Hugh,

You might want to search on photo.net for this topic. If memory serves me correctly quite a few people there scan their MF slides with the older Epson 2450 and get excellent results with the small enlargement sizes you plan to use.

Thanks for all of your replies.  I'll keep checking Norman Korans site.  I'd love to start printing my square transparencies uncropped.

Now that the new Epson 3200 is out, I'm considering getting one so that I may scan and print 6x6 transparencies up to 12x12.  Of course in doing so I want to capture the smooth tonalities found in medium format.  Will the 3200 do the job or would I be better off selling all my 6x6 gear and purchasing a Nikon D100.  I presently shoot mostly 35mm but do not enlarge past 8x12 when printing.

Norm Koren at
http://www.normankoren.com
has a section on the Epson 2450, which he has been using for medium format scanning, and he is gradually adding new information on the 3200 from Europe where it was released earlier, and which he will likely buy and review soon, now that it is available in the USA.

He quotes early reports suggesting that the 3200 might not be much sharper, but is definitely faster, so perhaps some of his comments on the 2450 are a rough guide:

"[the Epson 2450 is] adequate for 8½x11 inch prints from 35mm ... [and] is excellent for medium format prints up to 13x19 inches."

"Sharpness is equivalent to about a 1600 dpi dedicated film scanner"

"Color quality is excellent"

In addition to Norman's in depth discussion of film scanning on flat bed scanners, there is also an elaborate review of the Epson 3200 at
http://www.photo-i.co.uk/
After seeing this review, I bought the scanner to digitize all my old 6X7 films and transparancies. I only had time to start testing the scanner with one negative and I am pleasantly surprised!