Originally Posted by Conan the Librarian
The 4990 is excellent. I use a 3170, but my big secret is the software it runs. Silverfast make much more capable scanner software than the OEM stuff and It is worthwhile for anyone thinking of anything other than casual scanning to Google them up. I rate the software as being a solid 11/10
Conan
Now that's interesting. I have mentioned before on the computer forum, that I had a 4990 and returned it because of the ridiculous 35film clip. It looks as though they spent a lot on development, and then ran out of money. I spent some time talking to their feedback folk to let them know that a good product was being ruined. Well, for me anyway. I got a refurbished 3170 off their web-site for $70 no tax and free CAR.
It is not as good of course, but the film holders are perfectly good, and with different software?
I have been very pleased with a lot of my 30 year old slide scans...the best were on the 4990...........................I'm now having a memory failure. I had the lesser priced one at $270 it may have been the 4490. It's their fault! Silly numbering methods. Anyway, they were good, and I never used the ‘digital ice' that came with.
It seems that HP now have a flat scanner that will allow large negative scanning. In fact, full bed I think. It was reviewed in PC World last issue I think. This is important to me, cos I want to scan some MRIs and have some negs that were taken with a concertina type Kodak. Well, two sized of this type actually. An aunt had a bigger version of the one my Mom used, and the pics are markedly more detailed.
This is off a 35mm slide. 1976 at Johnson Space Center.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...theJohnson.jpg
And this is off an old neg. As I have mentioned before, I had never seen this picture before. Me with me mom.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...rphotocopy.jpg
EDIT to add. I see both of these have been sharpened and made small, they were much better at full size. Also I realize that the spots will have to be got rid of, but the main thrust is to get the history digitized. Backed up and hopefully safe,then i can relax.
Oh, and BTW has anyone tried clicking away at a good screen with the slides? Forward click, forward click, would be very fast. I also mentioned before that my video was done on wax sandwiched between optical glass sheets. Reversing can be done in Photo Shop of course.
Always with prints, I can get down to the contours of the chemicals on the paper, no point in going further I guess.