Finally got an MF/LF scanner

[shadowfox]

Folks, just wanted to share my findings. For the longest time I've been looking for a good scanner for MF. Finally my recent dip in the LF pool had pushed me further.

The choices are not many out there, combined with my severely limited budget, but I think I came up close.

I'll spare you guys the research I did, but my choice fell on the Microtek Scanmaker i800. Thanks to my wife's skill with layering coupons and codes, I managed to snag one for about half the going price for Epson V700.

Same 4.0 Dmax, mind you 🙂

The Microtek software lets me define jobs and save them after for reuse. These "jobs" will remember the layout of your photos, very useful for LF, not so much for the different sizes of 120 films. I can't stand Silverfast or I just don't get it.

I think the film holder follows the same route, the one for 4x5 is excellent, the one for MF can't adjust perfectly for 6x9 and 6x7, but less problematic as you go down to 6x6 and 6x4.5.

From what I now currently, which is only marginal (a couple days worth of fiddling around), this scanner won't take the place of a Coolscan V for scanning 35mm, but for MF and LF, it's quite awesome.

Some samples:

First, two 6x4.5 expired Fuji Provia III 100F

This one is resized from about 600ppi if I remember correctly.

This one resized from low-res (300ppi), for web viewing, sharp isn't it?

4x5 Arista.edu 200 scanned at 300 ppi: (NOTE: Nevermind the overexposed picture, that's my fault, but the scanner is doing a good job pulling details from the dense negative).

I'll add more when I scanned more format.
So far I'm happy with this scanner, I thought I'd have to take a second job to get an Epson, but once again Microtek amazed me.

 

[SeaninBrisbane]

I am interested in buying one of these scanners. Does anyone know if it compares to the Epson V700? Cheers.

 

[Keith]

It looks great Will ... fantastic colours in those first two shots.

I don't get Silverfast either I'm afraid ... tried it a couple of times with my Epson V700 then happily went back to the Epson software.

 

[Trius]

Will, send me your wife's secret recipe. I'm going to be doing more LF this year, at some point I'll need a scanner to accommodate.

 

[Krzys]

How does the film alignment ruler work (for scanning film borders)?

 

[1948nikon]

Nice Scans

Nice Scans

I was considering The Epson V700 but now I may consider the Microtek.
Excellent detail on the re-sized scan.

 

[Chris101]

Cool Will! That is the scanner I settled on as well (I got it before the latest generation of Epsons came out. I was comparing it to the 4990, and it came out way ahead. Especially in the film holders. In addition to scanning medium and large format film (and of course any reflective scanning I need to so) I also use it to make "contact scans". You know, like contact sheets, but digital:

Put a roll of 35mm in a PrintFile sleeve, put the alignment ruler thingy in (it doesn't calibrate correctly without it - in fact, it usually won't even scan - the gap in the ruler provides a place for the scanner to self-calibrate.) Then tape the sleeve in place - to the plastic sides so that it is held slightly above the platen glass - just like with the film holders - and scan the entire page at 150-600 dpi. The quality isn't really printable, but it does give you a roll-at-a-time look at your 35mm film. (and at 600 dpi, you get an almost decent scan for web presentation - if you don't mind the Newton rings where the plastic sleeve contacts the acetate side of the film.)