Our lab scanners, such as a Noritsu HS1800, make high resolution files quickly and efficiently of an entire roll of film. The Creo however works on a single frame at a time to create a far more detailed and robust TIFF image. It pulls out a significantly greater amount of information at the extremities of even the most dense chromes. It does this because it has a superior scanning lens, and actively cooled CCD unit.

Fluid mounting is something we recommend if your negative has been sitting in a sleeve for a long period of time. Even the best storage conditions can sometimes allow for slight stuffs or scratches on the film, which easily show up in such high res scans. The fluid effectively eliminates them, saving countless hours in retouching. It also ensures perfect film flatness and slightly increases scan quality. For the highest resolution scans of large films, it's highly recommended.

You always get a 16bit TIFF.

Yes! The Creo is fully capable of handling prints, drawings, or other flat art works. It can accommodate up to 12x17" work on the bed. Larger pieces can sometimes be stitched together from multiple scans.

Please see the ordering page for specific pixel dimensions. A 35mm frame scanned at 5600ppi yields roughly a 65 megapixel image. A 120 negative, well over 100 megapixels. For large formats, scans in excess of 500 megapixel scans are possible. They are suitable for the largest print sizes and are competitive in quality with any drum scanner.

They're both great! Drum scanners use a slightly different technology, called PMTs. The Creo is CCD based. Pixel resolution and bit rates are about the same. Much of the quality of the scan comes down to the operator of the machine. The reason why we chose the Creo is because it is much easier and more flexible to use day to day, and thus often less expensive to the customer. It also allows us to make digital contact sheets and produce our large format Dev/Scans.