A quick, brand name-free and techie-free summary:
Almost any inexpensive flatbed scanner will deliver web-worthy scans of
prints 3.5"x5" or larger.
Larger prints deliver better scans. More raw info, less magnification.
Better flatbeds deliver better scans of prints, artwork and even 3D objects.
The best can do double duty as film scanners.
The lowest priced film scanners will give you web-worthy images from
negative and slide film.
Mid-range film scanners can deliver prints good enough to pass for true
photographic prints at arm's length.
Commercial scans to CD-ROM aren't necessarily better than the above. The
cheapest services simply scan the prints at low to moderate resolution
jpegs. Higher resolution scans on better equipment are available at higher
prices. Since top notch film scanners are still prohibitively expensive,
CD-ROMs are a good choice for most of us.
As you go up in price the better service bureaus/labs using the best
equipment can scan at resolutions high enough to duplicate film quality in
medium format and larger, and nearly so at 35mm, when scans are recopied
back onto film. That means a slide or negative stored on CD can be rescued
if the original is later lost or damaged. (If anyone knows of a machine or
service bureau that can duplicate 35mm quality, please chime in.)
Finally, all my scans are from prints using a $75 flatbed. Most are from
snapshot sized prints, tho' some are from 8x10s. So far I haven't felt a
real need to replace it, tho' I'd like to add an inexpensive film scanner to
put some of my slides up on the web. At under $100 getting a decent flatbed
is iffy. Spend a bit more for more reliability.
Lex
===
From: "Mike Larson" <milar@xxxxxxxx>
Subject: [OM] Photo CD
Date: Sun, 13 Aug 2000 18:25:19 -0500
I'm dipping my toes in digital imaging. I shot some stuff
this weekend I'd like to input into my computer.
Instead of getting prints, I'm thinking of getting the pics
back on CD. Then I don't have to scan them in.
Any thoughts on the good, or bad, of doing this?
Mike
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