First filmscanner

[gholen]

So I've decided to buy a film scanner. A flatbed is the way to go, since I scan a lot of documents too, and now the question is;
Witch one?

I've been looking at the Epson V500 and V600, and also the Canon F9000.

My demands are as follows.
35mm scan (both slides and negatives)
6x6 scan (and also any other variables to this specific film)
Be able to scan documents to PDF.

I do most of my shooting with B/W, but more and more in color (it's really amazing how good negs one can get from a decent lab and a Zorki 1B).

Cons and pros please!
My budget is around 250-300 euro, but rather not that much.


🙄

 

[TareqPhoto]

Go with V600, and if you can squeeze a bit more and save a bit more then you can get V700 or even V750, i have the latter and i never look back at any another cheaper flatbed scanners, only i look forward to better scanner like Nikon or a drum scanner.

 

[PCStudio]

for scanning film----------- buy a FILM SCANNER
flatbed scanner to scan a paper
or to scan rollfilm or sheet film if you do not have a money for drum scanner
very simple

 

[LKeithR]

for scanning film----------- buy a FILM SCANNER
flatbed scanner to scan a paper
or to scan rollfilm or sheet film if you do not have a money for drum scanner
very simple

Every time scanners are discussed someone makes this comment. Yes, dedicated film scanners are "better" than flatbeds but not by so much that the "average" person will notice the difference. If you plan to print very large and want maximum detail then buy the very best film scanner you can afford. If you're scanning for casual printing and web posting a flatbed will be just fine to start. For that matter, for what the used Coolscans sell for now you could buy yourself a very nice FF digital camera and avoid all the hassles of film and scanning altogether.

I don't scan a lot of film but my V750 does a pretty good job on what I do. Before I bought it I thought briefly about a dedicated film scanner but I wanted to be able to scan a bunch of old prints that my father and grandfather made so a flatbed was my only choice--I certainly couldn't afford one of each. I know my scans could be better but I really think the limitation right now is me and the software I use. I'm only utilizing a small part of Silverfast right now. When I've maxed out my understanding of the program I will probably find I could get better scans with a dedicated scanner but right now I'm pretty sure the limitation is me, not the hardware...

 

[Colin Corneau]

Go with V600, and if you can squeeze a bit more and save a bit more then you can get V700 or even V750, i have the latter and i never look back at any another cheaper flatbed scanners, only i look forward to better scanner like Nikon or a drum scanner.

+1...if you have to go with a flatbed.

 

[gholen]

When I didn't get my hand on that much cash, I've got a good deal on a Canon 8800F, so that will have to do for now.

Any tips for that scanner?

 

[Mablo]

When I didn't get my hand on that much cash, I've got a good deal on a Canon 8800F, so that will have to do for now.

Any tips for that scanner?

I've had the 8800f for a couple of years. It's okay for medium format especially if you use betterscanning.com neg holders. I tried to scan 35mm negs with it too. It's satisfactory for posting to a website but not more than that.

This is a typical medium format scan with 8800f. Some curves applied.

 

[PCStudio]

to Mablo :

here is downsized B&W image with low quality
May I see 100% crop from FULL SCAN ?
So we can talk about it
Thanks

 

[PCStudio]

Ev. dedicated film scanners are "better" than flatbeds but not by so much
Are you kidding ?

 

[tomnrides]

Quality aside, speaking only for 35mm, putting in a whole 36 exposure and coming back to it later cannot be beat, unless you do not mind sitting there entire time. Starting with something very cheap flatbed to find out if this the thing you want to spend time, before real money leaves you.

 

[PCStudio]

Re; Tom Rides
Agree . Just It could be done even on less expensive flatbed scanners - let's say Canoscan 8800 for $ 200 only .

 

[damien.murphy]

A flatbed would seem to be best for your needs, just don't expect anything better than web quality 35mm scans or just about enough quality for a 6x4. The Epson V700/750 are supposed to be a bit better, but not substantially.

If you're scanning colour, be sure to ensure the scanner you choose has digital ICE (or equivalent) to deal with dust & scratches on colour negs.

For what it's worth, I have a Canon 8800F flatbed, which gives me decent 1200 dpi film scans, giving me something like 1800x1200 pixels from a 35mm negative.