"Drum scan negs are way better but i still think that scanning a handprint is better"
Gary,
I'll have to say that it's a matter of hardware, software and operator that all come into play when considering how to best digitize your color negs. If you're happy with the limited resolution and squashed highlights and shadows of scanning an existing print, then go that route. For me, I'll drum scan the original neg. In extensive tests I did with a discerning fine art photographer, we were easily able to make prints from scanning the original neg that surpassed projected prints in every aspect.
It also got to the point where you could opt for a slightly sharper print with ever so slightly more apparent grain, or a very similar grain structure with identical looking on print detail.
Drum scanning affords you the option of holding and printing more highlight and shadow detail that you could ever get with a projected print. Analog printing does not give you that option. Of course, the drum scans are always tack sharp from corner to corner with no regard to the limitations of an enlarging lens. Every time I've made a high res scan of what I thought was a really great print, the defects of the lens became really apparent as the image was enlarged - typically softly rendered grain in the corners.
For the record, we found the best hardware/software combo was a Howtek 8000 with Trident 4 software. Howtek/Aztek with Aztek's software was not anywhere in the same league. Heidelberg Primescan with Newcolor were close to the Howtek but much harder to get great color with.