Film Scanner vs Flat Bed

I have been using a good quality hp flat bed scanner to scan images for my upcoming website. I have also been saving for a film scanner with the belief that I will get better results. Is this correct? In the interim, any tips for using a flat bed scanner?

thanks guys

I've done a lot of study on this issue lately myself and have come up

with these answers. If money is a factor (and we're all broke after

buying all our Leica gear), get the film scanner. There are some

real great scanners in the $2000 - $4000 range (though these prices

are Canadian)that will give excellent scans.

But, as I've mentioned before, the Agfa Duo-Scans are the proverbial

cats pajamas (shows how old I am). I too do a lot of scanning of

relection copy and need a flat bed. I figured the only way would be

to have both and then a friend the graphic trade clued me into the

Agfa. They start at $1200, but to get real good scans off of 35mm

you need the Hi-D model or the 2500, at $3500 and $7500 repectively.

But in an impartial test of scanners in a graphics trade mag last

year, the Agfa 2500 'outscanned' a number of drum scanners in the

$15000 dollar and up range. As has been noted before, the Agfa uses

what is called 'twin plate' technology to scan directly though a neg

or trany instead of the usual flatbed way of bouncing the light of

the lid of the maching, thus killing contrast mainly, but also

sharpness.

I went for the Hi-D and have gotten impressive 13X19 prints from the

70 meg file the scanner gave me. As well I have had some negs

written from some of my scans, and the darkroom prints are

indistinguisable from original neg.

Check them out.

Do you plan on using the scanner for anything other than website,

such as creating files for printing 8x10 or larger? If so, currently

the resolution of film scanners is advantageous.

Jay - i want to use it to make contact sheets, trial pictures before

printing, print snap shots up to 5x7 and store a digital record of my

pictures. This is an attempt to cut down on printing costs as I don't

have a darkroom (or the time to print).

thanks charles

thanks for the feedback - I have subsequently found great basic info

on http://www.scantips.com/faq2.html