Film scanner recommendations

colyn

colyn

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I am looking to buy a good film scanner that is capable of scanning 6x6, 6x9, and possibly 4x5.
I have a 35mm film scanner but if the above will also include 35 I could sell this one and apply the funds to the new one.
Any recommendations?? :D
 
Not that I've used it (I'm looking for a scanner to, but for 35mm), but the Epson V700/V750 scanners seem pretty nice. Since they are (almost) in the race for 35mm scanners, but ultimately lose to the Nikon film scanners, I think they are a pretty good buy for medium format.

I'm sure others will pipe in with their comments.
 
I have only just started using my Minolta Multi Scan Pro and am very pleased with the results. Prior to that I used a Canon 9900F Flatbed which wasn't even close quality wise, especially dynamic range.

With the Scan Pro, I scan in 16bit colour positive then invert and desaturate in PS. 2600 dpi for 35mmm and 120mm. Lots of detail and lots of resolution. But is does pick up all the grain. But I expect that - HP5 @ 400 asa.

Certainly my 6 x 4.5 stuff scans better. But the key seems to be with scanning that the better the neg, the better the scan. So take care with exposure and developing.

Dynamic range is excellent if you scan as positive.

http://johnmcd.zenfolio.com/img/p663743961.jpg

100% crop 35mm HP5 @ 400asa

http://johnmcd.zenfolio.com/img/p627801395.jpg

full picture - resize

Cheers,

John
 
The Epson V750 is a very capable scanner - i've been working on mine for the last 3 weeks scanning a lot of b/w 120 archive negs and a few rolls of b/w 35mm. I think the third party MF film holder would be much better than the supplied epson film holders as it will hold the film's flatte rna dhas an adjustable base to ensure maximum sharpness. I use the 35mm Nikon Coolscan 5000 back in Bangkok and have had excellent results using Vuescan. Using Silverfast Ai with no sharpening on the V750 provide scans which although appeared quite soft sharpened up very nicely ( the film was tx 400) in CS2 and that's with the Epson film holders. On my return to the UK in a few months i will invest in one of Doug's MF film holders. Silverfast Ai was very good with the b/w films and i'm considering gettting it for my Nikon as the tonal control at the initial scanning stage is very subtle.
 
I have the V700 for almost a month now; it is a quite good scanner. I don't think it is the limiting factor in the sharpness of my shots - maybe on a very slow slide with small aperture and a tripod, but in normal shooting conditions the sharpness of the scanned frames is more limited by the sharpness of the original. As to dynamic range - well, it's quite impressive. Sure it is not as good as a dedicated film scanner, but above some level i probably can't see the difference anyway.

The film holders ARE flimsy. The 35mm one does its job well but the medium format holders are ****ty. I'll probably have to get a Doug Fisher device, although it's not too cheap. However unless i scan really hi-rez, the film curvature is no problem, the lens(es) in the epson have quite some DOF.
 
My Epson 4990 does very well with medium format but is not quite up to par when it comes to 35mm.
 
I have an old, cheap (these days) Epson 2450 that is admirable in scanning my 6x4.5 and 6x6 chromes. I have, over the years, tweaked it with the Silverfast software and a Photoshop workflow, that gives me very nice output. I have made prints to 20x30 with excellent results.

Granted, the image quality of the chrome itself needs to be spot on in order to make the best scans. So....when I scan a "good" one, it's unusually satisfying.

I sometimes scan 35mm chromes, but they don't have the pizazz of the larger chromes in the scanning process.

So...if you want to at least "get in there" cheap, you might consider the older Epson 2450 to get your feet wet and to develop techniques. With patience, you'll be pleasantly surprised.
 
How much are those going for these days? I don't think I want to give up a dedicated 35mm scanner, but since I'll be shooting 6x6 and possibly even 4x5 soon, I'd like to have the option of scanning.
 
Stephanie, I saw one for $90 locally. Looking at the auction site, I see completed listings winning at $107, $130, and $112.

I bought mine for $399 about five years ago. My intention was to upgrade later, but I'm quite satisfied. I did spring for the non-Epson holders which run about $30, and that REALLY tweaked things to a higher quality.

It's a lot of fun to me, and I love those big digital files that result. You can really work with them in Photoshop and have a lot of pixels to fool around with.

Everybody has an opinion of course, but for my modest needs, it's more than I could have anticipated in quality from a flatbed.
 
I'm interested in the Epson 4870 as well. It can do two 4x5 transparencies and seems to be relatively reasonably priced...kinda. Slightly over what I wanted to pay, though.
 
An addendum to my post above: if you are anticipating scanning 6x6 and 4x5, I think you will be hitting the "sweet spot" with the scanner.

Those larger chromes and negs are where this type of scanner will be at its best, because there is simply a lot of rich color and resolution inherent in the big chromes.

I've scanned about a dozen 4x5s for a few friends over the last several years and the result is stunning (to me). A full rez scan makes a file that will possibly choke your computer, but you really don't need to make a full rez scan on those biggies.

The 4870 is supposedly a step up from the 2450, but I haven't seen any difference between the scans from that model and the lesser 2450 model. That's only my "eyes" of course, but I was able to compare pretty closely and couldn't see a difference.
 
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If anyone on this thread wants a sample scan from the old 2450, just shoot me an email and I'll give you my address to send a chrome my way. Just pick a "throwaway" chrome, and I'll scan it and send the results back to you. That's what this forum exists for...to allow us to compare notes. The "proof" is in the pudding, so that what you see is what you would get.
 
I'm still racking my brains what to do for scanning my XPan - I have the option of a CoolScan 5000 w/ roll adaptor - and would be hapyp to stitch - but the question is - will the scanner handle it?

Has anyone here had hands on w/ the 5000?
 
I used Epson 2450, 3200 and now 4990. These scanners are better for 120 film then 35 mm scans. I like them all
 
There's a $50 rebate on the 4490, bringing the refurbed unit to $123, with free shiping in the US. I read the rebate form.. and not 100% sure you would get the rebate. It says, "Used and electronic auction products are not eligible." Refurbed units are used, but.. they are refurbs. I might take the chance here since I have two dozen rolls from my iskra sitting here, waiting to be scanned! :p
 
The Epson Perfection 4990 Photo looks good. It is also capable of doing 8x10 which means I could bring my old 8x10 out of moth balls. :)

Anybody have any experience with this scanner??
 
patrickjames said:
Any scanner that you choose these days can produce a good scan, the trick is that you have to learn how to use the scanner. Most bad scans are due to operator error.
Click to expand...

I couldn't agree more.
I used to scan slides with an old Mustek flat bed (don't remember the model) with the neg/slide attachment and get very good results.
 
I have been looking at a new scanner lately but have a question that no one seems willing to answer. I have an old Acer 620P I use a lot since it can de-screen old pictures [85dpi for newspaper, 133 for magazine, and 175 for art magazines]. I want any new scanner to do the same. None seem to list this but I am told that Epson can tell how to do it with an addin to the soft ware. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
johne
 
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