I posted that already in the "Digital Image Processing" forum and got one feedback (http://luminous-landscape.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=38863). Is here someone with real world experience?
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Hi,

I finally found a place where I can scan my 8x10 inch sheet film (B&W, T-Max 400) with a Creo A3 flat bed scanner. I've started some tests, but would be thankfull for some advice:

Film: 8x10 inch B&W, Kodak T-Max 400 and others but mainly T-Max 400
The scans are for my archive, so I don't know about the usage now. I just want all the information that is in the film digitized but I try to avoid to over-do it resolution-wise.
1. What is a good scanning resolution (the scanner can be set up to about 2400 dpi)?
2. 8 bit or 16 bit?
3. Grey scale or RGB (once I heard it would make sense even for B&W)?

Thank you,
Johannes

Hi Johannes,

My best suggestion according to my opinion/experience would be as follows

1. Most of our archivists customer capture their images at output size of A3 600dpi.
2.16 bit
3. RGB, you able to scan as R=G=B using output profile.

Regards,
Ron.

from what I've found (at least with my own work), is to figure what the biggest file you might need for your uses (whether current, or down the road a bit) are rez-wise. and go a little bit beyond that.

say, if you needed to reproduce a 11x17 document at 600dpi, scan it at 900/1200dpi. you get a bigger file, but if you need to go just that little bit bigger, just if; you won't have to re-scan or sample up(sampling up is never an option in my case, just a great scan)

being that you have 8x10 negs, these will be big files, especially at 16bit, so double the space.

I would scan in RGB 16bit, even if you only use 8bit. Just in case. Or, if you know for certain you WON'T need 16bit for certain negatives, scan in 8bit only. If you're unsure, go with 16bit.

wet-mount(have you considered this)? I know one person who uses an IqSmart3 scanner, and he ALWAYS wet mounts with Kami fluid and AZ42 overlay. He shoots 4x5 and 8x10, and if you want pixel peeping, check out his files .

wet-mounting takes more time, but IMO, its worth the time and effort.

just so you know, I scan everything at 16bit. I figure that HD's are cheap, and backups can be made plentifully. With the price of storage what it is right now, I figured, what the heck?

-Dan

Thank you. I'm scared of the wet mounting. I never scanned myself before. And in the old days the chromes always were tortured/ruined during the process. And I had always 2 identical chromes: One for the scan and one for the archive/print. Today I want to scann my free work. Usually I only have one negative. Can you really wash this liquid off after the process?

Best,
Johannes

That fluid and petroleum ether do no damage and evaporate quite fast so they are not wet as in water.

http://www.aztek.com/Products/Aztek%20Imag...plies(main).htm

Use this, no clean up at all, it simply evaporates with no residue at all.

Cheers,
Jason.