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pasvorto

Scanner resolution

I have begun a task of scanning all my negatives and saving them to DVDs. What would be an acceptable resolution? I have tried 1200dpi and get 10MB files. I tried 4800 dpi and get 150MB files. Does size really matter?

They are being saved as TIFF files because I assume that is as close to RAW as I can get in this situation.

Do any of you scan negatives? If so, what resolution are you using?
Simonzphotoz

i haven't done much scanning but would have thought that 1200 dpi would be perfectly sufficient. Although it does depend on what your using the images for, if you want to print up to A1 then the bigger the file the better the image quality.
pasvorto

I doubt that i will ever print larger than 8 x 10. Couldn't afford the ink Very Happy
pasvorto

The reason I ask is that a read an on-line digital photography thing. The author said that you should always shoot at the highest resolution. You can always make the picture smaller, but not larger. I figured the same logic would hold true for scanning the negatives also (since it is using optical rather than digital zoom).
creators

I'd experiment a bit more. If you want scans for 8 x 10s, I'd suggest finding the optimal scan resolution for that size, except that doesn't allow for any cropping. The beauty of higher scan resolutions is that if you need to Photoshop the images, the larger size you work at the better for flawless work. It's a bit of a balancing act really. I tend to scan at 300 DPI, but then I am not scanning my picture collection.
pasvorto

wow... 300 is quite small (compared to 4800).

My slogan: Nothing exceeds like excess
creators

pasvorto wrote:
wow... 300 is quite small (compared to 4800).

My slogan: Nothing exceeds like excess


4800 must produce pictures the size of a battleship. I do 300 because that's the standard DPI for publishing (what an optimist!).

As for your slogan, Confucius would have been proud to know you.

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