What makes a good scanner?
Optical resolution: As with megapixels in digital cameras, the optical resolution of a scanner, measured in DPI (dots per inch) is one of the main determinants of how much detail the sensor will be able to capture. But, just as in digital cameras, resolution is not the be-all-end-all. The following important qualifiers are in order: – Quality of the sensor: Just as in digital cameras, scanner CCDs are subject to noise as the resolution increases and the size stays constant. Make sure you are getting a sensor of the optimal size for your target resolution. A good-quality sensor at 2400 dpi will be able to capture more detail than a bad-quality one at 4800 dpi. – Input material: Most detail in consumer film will be captured by a 3200 dpi scan. Increase the resolution and youll just be scanning the grain in the film. Unless you have professional-grade film, there is no point in scanning at higher resolutions. – Target output: think of what kind of output you want from your scanner. A 2400
