Any news on the new Plustek 120 scanner?

[wblynch]

If they are 35mm slides, get a used Canon FS-2710. It scans slides, one at a time, in less than 30 seconds each. The only problem is, it is SCSI only and has no digital ICE for scratch removal . But I find it's faster and better to clean the slides before scanning and touch them up in Photoshop. Digital ICE makes the scans much slower.

FS-2710 are cheap and you can sell it off once your Plustek arrives.

Here's a tip I figured out for touching up scans of slides. Invert the file in Photoshop and then clone out the (now) white specks. When done, invert back to positive. It's much easier than trying to clone out black specks on the positive.

 

[RMac]

I have medium format of my own that I want to scan and I will shoot more MF film into the future. I'm hoping to kill two birds with one stone with the Plustek.

Thanks for that tip, by the way! Sounds like a huge time-saver.

 

[beezil]

hello all, i've been watching this thread with some great interest as i've pre-ordered this product from B&H back on September 19th.

I am equally disappointed as some of you are, especially the ones who have also pre-ordered seeing "end of October" turn into what B&H published as "November 6th" come and go.

It appears that the hurricane is not to blame after having a conversation with B&H yesterday. I called Customer Service and inquired to expected delivery dates, and they didn't seem to have any other information than what can be gotten here or Plustek's facebook page. Obviously, B&H has as much to lose watching these delivery dates come and go, since you cannot make a profit unless you create a transaction and deliver goods to customers, so I pressed customer service to get a better idea of what's going on.

I received a call back within an hour, and I was told that the new expected date is "end of december".

This is most disappointing. I've taken on projects expecting to have use of this equipment. It doesn't mean I cannot deliver, it just means that I have to continue to outsource at greater cost and longer delivery windows.

Truth be told, wether this product is available next month or next year, I am still interested in owning the scanner. My pre order will remain.

I figured some of you would be interested in this information

 

[RMac]

Well, thanks for passing that along.

And sorry, Plustek, you lost a customer. 🙁

 

[J. Borger]

Well, thanks for passing that along.

And sorry, Plustek, you lost a customer. 🙁

And which comparable new scanner will you buy as an alternative 😕


I saw the scannr in action at Photokina and can't waite to get one.
We waited years for a comparable scanner, so who cares about a couple of extra months to finish the product! I assume they are finetuning the software.

 

[bwcolor]

I think that Plustek used this forum to measure film enthusiast interest, but the thread refused to die. Next, we attacked the representative of the only company willing to make such a scanner and cut off our two-way communications. Now, we are once again down on Plustek for not meeting our delivery expectations.

It seems to me that all of us want them to get this right. As far as I know, this is the only scanner of such high quality at an 'affordable' price. I've seen another lower dpi that was announced. My point is that it is very important that they deliver a quality product. If it takes another six months, then it takes another six months. What would not be good is to have less than a stellar product. Tell me, other than a used product, what is your alternative? It is a shame that this thread generated so much negativity. Clearly, Plustek must correct some difficulty, or B&H and others misjudged the delivery date.

 

[E__WOK]

Well, thanks for passing that along.

And sorry, Plustek, you lost a customer. 🙁

So what other scanners are available for the same price of $2K, that still provide the same level of scanning quality?

 

[RMac]

That level of quality doesn't exist.....yet, or else the scanner would have been released already. C'mon, man, read the writing on the wall. They have not released any sample scans that meet the aforementioned specs. The spokesperson has stopped posting here and they are unresponsive to emails (at least mine).

I can't hold out any longer as my project is due end of December. I will not be able to afford a second scanner if and when the Plustek comes out.

Sorry, I didn't mean to sound pissy, I hope Plustek succeeds.

 

[Harry Lime]

The scanner exists, but the CCD they were using was suddenly discontinued. It was made by Kodak and EOL'd by the company that took over their sensor division. Just a stroke of bad luck.

Now Plustek is reworking the scanner with a new sensor.

Read all about it here:

http://www.dpug.org/forums/f6/new-plustek-opticfilm-120-scanner-surfaces-sort-3018/

 

[bwcolor]

Wow, I missed that one completely. Hard to blame Plustek.. except for relying on a shaky supplier.

 

[jkf]

Wow, I missed that one completely. Hard to blame Plustek.. except for relying on a shaky supplier.

Yeah, these little upstart imaging companies just can't be trusted to deliver...
😡

 

[hanskerensky]

So the "Coming soon" tags are gone on the Plustek site. Whatever that means for the better or the worse ;-)

 

[mdruziak]

I think that Plustek used this forum to measure film enthusiast interest, but the thread refused to die. Next, we attacked the representative of the only company willing to make such a scanner and cut off our two-way communications. Now, we are once again down on Plustek for not meeting our delivery expectations.

It seems to me that all of us want them to get this right. As far as I know, this is the only scanner of such high quality at an 'affordable' price. I've seen another lower dpi that was announced. My point is that it is very important that they deliver a quality product. If it takes another six months, then it takes another six months. What would not be good is to have less than a stellar product. Tell me, other than a used product, what is your alternative? It is a shame that this thread generated so much negativity. Clearly, Plustek must correct some difficulty, or B&H and others misjudged the delivery date.

You haven't lost the two way communication. I still check in here from time to time, but this thread has taken a couple detours and I haven't had the chance to read it all.

But the update is this... Things are working much better now than a month ago and I think we are close. I just scanned some Portra and it was pretty effortless. No problems. One pic is on the Facebook page.

Again I'll make the offer (that some of you have taken me up on). If you have any questions/comments, please call me at 562-650-3900 or send me an email at markdruziak )at( plustek dot com.

 

[andrewnelles]

Thank you for the update. Very excited for the scanner to hit the market.

 

[BOD]

Thanks for posting another scan sample Mark!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mdruziak/8206303145/in/photostream/

 

[f6andBthere]

No pressure ... but the future of my continuing to shoot film hangs on this scanner. 😀

I'm firmly esconced in the hybrid system and have no desire to enter a wet darkroom but I do want a lot more quality than what I'm getting from my V700. I also have no desire to outsource my scanning needs and although I could probably stretch the budget to a Nikon 9000 I have no intention of buying equipment that will ultimately become unservicable.

In your own time Plustek/Mark ... I'll wait! 🙂

 

[Godfrey]

I await with patience.

It's in my 2013 wish list budget. If it performs as well as I hope, it will obsolete both my still-ancient Epson 2450 and my evergreen Nikon Coolscan V (although I don't plan to discard either).

If it does work out as I hope, that Voigtlander Bessa 667w or a Hassy SWC will find a way here too, I fear. Or hope ... =8^)

 

[mdruziak]

Thanks for posting another scan sample Mark!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mdruziak/8206303145/in/photostream/

Since you guys found that... a little background. That is a Portra 400 converted to B/W using Topaz Labs B/W. The focus is a little off because the photographer (and subject) both had a "little" ale before we started shooting. I just liked that photo and the guy in the photo is active on Flickr so I thought "what the heck...".

Hopefully I'll have time to scan more after the holiday.

 

[BOD]

Since you guys found that... a little background. That is a Portra 400 converted to B/W using Topaz Labs B/W. The focus is a little off because the photographer (and subject) both had a "little" ale before we started shooting. I just liked that photo and the guy in the photo is active on Flickr so I thought "what the heck...".

Hopefully I'll have time to scan more after the holiday.

Thanks Mark, good portrait, keep the scans coming 🙂

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Since you guys found that... a little background. That is a Portra 400 converted to B/W using Topaz Labs B/W. The focus is a little off because the photographer (and subject) both had a "little" ale before we started shooting. I just liked that photo and the guy in the photo is active on Flickr so I thought "what the heck...".

Hopefully I'll have time to scan more after the holiday.

If someone working for me produced sample pictures while too drunk to focus, he'd be fired instantly. This kind of thing pains me because I know so many good, intelligent, educated, hardworking folks where I live who cannot find jobs...yet someone who drinks while working and admits it to his employer's customers has a job that probably pays a good middle class salary. Damn.