New "Scanners/Scanning" web page

[MPatek]

Hello,

Finally, I have completed and uploaded the last "Scanning" section to my web pages on digital photography & color management.
This section discusses scanners and scanning techniques in general, scanner hardware, calibration/profiling and the corresponding software. I have also added paragraphs on density, Dmax, scanner gamma, and scanning workflows. SilverFast Studio Ai 6.6 , VueScan 8, and NikonScan 4.0 are mentioned in more details. Objective and subjective evaluation of scanner profiles is part of the profiling section.

P.S. I have fixed the link "Scanning" to point correctly to this new page.

enjoy,

[feppe]

Hello,

Finally, I have completed and uploaded the last "Scanning" section to my web pages on digital photography & color management.
This section discusses scanners and scanning techniques in general, scanner hardware, calibration/profiling and the corresponding software. I have also added paragraphs on density, Dmax, scanner gamma, and scanning workflows. SilverFast Studio Ai 6.6 , VueScan 8, and NikonScan 4.0 are mentioned in more details. Objective and subjective evaluation of scanner profiles is part of the profiling section.

enjoy,

Nice article. It's clearly a very technical piece, and the main takeaway for me was to continue using scanning services instead of spending tens or hundreds of hours getting things right myself - not to mention the price of a good scanner.

As a related question, I have access to an Imacon Flextight 848 at my photo lab, they rent it by the hour. Specs look quite good for a non-drum scanner. The samples I've been able to find on the internet suggest it's capable of results rivaling cheaper drum scanners. I was wondering if you have experience with this particular scanner, and whether it would be suitable for scanning 6x6 and 4x5 Velvia, Provia and Portra? I'm wondering how many hours it would take me to learn to do good scans, and whether I would be able to profile it adequately. Or should I pay the big bucks for proper Heidelberg Tango scans?

BTW, the link in your post goes to the gamma page of your website.

[MPatek]

Nice article. It's clearly a very technical piece, and the main takeaway for me was to continue using scanning services instead of spending tens or hundreds of hours getting things right myself - not to mention the price of a good scanner.

As a related question, I have access to an Imacon Flextight 848 at my photo lab, they rent it by the hour. Specs look quite good for a non-drum scanner. The samples I've been able to find on the internet suggest it's capable of results rivaling cheaper drum scanners. I was wondering if you have experience with this particular scanner, and whether it would be suitable for scanning 6x6 and 4x5 Velvia, Provia and Portra? I'm wondering how many hours it would take me to learn to do good scans, and whether I would be able to profile it adequately. Or should I pay the big bucks for proper Heidelberg Tango scans?

BTW, the link in your post goes to the gamma page of your website.

Thanks. The page is indeed a bit technical. Your point is very valid, though. To invest time and money for hardware & software and learning different workflows versus using scanning services. The latter is certainly a practical approach providing that services/photo lab that you are using have highly qualified and helpful personnel.

To your specific question. I have no experience with Imacon Flextight 848 scanner although I heard very nice words about it. You should certainly be able to scan 6x6 and 4x5 slides and get excellent results with this scanner. Take a look at the following review: Flextight 848.
I believe that there will be a proprietary scanning software operating this scanner. I recommend scanning raw images (color management off, no tweaking of prescanned images) and assigning scanner/slide profiles later in Photoshop. Your photo lab should have a variety of profiles created for their scanner(s). They should also provide them as part of their service. Then I would follow one of the two workflows described at the bottom of my scanning page.
Also thank you for pointing to a wrong url (it is fixed now).
good luck,