need to know if you for a film scanner.

Style and Type Some flatbed scanners are either external or built-in transparency adapter, which is used to scan film. Other flatbeds are a dual-bed design, ie, with a bed - the glass part of the flatbed scanner for scanning prints, and another bed - a transparency Bay, which looks like a pull-out drawer - for scanning of film. If you intend to scan, which only occasionally push or stray piece of film, and not the spirit as well as lower-resolution, a flatbed scanner, film can accommodate your purpose. Be aware, however, that the resulting film scans, which are not suitable for commercial or professional use. For best results, nothing less than a separate film scanner.

Bit depth

A scanner-bit depth determines the number of bits per pixel recorded, in relation to the number of possible colors. The higher the color depth is, the greater the number of colors that can be shown. Bit depth to the film scanner on the market today, 30-bit, 36-bit, 42-bit or 48-bit. Always aim for higher bit depth, if possible, as this allows the scanner to work with and keep a larger amount of color. A 48-bit scanner, for example, produces 65536 levels or shades per color R, G, B (red, green, blue) channel, resulting in a mind blowing " possible combination of about 250 trillion colors. In contrast, a 36-bit scanner 4096 produced levels of information, or a paltry 68.7 billion colors.

Resolution

For scanners, optical, or " " true, the resolution is what counts, because this is the actual number of pixels is read by the scanner optics. Film scanners have much higher resolution figures compared to flatbeds, with an optical resolution film scanner from 2700 dpi to 5400 dpi, 4000 dpi and is the most common. The high-resolution film scanner allows you to enlarge small images, creating enough pixels in the process to print in full-page size.

For example, a full-frame 35mm color negative is scanned at 2400 dpi in about a size of 3400 x 2200 pixels. If this 2400-dpi image is printed at 300 dpi, the resulting image is printed 8-times larger than the original film-size (2400/300 = 8). In reality, this means that your original 1.4 x 0.9-inch film (36 x 24 mm) can be increased by 8 times to 11.2 x 7.2 cm at 300 dpi print - without loss the image quality or detail. A word of caution: Because film scanner can scan in such high resolution, file sizes are large. Scanning of 35mm negative 2400 dpi in the example just cited is a file size of 22 MB.

Film formats

Most film scanner to work with 35mm film. Some APS film scan, but an optional adapter GSP is necessary to the full batch scanning APS role. Other film scanner, such as the Microtek ArtixScan 120tf can scan medium format film as well, ranging from 6x6cm to 6x17cm panorama. Check to see what kind of film holder with the film scanner, and most models are supplied with a 35-mm slide holder, and a 35mm filmstrip holder. Some models offer optional autofeeders mounted for the 50 slides to facilitate efficient batch scanning film.

Interface

The hardware interface of your film scanner will determine how long it takes the transmission of digital data to a computer for processing. Along with the actual operating speed of the scanner, the hardware interface plays an important role in determining the scanning speed. Most older film scanner SCSI ports, the newer film scanner function FireWire or USB (or Hi-Speed USB 1.1) interfaces. Models with either a USB or FireWire interface are hot swappable - which means that the scanner can be plugged or unplugged from other instruments with which they are connected, without the scanner off and on.

Dynamic Range

The dynamic range of a scanner measures how well it is the aural bandwidth of a picture, the brightest highlights of the darkest shadows. Dynamic range is an important spec in film scanner, as it flatbeds because film and other transparent media have a wider range of tones as compared to photographs or prints - something that film scanners are perfectly equipped to collect and display. The dynamic range is measured on a scale from 0.0 (perfect white) to 4.0 (completely black), and the only figure with a scanner indicates how much bandwidth that he can say apart. The minimum and maximum values, the density of a scanner can be Dmin and Dmax, respectively. If a scanner Dmin was, and his 4.2 was 0.2 Dmax, then his momentum would be 4.0. The dynamic range of film scanners are usually advertised by the manufacturers fall somewhere between 4.0 and 4.6, but those numbers are really hard to prove or validate, and claims that a model of a higher number is not necessarily better results to show, especially because of discrepancies in the assessment and the determination of the figure. A practical way to evaluate would be visually check how shadows and highlights reproduced by the scanner, and then compare the results to the original image or, as other scanners reproduce the same tone colors.

Dust and scratch removal, film Repair

Software with film scanner can be specialized and varied. As flatbeds, film scanner is also their own drivers or scanning software, and a bundle image-editing program - such as Adobe Photoshop - to the scanned images will be delivered and placed. In addition, high-end film scanner, a color calibration and ICC Profiler program, which ensures the consistency of colors by the creation of a color profile specifically for the film scanner. With the ICC Profiler program, a picture - known as IT8 targets and the industry-standard color values - then scanned and compared to the values that the scanner actually recorded. The differences are then in a scheme to compensate even color variations, so that accurate color, the results could in the future.

Dust and scratches on film can be a great challenge for the film scanner, as imperfections can assume gigantic proportions if the film on the scanner scanned very high resolution. Film can be damaged by improper handling, and what appears to the naked eye as a small scratch can cause the image to a film practically useless. For this reason, a number of film-repair technologies were developed to eliminate weaknesses, which a figure to reconstruct and error printed as if it came from a pristine original. This film repair technologies can be implemented either on the software alone, as the dust and scratch removal function from the program SilverFast of LaserSoft Imaging, or through a combination of hardware and software, as is the case with the DIGITAL ICE technology built - In some models.

Other technologies

Depending on the model, film scanner following unique proprietary technologies and its exclusive provider. These technologies can also auto-focus mechanism to ensure perfect image recording, a patented feeder mechanism, or specifically for the film holder remain flat. These properties make a real difference in improving the quality of your scan or streamlining work processes.



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