Just a couple of quick notes:
I have it hooked up. Had problems with my USB sh*t and hooked it up to firewire. No problems after that - though I may have to chain something or get another firewire card.
The differences in the scans between the 4990 (at least on the one test print I've been doing: Crossing Brooklyn Bridge) - are minor.
- VueScan has a setting for the 4990 FILM HOLDER: NONE (i.e. you are going to stick it on the glass). The 1600 didn't have that setting or I didn't see it. The initial scans I did seem - oh - just a bit sharper - but I can't quantify yet.
- It's a bit faster - though I'm not sure how much since I didn't time the 1600 while it was attached.
- You can get a larger file without interpolation.
In general - the 4990 seems better suited for film scanning. The negative lies closer to the glass. The cover shuts better (I had to put a book and some weight on the 1600 to keep the cover flat). I doubt that the dynamic range difference is something you'll pick up on between the two scanners.
I'm looking at unsharped images at this point so - you know how that goes. It's crazy what you'll go through for just that extra little bit of whatever. One other nice thing - it's smaller and lighter than the 1600 - and that by itself may be worth something. Give the poor thing a little breathing room on the kitchen counter.
- Now I need to see if my Dimage is still working - probably not since I hooked it up with USB. I haven't chained firewire before - but looks like the Dimage and either of the two Maxtor one touch drives can be chained. The 4990 only has the one firewire port.
12/04/2005
Oh what the hell
After doing more scanning with the 1600 and not happy with the focus - and reading an article where a guy said that VueScan was able to focus with the 4980 - I ran out of the house at the last minute and headed for B&H. The place was a madhouse. Made my way to the counter. They only had the Pro model in stock.
Grabbed a cab and got over to Adorama. They had it in stock. Waited a while and finally they brought out a box that looked like a spear had gone through it. The salesman told me that it was only the box - the scanner was fine.
I said: I want another one.
Waited. And got it and left with some other sundries. Not sure if I'll even have time to set it up tonight - there's a bunch of things I have to get prepared for tomorrow. But as I say - what the hell - it's only money.
Grabbed a cab and got over to Adorama. They had it in stock. Waited a while and finally they brought out a box that looked like a spear had gone through it. The salesman told me that it was only the box - the scanner was fine.
I said: I want another one.
Waited. And got it and left with some other sundries. Not sure if I'll even have time to set it up tonight - there's a bunch of things I have to get prepared for tomorrow. But as I say - what the hell - it's only money.
New Filing Project
After spending most of the morning searching for another negative - I've decided that I'll give up shooting and spend the next five years organizing the ten-thousand plus negatives I have so I can just put my fingers on them when I need them.
I think this will be more productive than spending money on cameras and lenses and scanners. Yes, it will be tedious but my plan is to meditate for 2 hours a day - and in between - as my Zen project - will be the filing.
I'm also going to attach an elastic string to my loupe and hang it from the ceiling so that it doesn't disappear.
Then I'm going to spend the next year filing vendor bills, and getting my taxes done on time.
All kidding aside - I did spend a lot of time again looking for a neg. and what is scary is how many other shots that were never printed pop up. I mean, I never even did contact sheets of them. I probably have 1000 medium format and 1000 35mm negatives from Paris alone (three trips there). And I look at some of them and say - yikes. I remember that shot. How come I never even did a proof of it? Reason - at that time I was working full-time and after developing film I'd put it away somewhere and forget about it. A lot of the shots that are appearing recently in the blog are a result of looking for some other negative (that's how the tree with light and 3+3 made their appearance).
Matt - that is great title: 3+3.
I think this will be more productive than spending money on cameras and lenses and scanners. Yes, it will be tedious but my plan is to meditate for 2 hours a day - and in between - as my Zen project - will be the filing.
I'm also going to attach an elastic string to my loupe and hang it from the ceiling so that it doesn't disappear.
Then I'm going to spend the next year filing vendor bills, and getting my taxes done on time.
All kidding aside - I did spend a lot of time again looking for a neg. and what is scary is how many other shots that were never printed pop up. I mean, I never even did contact sheets of them. I probably have 1000 medium format and 1000 35mm negatives from Paris alone (three trips there). And I look at some of them and say - yikes. I remember that shot. How come I never even did a proof of it? Reason - at that time I was working full-time and after developing film I'd put it away somewhere and forget about it. A lot of the shots that are appearing recently in the blog are a result of looking for some other negative (that's how the tree with light and 3+3 made their appearance).
Matt - that is great title: 3+3.
2 Inches of Snow
2 inches of snow this morning and I think that's enough for me. I don't find myself looking forward to the New York winter the way I used to. In fact, yesterday I got a color brochure for a retirement village called Sunny Senior in Florida and it looks inviting. The only thing is that I'm not old enough yet to qualify, though they said they would fly me down there to have a look if I was 62 or over.
My friend Murray told me that there are three women for every man and that he's treated like an Adonis down there even though he's 40 pounds overweight and walks with a cane.
He also reminded me that I was the shuffleboard champion at camp Wanna-Howie when I was 12. I haven't played since then but friend Murray tells me that shuffleboard is a skill you never lose and they have new lightweight pucks that you can push with just a touch called Whisper Pucks.
My friend Murray told me that there are three women for every man and that he's treated like an Adonis down there even though he's 40 pounds overweight and walks with a cane.
He also reminded me that I was the shuffleboard champion at camp Wanna-Howie when I was 12. I haven't played since then but friend Murray tells me that shuffleboard is a skill you never lose and they have new lightweight pucks that you can push with just a touch called Whisper Pucks.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)