Frontier 340 medium format scans

[berk_sirman2]

What is the max resolution that Fuji Frontier 340 can scan 120 film?

Is it possible to manually select the scanning resolution? How do you

get the biggest file possible from 6X7 negative?

 

I was at a 1-hour lab the other day that runs Frontier 340. I was

chatting with the owner who told me they were having problems with

getting the most out of Frontier in 6X7 scanning. The biggest Frontier

340 prints is 20X30cm and it is approximately 5x enlargement from 6X7

frame (w/o cropping). On the other hand to print 20X30cm from a 35mm

frame, the frontier scans at much higher resolution since you need

almost 10x enlargement. The owner wonders if it is possible to get the

frontier to scan 6X7 at for 10x enlargement or more and then send the

resulting file out for bigger prints. The interface in Frontier does

not allow him to manually select scanning resolution as it

automatically does it according to selected print size(at 300dpi).

Even with the max print size, it never scans the 6X7 negatives at high

resolution unless there is extreme cropping.

 

I recommended adding a dedicated multi format scanner (i.e Minolta

multi scan pro) or a flatbed (Epson 4990) but he said he likes the

frontier scanner and does not want to complicate the workflow if not

necessary.

 

You may wonder why the he didnt read the manual or contact Fuji. Well,

this is happening in Turkey where, according to the lab owner, the

customer support of Fuji is not the best. The owners manual and all

other documentation about the Frontier is in English which he doesnt

speak much at all. Fuji didn't help him about whether it is possible

to run the scanner with another software or at least manually select

the resolution. He asked me if I knew anything about it after he

realized I was interested in scanners and stuff. I tried to google it

but could not get much help. Then I remembered that there are people

in this forum who run frontier machines and others who know about the

system very well as customers who can help me/him on the subject.

 

(BTW, the crystal archive matte prints from the frontier machine of my

35mm negatives were great. Just shows the potential of the Frontier

system if the operator is willing to put effort into the job and

manually override color/brightness/contrast and not run all the prints

in all auto mode. If all color printing were like this one I would be

shooting color negatives a lot more. The prints that came from Reala

and Gold 100 were especially good.)

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Berk

[freehueco]

I can't give you specific advice on the MF scans, but I can tell you how to get the highest

resolution scan from the machine. Just switch the scanning mode from jpeg to tiff.

Apparently when you do this, the machine gives you all of the data from the scan. This

translates to a 30MB scan from a 35mm original.

 

The Frontier is very capable in the right hands. But it won't compare to a well-made Lightjet

(which will naturally cost considerably more).

[berk_sirman2]

Thanks a lot Mike. I will tell him to try that. Berk

[scott_eaton]

<I>The Frontier is very capable in the right hands. But it won't compare to a well-made Lightjet (which will naturally cost considerably more).</i><P>That's complete and utter baloney. I routinely get prints from both systems, and given the same in-put file there's very little difference other than the LightJet having a bit better capability at the edges of the gamut range (if it's stroked right and you're not using sRGB). <P>The limitation with the Frontier system is it's scanner, and even the newer Epson flatbeds will provide better results with MF film than the Frontier's integrated scanner. I've tested this with my local pro shops and utterly humiliated their scans. I hear that Fuji has a better scanning module available, but it won't take much to surpass their current one. For slide film users the quality improvement is 10x, if not more.

[edgar_njari]

I'd agree with Scott.

 

Frontier has a great output. It's problem is its scanner

[josphy]

I don't think switching anythign from jpeg to tiff will solve this problem. All that will do is give you a CD with tiff files when you go to burn the CD instead of the (slightly down-sized) jpegs that you get otherwise. That is just a matter of choosing a regular CD versus a "premium" CD or whatever it's called on the menu on the PIC unit.

 

As far as scanning...the problem is that the machine scans only at the resolution needed for printing -- something like 305dpi -- which means you get a 3000dpi scan from 35mm in order to print 10x15inches. However, to print a 10x15inch pic at 305dpi off of medium format, you only have to scan at basically half that resolution since medium format is basically twice as wide as 35mm.

 

Theoretically it seems like the Frontier ought to be able to scan 120 film at 3000dpi even though that would give like twice the resolution the machine would actually need for printing...but for exporting to a CD it would be nice. So I'm also curious if anyone knows if this is possible.

[freehueco]

<i>That's complete and utter baloney..."</i>

<br>

<p>But if used correctly, the lighjet will still give you a better print. Properly setup, profiled

and color corrected.

<br>

<p>And for the other comments; just a few corrections: the Frontier 340 can only go to

8x12. It prints at 300 dpi. And last I checked, an uncompressed file still gives you more

information than a compressed one.

[josphy]

Oh, I must have been thinking of different model -- 370maybe? -- printing to 10x15.

[berk_sirman2]

Yes, the Frontier 340 only goes up to 20X30cm. That is 8X12 in.

 

I have visited the lab again and found out their Frontier can only scan/export/import jpeg and bmp. No tiff. And with bmp, the scan resolution is limited by print size. Maybe it needs a firmware/software upgrade?

 

I have explored every single menu option on the Frontier in question and there was no mention of tiff. Weird.

 

Berk

[sl attanapola]

Perhaps you need to check out a lab which has one of the new Frontier 570's. It can print up to 18" x 12".

[berk_sirman2]

I have spoken to a Fuji representative (in Turkey) today and he claims that Frontier 340, or any other Frontier, cannot scan in tiff. He claims that the labs (abroad) that offer tiff scans with frontier must be converting files to tiff from bmp in photoshop. As to getting larger scans from medim format film, he says it is impossible. Either he does not know much about the products they are selling or Fuji exports slightly modified goods to different countries. Could be both.