Dedicated 35mm Film scanner to replace Epson v500

roll-at-once at $250 is no-brainer, even at $400 it's reasonable.

overseas shipping adds some costs, though, add VAT and at current price it's easy to start scratching head.

Honestly, if V550 gives so bad output that it takes a week to color correct it's time for changes. Technically, it scans roll in three batches (four, when using up extra frames), add here mounting film, dusting it...20-30 minutes? I am adding 20min for rotating, exposure checking here and there, correction for some wild shots. Total 30-40 minutes, maybe? Hard to compare with 5 minutes of Pakon, though. But much more liberating than sitting at frame by frame scanner.

I wouldn't buy flatbed without MF in mind.
 
I have had a V500 for years and although it is clumsy and so prone to dust its a PIA but it produces good scans once you sort it out. More bothersome is the trend I read here that film related products are getting abandoned. On other threads there is the Bessa leaving the camera business, also Holga now it seems scanners are next.:(
 
FujiLove said:
When I was scanning 135 using a Epson V550 this same process could literally take all week. If you value your time, the Pakon pays for itself after three or four rolls.
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I should add that when I say the process took a week, I don't mean a week of constant work. I mean that I only managed to scan and edit around six or seven frames in an evening with the V550 (maybe averaging 30 mins per frame to get close to something I was happy with).

I'd estimate I was spending between 12 and 18 hours scanning and editing a 36 frame roll with the V550 (depending on how bad the colours came out of the scanner) versus less than an hour using the Pakon. To me that's a HUGE difference.

Another thing I did was re-scan old rolls with the Pakon to see how they compared. I scanned difficult frames where I knew I'd spent the best part of two hours editing in Lightroom/Photoshop. Many of them were much better right out of the Pakon, than the final edits out of the Epson. A roll of Ektar I shot in Venice and accidentally over-exposed comes to mind. That was a huge pain with the Epson, but the Pakon breezed right through it, despite not officially having a profile for that film. With several of the shots on that roll I had a, "of course that's what it's meant to look like", moment.

The Pakon isn't perfect by any means, but it's one of the best for 35mm unless you want to spend huge amounts of cash. Mind you, it's still rubbish compared to wet printing! :)
 
30mins per single frame, golden shot, exposure of year - no problem, it's worth it but 20-30min per frame in whole roll mode, oh boys, that sounds way too much, no matter what scanner, what software. Probably I'm just too easy on scanning. I know it's best to get it right from start but I accept color casts and exposure goofs and deal with them at post. But then I don't scan whole roll for max res max Q and Web res isn't is where I grind my teeth.
 
ok guys, I hope this is my final conclusion.

Short briefing: - printable scan results mostly for 35mm color and negative film up to A3
- "cheap" ~500€ max
- quick and easy to use

I think I will replace my old and lovely Canon 20d with a newer model 600d with 18mp resolution and flip display (Canon 20d has 8mp)
+ a Macro lens around 100mm (any recommendations? I just sold my very good Tamron 90mm :bang: )
+ lightsource will be a LED light table (30*40cm)

Please give me some feedback about that idea.
Im sure an angled display will be very comfortable (I remember heavy neck pain :D) + 18mp should be more than enough for anything to A3?

Of course there wont be any ICE and have to advance every single frame by myself. Do I miss something?

Thank you guys!
 
paniolo said:
ok guys, I hope this is my final conclusion.

Short briefing: - printable scan results mostly for 35mm color and negative film up to A3
- "cheap" ~500€ max
- quick and easy to use

I think I will replace my old and lovely Canon 20d with a newer model 600d with 18mp resolution and flip display (Canon 20d has 8mp)
+ a Macro lens around 100mm (any recommendations? I just sold my very good Tamron 90mm :bang: )
+ lightsource will be a LED light table (30*40cm)

Please give me some feedback about that idea.
Im sure an angled display will be very comfortable (I remember heavy neck pain :D) + 18mp should be more than enough for anything to A3?

Of course there wont be any ICE and have to advance every single frame by myself. Do I miss something?

Thank you guys!
Click to expand...

You should be okay with that set-up, assuming you already have a solid tripod. I found a great tutorial a few weeks back where the guy did exactly the same and had a good post-processing workflow. I'll try and dig it out for you.
 
I'd kill for a moden Pakon that was updated and doesn't cost a fortune
What's a nice simple macro lens rig? Or do I have to build one?
 
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