Re: New Scanner

[CDTobie@aol.com]

In a message dated 10/17/00 6:04:02 AM, CARL_GROHS@compuserve.com writes:

>The lastest issue of the PC Connection catalog has a new Epson scanner
>that
>
>I haven't seen before.
>
>
>
>Expression 1640SU Photo Scanner
>
>1600 x 3200    42bit color    transparency unit for scanning slides, film
>
>and negatives    $299.
>
>
>
>Is this a legit 1600 dpi scanner or are they playing games?
>
>
>
>Is 1600 dpi enough resolution to print a "decent" 8 x 10 from 35mm
>
>slides/negatives on an 870 printer?

Epson apparently has two new "1640s"  that are easy to confuse; the one you 
refer to, and the 1640XL. Bruce Fraser has just finished testing the one you 
are interested in, so I'll let him comment on its d-range, sharpness etc... 
but whether any 1600 dpi scanner is capable of decent 8x10s depends on 
quality and dynamic range as well as pixel count, so the 1640SU might fall 
short, while the 1640XL might not.  You will still be a bit short even with 
these factors on your side, but for many uses this, or the 3200x3200 dpi 
option from the same 1600x3200 dpi scanner, will be sufficient. I find myself 
scanning batches of 35mm slides on a 1600dpi Epson just to determine which 
ones to rescan with a dedicated film scanner, and a couple times lately have 
used these "prescans" to layout FPO art, only to decide that they really 
didn't need to be rescanned anyhow, as the Epson scan showed that the 
original slides didn't have enough info in them to get any better results at 
any resolution.

C. David Tobie
Design Cooperative
CDTobie@designcoop.com
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