B
bert26
Guest
Hi all,
It's about that time to buy a new film scanner, but am having a very difficult time deciding which route to go.
I've been using an ancient Epson 4490 scanner for maybe a year and a half now. I started wondering if I was losing a lot of detail, grain, and sharpness by using such an old scanner, so I checked out my friend's Primefilm XA. The same image I scanned on my 4490, looked 2x better on his XA. Neither scans were doctored in any way.
While the XA looks cool, I can't have an entire uncut roll of film just hanging out on my desk waiting to collect dust and cat hair. And while my friend seems to love his, I've been reading some pretty bad reviews on it.
It looks like, so far, I've narrowed it down to an Epson V7xx/V8xx or a dedicated film scanner such as the Coolscan V.
As it stands, I'm only shooting 35mm, mostly Tri-X. I seldom shoot color. I know that a dedicated film scanner will give sharper results, but most of the dedicated film scanners are way, way out of my price range. I'm not looking to spend more than $600 if I can help it.
I know I could wet mount my negatives with a V7xx/V8xx, but honestly, that's way too much of a hassle for me. I just wouldn't do it. I'm too clumsy and would certainly end up destroying my negatives or my scanner. My problem with the Coolscan V is that it's no longer supported by Nikon, and if something breaks, then I'm out $500 or whatever.
I don't foresee myself making large prints from my scans. They'll be for web mostly since any print I sell will always be a darkroom print. But I suppose it would be nice to have the option.
So what would you do? Would you get the Coolscan V? Maybe another dedicated 35mm scanner in the same price range?
Is there a way to flatten my 35mm negs in a flatbed scanner to achieve the sharpest results possible without the headache of wet mounting?
Currently, it looks like a used v700/v7500 isn't much cheaper than a brand new v800 on Amazon for whatever reason. But I know a v700 would suffice in terms of quality compared to the v750/800.
There's a chance I could end up shooting medium format down the road, but I've been so happy shooting with my m6/35 cron that that is the only setup I use, ever.
Ideas or suggestions? I'm falling into that black hole of scanner research and really just want to get one and be done with it so I can get on with my life.
Thanks in advance!
It's about that time to buy a new film scanner, but am having a very difficult time deciding which route to go.
I've been using an ancient Epson 4490 scanner for maybe a year and a half now. I started wondering if I was losing a lot of detail, grain, and sharpness by using such an old scanner, so I checked out my friend's Primefilm XA. The same image I scanned on my 4490, looked 2x better on his XA. Neither scans were doctored in any way.
While the XA looks cool, I can't have an entire uncut roll of film just hanging out on my desk waiting to collect dust and cat hair. And while my friend seems to love his, I've been reading some pretty bad reviews on it.
It looks like, so far, I've narrowed it down to an Epson V7xx/V8xx or a dedicated film scanner such as the Coolscan V.
As it stands, I'm only shooting 35mm, mostly Tri-X. I seldom shoot color. I know that a dedicated film scanner will give sharper results, but most of the dedicated film scanners are way, way out of my price range. I'm not looking to spend more than $600 if I can help it.
I know I could wet mount my negatives with a V7xx/V8xx, but honestly, that's way too much of a hassle for me. I just wouldn't do it. I'm too clumsy and would certainly end up destroying my negatives or my scanner. My problem with the Coolscan V is that it's no longer supported by Nikon, and if something breaks, then I'm out $500 or whatever.
I don't foresee myself making large prints from my scans. They'll be for web mostly since any print I sell will always be a darkroom print. But I suppose it would be nice to have the option.
So what would you do? Would you get the Coolscan V? Maybe another dedicated 35mm scanner in the same price range?
Is there a way to flatten my 35mm negs in a flatbed scanner to achieve the sharpest results possible without the headache of wet mounting?
Currently, it looks like a used v700/v7500 isn't much cheaper than a brand new v800 on Amazon for whatever reason. But I know a v700 would suffice in terms of quality compared to the v750/800.
There's a chance I could end up shooting medium format down the road, but I've been so happy shooting with my m6/35 cron that that is the only setup I use, ever.
Ideas or suggestions? I'm falling into that black hole of scanner research and really just want to get one and be done with it so I can get on with my life.
Thanks in advance!
