Advice on scanner

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wozarangefinder

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Hi there
I am a first time poster on this forum so please be gentle with me! I stopped doing film photography several years ago - went down the digital route but kept getting the urge to use my old Leica M6 more and more. I have started using it again and my old enthusiasm for it is back, I had forgotten how different and enjoyable rangefinder/film photography is.

Anyway, I have now gotten quite a few rolls of film processed and am wondering what the best reasonably priced scanner is for putting onto a PC. I have no experience / knowledge of scanners so any advice on what to look for / what you use would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Warren
 
I would like some input on this as well, but I think we need to define the term "reasonably priced." In my case $500 is much more than I can spend, I was looking at starting out with an epson flatbed - was hoping to get the 4490 refurb but they ran out and now only have the 4180 in my price range. I am scanning 120 as well as 35mm and don't need to make anything larger than an 8x10; if I need really good quality prints or scans I'll just go to a lab. Does anyone know anything about the 4180 vs. the 4490, or of any other inexpensive scanners that will do medium format? I don't mean to hijack this thread Woz, please let us know your requirements as well. Thanks!
 
I agree on the Nikon Coolscan V. Good value for the money. You might want to try the Sliverfast software with it... When it comes to scanners, like cameras you get what you pay for, if you ust want to get your film int he computer then a lower end scanner is fine. If you want to make prints then go for something liek the Nikon which will give you 4000 dpi
 
Thanks Damaso and Robert
I was looking at the Coolscan V and it does seem the best value to get get good files / prints from. The only thing that was putting me off was there is talk on various forums of the Nikon software being buggy and slow - I didn't realise that you could use other software to operate the scanner, I will look into that.

Cheers
Warren
 
Thanks Woza! I have been using the Nikon scanner for about 10 months and have made very nice big prints from it. So far I have only used the Nikon software, not many bugs to report but I think the Silverfast software will get even better results. You can download a demo for free and try it out....
 
Over the years I have stopped buying Nikon digital products because their software and drivers are bloated, buggy and slow (in the Windows world, at least). Sadly, lots of products are buggy and slow.

I had a heck of a time getting a Plustek Optic 7200 up and running (at about $200 this is a really good deal for a dedicated 35mm scanner) but the most recent driver update is really good - installed cleanly and works perfectly. I also found it useful to upgrade the bundled Silverfast SE software to Silverfast 6.5 Ai, which added another $120 to the deal. Some people like Vuescan, but for me Silverfast is intuitive and really flexible.

I recently installed a new Epson V500 for medium format. At $200 (after rebate) I think it is a better deal than an older model refurb, and for my moderate use level more appropriate then the spendier V700. It installed well, and the software is acceptable in "professional" mode - I don't feel a need to buy another copy of Silverfast to control this scanner. Scans with the stock holder are OK but I bought one of Doug Fisher's adjustable film holders with the ANR glass insert hoping for some improvement in sharpness, which added $85 to the deal. I have not tried scanning any 35mm on the V500 for comparison with the Plustek output, but if you want only one inexpensive scanner for both 35mm and med. format the V500 may be your best bet.
 
I have a Nikon Coolscan V and an Epson 4870. Many people complain about the Nikon software, but I'm comfortable with it. The only problem is that the preview image is too small, making it difficult, if not impossible, to make minute adjustments before the final scan. It is, however, adequate to get you into the ballpark, where you can then make your fine adjustments in your editing software. And it is a little on the slow side when using ICE and some of the other features. I use the Epson mainly to scan flat art and Medium Format. It's a little soft for 35mm, although you might not notice it unless making a direct comparison with a dedicated 35mm film scanner. The 4870, I believe, was the first of the usable flatbeds that would do a credible job on film. The models mentioned above are generally less expensive and better machines. I still use both with OEM software and am happy with them, so I hope this helps...

BH
 
Rhoyle said:
The only problem is that the preview image is too small, making it difficult, if not impossible, to make minute adjustments before the final scan.
Click to expand...

Thanks for bringing this up. The EpsonScan software that came with the V500 has a similar limitation - too small a preview scan, in a non-resizable window. And this is with the preview preferences set to "large". Also the automatic thumbnailing of multiple frames sometimes wants to turn two 6x6 images into three 6x4.5 images, even though there is a film size option pulldown set to 6x6. You can turn off the auto thumbnailing and manually set the frame - but shouldn't have to. One word - Silverfast.
 
I have never had a problem with Nikon Scanner software either - it is much more intuitive than Vuescan and I never have any crashes. The only bug I have seen is a size limit on scans ( no warnings - it just chokes)- somewhere around 575megs - for 6x7 16bit (I'm not sure exactly the size).

Is it slow - yes when using DDE, Ice, and 8X + Multiscan. But at least you have the tools available. Coming from a flatbed, the scans are awesome. Y ou may find a used V for 375-400...
 
I opted for the 5000 model scanner - purely because I was able to get the automatic slide feeder which can handle up to 50 slides in one session. With the optional feeder this combination is pricy and only viable if you have many slides to scan.

Peter
 
I had a Nikon V ED Coolscan (or LS50 as it is also known) and it produced great scans. Could print up to 13x19 easily. The Nikon software worked fine, although as mentioned the preview scan size is small. I did all of my image editing in Photoshop after the scan anyway. I also bought a Nikon 4000 ED scanner not long ago from a fellow rangefinderforum member, and after comparing the scans saw that it was a bit sharper and more contrasty than the V ED model, but that may have been an individual characteric of my scanner. Glad to hear about the Plustek Optic film scanner, as I have been thinking of getting one. They are very cheap. The dmax is not as good as the Nikon, but I shoot mainly B&W now and that may not be that important. I would forget about using a flatbed scanner. They will not come close to a film scanner, but if you shoot 120 you will probably have to go that route, or spend a lot more money for a different scanner.
 
myoptic3 said:
They will not come close to a film scanner, but if you shoot 120 you will probably have to go that route, or spend a lot more money for a different scanner.
Click to expand...

How did you get the idea that the flat beds won't come close to a film scanner ? For sure a dedicated film scanner has the advantage of a focussing system and usually better optics but the modern flat bed scanner (e.g. V700 / V750) are quite close to the film scanner. BTW, I have sold my Nikon V ED in favor of a Epson V700. The Nikon delivered sharper scans but mainly better resolved film grain. The colors were always of (using Nikon software and Vuescan) and scans were usually to contrasty. Handling curly film is a big hassle with the Nikon. Without the optional film holder FH-3, I couldn't scan many of my films.

I use the ANR inserts for 35mm film with the Epson and the original Epson holder for 120 film.
 
Thanks for all your help,
As I said this was my first post - its nice to find a forum where everyone is so helpful and friendly. I will hopefully be able to contribute myself in the future.

Regards
Woza
 
maddoc said:
How did you get the idea that the flat beds won't come close to a film scanner ? For sure a dedicated film scanner has the advantage of a focussing system and usually better optics but the modern flat bed scanner (e.g. V700 / V750) are quite close to the film scanner. BTW, I have sold my Nikon V ED in favor of a Epson V700. The Nikon delivered sharper scans but mainly better resolved film grain. The colors were always of (using Nikon software and Vuescan) and scans were usually to contrasty. Handling curly film is a big hassle with the Nikon. Without the optional film holder FH-3, I couldn't scan many of my films.

I use the ANR inserts for 35mm film with the Epson and the original Epson holder for 120 film.
Click to expand...


i agree with you, sold my older minolta dimage IV, got the Epson 750 and started wetscanning. But had to stop when the wife complained of the smelly scanning liquid.

The coolscan 's are great machines, but if you're on a budget, the V500s are more than enough for anything not larger than 8x12s or perhaps even more.

Btw, welcome to the forum too... Stay away from the Classifieds... it's baaaaad
 
I will add to this ...

If you can't spend alot of a scanner I received a 4990 via Epsons clearance center for about half price

and it has served me very well, as long as you utilize the film holders properly and keep the glass clean... no issues as well

Colors can be finicky and Epson's software can be hit or miss

Scanning tips: If using Digital Ice, especially with slides, you need to scan at the highest DPIs (or at least close the highest) to get the most out of Digital Ice

BTW: Anyone have any luck using Silverfast? I have tried it multiple times, I am no slouch with understanding software, but I found Silverfast just a pain in the butt to use
 
Last edited:
Maddoc

Would you say the V700 makes adequate-enough scans of 35mm to print to A4 size ?. I have a Coolscan V, but now also have a Rolleicord and a Wista Field 5x 4. I was thinking of selling/donating the V and investing in a V700 so I can scan all formats, IF it was good enough at dealing with 35mm...

Warren

The Coolscan V is a really good machine. I've had mine for a year or two now. The software does crash sometimes and as I've just bought a new computer, and it's crashed on me already, I can't blame it on my old laptop...but it's not a particularly frequent nor enormous problem for me. I think they're about £500 new tho.

Paul
 
Paul,

One week ago I printed this 6x6 photo, scanned with the V700 (3200dpi and original Epson holder) in a size of 55 x 55 cm on an Epson PX-9500 printer. The print looks great.
2134838780_87eedef8d8.jpg



I also printed two of my 35mm photos for an small exhibition in A4 size, no problem at all. The Epson V700 is good enough for this.

Cheers,

maddoc
 
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