Drum scanning services
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Ben johns
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It’s obviously not a good representation being a photo taken on my iPhone but I’m so impressed I got it. I didn’t use any filters apart from a polariser so I had to wait until the exposures for the sky and ground got close. Meant I didn’t have a lot of time but it came out
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FishyFish
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I've never had a drum scan from anywhere, but this place was mentioned in a Thomas Heaton video recently:
www.drumscanning.co.uk
They have a testimonial from Joe Cornish on their site:
www.drumscanning.co.uk
Professional & Budget Drum Scanning | UK & Worldwide
The best scans AND the best price? Don't make a big order before giving us a try. We use Heidelberg drum scanners - call for references
www.drumscanning.co.uk
They have a testimonial from Joe Cornish on their site:
5x4 Velvia | Testimonial | Drum Scanning
They are also the sharpest and most colour-accurate scans I have seen. I can strongly recommend this service.
www.drumscanning.co.uk
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Ben johns
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That was one of the places I saw too, I think they had the cheapest prices as wellI've never had a drum scan from anywhere, but this place was mentioned in a Thomas Heaton video recently:
Professional & Budget Drum Scanning | UK & Worldwide
The best scans AND the best price? Don't make a big order before giving us a try. We use Heidelberg drum scanners - call for references
They have a testimonial from Joe Cornish on their site:
5x4 Velvia | Testimonial | Drum Scanning
They are also the sharpest and most colour-accurate scans I have seen. I can strongly recommend this service.
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Ben johns
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It.
It could well be. I emailed them about the best way to send a negative to them and I’m pretty sure it was a Tim that replied
cardiff_gareth
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Just a quick ask. I saw on a few Thomas Heaton videos he mentions drum scanning. What is a drum scan and how does it differ to a normal scan? My local lab can scan negs when printing them but doesn't say what scan it is or the resolution hence my ask.
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Drum scanning is expensive and IMO only worth it if you have an exceptional shot and want a very large print from a pro inkjet (or darkroom.). And of course the larger the neg the better the quality.
FishyFish
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It's the best quality scanning method for film. But, as Brian says, it's a specialised, time consuming, and therefore expensive thing to do.
This video gives an idea:
cardiff_gareth
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Thanks both. I have an Epson 3590 flatbed scanner here so will try that out and also get some scans from the negs when printing so I can compare the 2 
Harlequin565
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I had a quick look on that website and they could scan my 6x17s to 6800 x 19800 which is 22 x 66 inches at 300ppi. My V550 scans of the same neg is at 3500 x 11000 which would be 12" x 36". Realistically I would never print to 22x66 and even 12x36 is a stretch. The biggest I could print at home would be 16x48 so it is tempting to get them to do a test scan and see if I can spot the difference. I strongly suspect I wouldn't be able to.
However their 35mm scans are 8500 x 5670 which would give you a print of 18x28 at 300ppi. My latest wall decor was a Filmdev scan at 3000 x 2000px which is sat on the wall as a 13x19 (157ppi) print and it looks fab - even up close. If I wanted to print 35mm up to A1 I'd definitely consider a drum scan.
All in all, I think this is for very big (exhibition) prints for MF/LF - and I mean bigger than A1. Or it's for people who want A2 sized prints from 35mm and want up nose close quality or maybe gallery quality A1 prints. Or it's for people who can't/don't scan their own and want to print big.
When I first started scanning, my results were pants. It was only when I saw the results of FIlmdev/AG scans that I realised it was my scanning workflow that was the problem. It's taken me quite a long time to get to the point where I can scan 35mm and print it to 19x35 and be happy. I have a Plustek 8100 for 35mm which gives me results almost as good as AG/Filmdev. For MF and 6x17, I have the V550 and the much bigger negative means intriniscally I can get bigger files so can thus print bigger.
However their 35mm scans are 8500 x 5670 which would give you a print of 18x28 at 300ppi. My latest wall decor was a Filmdev scan at 3000 x 2000px which is sat on the wall as a 13x19 (157ppi) print and it looks fab - even up close. If I wanted to print 35mm up to A1 I'd definitely consider a drum scan.
All in all, I think this is for very big (exhibition) prints for MF/LF - and I mean bigger than A1. Or it's for people who want A2 sized prints from 35mm and want up nose close quality or maybe gallery quality A1 prints. Or it's for people who can't/don't scan their own and want to print big.
When I first started scanning, my results were pants. It was only when I saw the results of FIlmdev/AG scans that I realised it was my scanning workflow that was the problem. It's taken me quite a long time to get to the point where I can scan 35mm and print it to 19x35 and be happy. I have a Plustek 8100 for 35mm which gives me results almost as good as AG/Filmdev. For MF and 6x17, I have the V550 and the much bigger negative means intriniscally I can get bigger files so can thus print bigger.
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Thanks both. I have an Epson 3590 flatbed scanner here so will try that out and also get some scans from the negs when printing so I can compare the 2
Interesting to see the results to whether you can see any difference for an A4 print.....assuminging you don't have a semi pro photo inkjet printer.