Dedicated 35mm scanner options for $300

[GarageBoy]

So, I'd like to improve my 35mm scanning from the v500 I'm using

Option 1: V700/V750 - improve my 120 scanning while I'm at it

Option 2: Pakon F135 - fast, and does well with C41 - but I primarily shoot B&W and mounted slides

Option 3: Plustek 8200s are a bit expensive, maybe the Pacific Image 7200? Would like to scan more than one shot at a time

Option 4: Used something? Don't know what's out there and compatible with windows 8


Thanks!

 

[froyd]

Sounds like you need to come to grips with what's most important to you:
1. Flexibility
2. Ease of use and speed
3. Image quality

Also, are you planing to print from the scans? and if so at what size? The v700 and the Pakon cannot much past 8x10.

Also, what do you mean exactly by "improve my scanning"? If you are talking about digging into the nitty gritty, the Pakon gives you very limited room to fidget with settings. If you mean improve your life and reduce your scanning headaches, nothing comes close to the Pakon for speed and ease of use.

 

[rolfe]

The Pakon does traditional B&W just fine -- it does not do transparencies, mounted or otherwise.

 

[Bob Michaels]

So, I'd like to improve my 35mm scanning from the v500 I'm using
......
Option 4: Used something? Don't know what's out there and compatible with windows 8

If you use Vuescan, which many of us swear by, just about any scanner with a USB connection will work with Windows 8

There have been no breakthroughs in scanner technology since Digital Ice over ten years ago. That means scanner performance is still driven by quality of the optics, mechanical alignment, and quality of the electronic components. All of these increase production costs.

There are some older model dedicated 35mm film scanners, like the Minolta Scan Dual III or IV, and some of the early Nikon models that are available in the $200 price range that will be a substantial step up from any current production model flatbed.

 

[kingqueenknave]

I'd spend a $100-$200 more and buy a Nikon Coolscan V. Use VueScan.

 

[Lauffray]

I'd spend a $100-$200 more and buy a Nikon Coolscan V. Use VueScan.

I don't know where you're shopping but I don't see Coolscan V's going for 400$
That said, (excuse my ignorance) I can use VueScan on a modern OS with this hardware ? No cumbersome Windows XP setup required ?

 

[gavinlg]

The plusteks are very good. Limited DR on the top, but super sharp. Requires careful scanning to get the most DR but works well when you know what you're doing.

 

[Bob Michaels]

......
That said, (excuse my ignorance) I can use VueScan on a modern OS with this hardware ? No cumbersome Windows XP setup required ?

Vuescan operates well with just about any operating system, including Linux. It was originally designed as modular software so it is easy for the developer to adapt the O/S interface to any operating system as they are developed. Similarly, it is easy to adapt the interface to any new scanner as they are released. One of the beauties of Vuescan design is that the user interface remains consistent regardless of the operating system or scanner used.

 

[Lauffray]

The plusteks are very good. Limited DR on the top, but super sharp. Requires careful scanning to get the most DR but works well when you know what you're doing.

Which one do you use ? Are the later models (8100) any better in this regard ?

 

[Lauffray]

Vuescan operates well with just about any operating system, including Linux. It was originally designed as modular software so it is easy for the developer to adapt the O/S interface to any operating system as they are developed. Similarly, it is easy to adapt the interface to any new scanner as they are released. One of the beauties of Vuescan design is that the user interface remains consistent regardless of the operating system or scanner used.

Cool 😎

 

[ped]

I just got a used Minolta Dimage III for £60. Plug it in to Vuescan and hey presto. I used to have a plustek 7600 but I spent £300 on that and hated having to manually move the neg holder.

 

[yeknom02]

I just bought a Plustek 8100. I did not choose an 8200 because I shoot B&W almost exclusively and never use Infrared ICE.

My main scanner is an Epson Perfection V700, because it scans all formats I have, and it is very good at batch scanning 35mm film. The 8100 only scans one frame at a time, but I was able to get much better scans from it. I think this is mostly because the film holder does a much better job of holding the film completely flat, and the internal optics are probably specified to a better tolerance since they only have to deal with one frame size. (This last part is just a guess). Anyway, the reason I got it is I wanted a much higher quality scan for printing projects.

I would also like to know gavinlg's suggestions for getting better DR out of the scanner with Vuescan, just to make sure I'm executing my scanning properly.

Sure, I would have loved a Nikon Coolscan, but I only had a low budget for a second scanner, and so far (which is not all that far yet), I can tell that dedicated 35mm scanning is much better than flatbed.

 

[Bob Michaels]

I just got a used Minolta Dimage III for £60. Plug it in to Vuescan and hey presto. ......

I still occasionally print from scans made with my Minolta Scan Dual III some 10 years ago. They lack nothing. The only reason I ever sold that scanner was that I bought a Minolta MultiPro to scan 120 negs and did not need two film scanners.

 

[Lauffray]

The 8100 only scans one frame at a time, but I was able to get much better scans from it.

What do you mean, don't you feed it the roll or strip through the side ?

 

[ped]

What do you mean, don't you feed it the roll or strip through the side ?

You put in the neg carrier which takes strips of 6 frames and have to manually push it along to the next frame once the current one is done.

The Minolta has a motorised advance so it moves the carrier for you which is nice.

 

[Bob Michaels]

...... My main scanner is an Epson Perfection V700, because it scans all formats I have, and it is very good at batch scanning 35mm film. ......

I would also like to know gavinlg's suggestions for getting better DR out of the scanner with Vuescan, just to make sure I'm executing my scanning properly. ......

I have never batch scanned film, either 35mm or 120, in some 12-13 years. I always edit from the actual negs on a light table then only scan that 2-3% that I think I may use. That way I can devote my time to doing the best possible to the most important negs.

Dynamic range is limited by the scanner's physical optics and electronics. It is hard to envision any scan driver software that was so bad that it would be a limiting factor.

 

[Lauffray]

You put in the neg carrier which takes strips of 6 frames and have to manually push it along to the next frame once the current one is done.

Brilliant. Do any of the earlier (read: cheaper) Nikons have a motorized advance ?

 

[burancap]

Brilliant. Do any of the earlier (read: cheaper) Nikons have a motorized advance ?

I bought a well-priced Coolscan IV with the feeder.

 

[gavinlg]

Which one do you use ? Are the later models (8100) any better in this regard ?

I have an 8100. The epson is slightly better for DR (i feel) but the plustek is better overall. You can still regain quite a lot of DR if you scan to TIF and import into lightroom/photoshop and use the shadow/highlight recovery tool.

I just bought a Plustek 8100. I did not choose an 8200 because I shoot B&W almost exclusively and never use Infrared ICE.

My main scanner is an Epson Perfection V700, because it scans all formats I have, and it is very good at batch scanning 35mm film. The 8100 only scans one frame at a time, but I was able to get much better scans from it. I think this is mostly because the film holder does a much better job of holding the film completely flat, and the internal optics are probably specified to a better tolerance since they only have to deal with one frame size. (This last part is just a guess). Anyway, the reason I got it is I wanted a much higher quality scan for printing projects.

I would also like to know gavinlg's suggestions for getting better DR out of the scanner with Vuescan, just to make sure I'm executing my scanning properly.

Sure, I would have loved a Nikon Coolscan, but I only had a low budget for a second scanner, and so far (which is not all that far yet), I can tell that dedicated 35mm scanning is much better than flatbed.

Just try and scan the files a little flat, scan them in TIFF, and make final adjustments in a good editing program like lightoom, C1 or photoshop.

 

[yeknom02]

I have never batch scanned film, either 35mm or 120, in some 12-13 years. I always edit from the actual negs on a light table then only scan that 2-3% that I think I may use. That way I can devote my time to doing the best possible to the most important negs.

I'd like to be able to work that way, but since the image is so small, I can't make informed decisions on a light table. And even if I'm making contact prints, sometimes I miss something. Batch scanning tells me if I missed focus too much or something like that. Fortunately, it's something I can set up before I do something else, like cooking or working on some other project.