I'm trying to get information on a scanner that I can use on color negatives up to 6x7 cm (2.25 in. X 3 something). I also use 6x4.5 cm film (120 and 220) and would like to scan negatives for image manipulation and printing in low volumes.

I read something about an Argus for around $800 but would like more info on that or other scanners. I currently have an HP Scanjet 5p but don't know of any adapters that would make it work for me.

-- Neil Copeland (neilc1@mindspring.com), September 29, 1998

Answers

One missing piece of information is how much you want to enlarge the images: The rule of thumb is that you're going to need something on the order of 200-300 dots per inch to get a good-looking final printed image at whatever size you're printing at. Thus, an 8x10 print needs about 1600 x 2000 pixels in the file to have it look good. This means you need to have enough resolution in your scanner to produce that many pixels across the area of the negative you're scanning.

Most midrange flatbed scanners have a "true" resolution of 600 x 1200 pixels per inch. Thus, they'd be able to scan a medium-format negative with enough resolution to make a print of the size I mentioned. If you want to crop into the image significantly though, you'll want more resolution. Dedicated film scanners are the ticket there, but the cost is generally much higher. Minolta has announced a new unit, the Dimage Scan Multi that will accept medium-format film, and scan at pretty high resolution for (I'm guessing) about $2,500 - $3,000.

The Agfa Arcus II (I think the one you're thinking of) is a pretty nice flatbed, with a resolution of 600x1200. I think new ones are over a thousand, but you might find a refurb or used unit for the $800 you mentioned.

A trickier aspect is converting the negative color back to positive. You'd think this would just be a matter of hitting "invert" in Photoshop, but it's much more complicated than that, due to the orange mask on the negative film, and the odd behavior of the different dye layers. This is where true film scanners (like the Minolta) really shine, as they're configured to make these conversions well.

I mentioned the Minolta first because it's a bit of a breakthrough in terms of price for a mid-format scanner. Both Nikon and Polaroid make excellent units that go as large as 4x5, but cost considerably more.

Hope this helps!

-- Dave Etchells (web@imaging-resource.com), September 30, 1998.