Says it all. I have a large collection of old color slides, it doesn't have
to be up to pro-level but still very sharp.
Two issues with slides:
PPI (pixels per inch---technically more correct than DPI). 2800 or so
is "adequate" but the state of the art is now 4000 or even 5400. One
subtlety is "grain aliasing". At something like 2800PPI, the
resoltuion maybe adequate, but the grain noise can be aliasing to a
lower frequency---increasing the noise of the scan. I suspect this is
why there is value in something as high as 5400.
Dynamic range: Low end scanners can't handle the large density range
of chromes. e.g. my Minolta Scan speed does OK neg scans, but is
unuseable for many slide. The Minolta 5400 has the highest dynamic
range spec of all (4.8). Can' vouch for this, but it is getting some
good reviews.
Finally, consider renting. In LA area, Samy's rents the Nikon 8000
for $100 a day. Soon, I will devote an entire weekend to scanning a
bunch of stuff including med format. (The surcharge on this cost is
that my wife will likely go to the mall!!)
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Mark Herring, Pasadena, Calif.
Private e-mail: Just say no to "No".
