High quality dedicated 35mm scanner for Linux?

[furbs]

I'm using a V700 for medium format, which doesn't knock my socks off but it's passable. The 35mm scans are just bad, and I've heard that dedicated 35mm scanners are much more cost-efficient.

I am looking for a USB scanner that works on my Linux computer running Vuescan. Let's say around $600 USD. I don't need to make insane prints but I would like to see what my M4 is capable of, something better than the blurry, thin scans I'm getting with the V700. The Plustek 8200i looks good but does not work with Vuescan running on Linux. Any alternatives? Or is it just smarter to go back to optical printing and scanning prints with the V700?

I'll also add that I don't need a scanner that's particularly fast or does batch scanning.

 

[sebastel]

i use a nikon LS-50 with vuescan.
quite happy with the results.

 

[furbs]

i use a nikon LS-50 with vuescan.
quite happy with the results.

Does the LS-50/Coolscan V do sharp scans at 4000 dpi? The Epson might say 6400 dpi, but sharp scans top out much lower than that...if so, it does look like a good option.

 

[clayne]

I think the only real differences over the years between the various 135 format Coolscans is mainly bit-depth, maximum DPI, and scanning speed.

If the Coolscan V isn't 16-bit, it's definitely atleast 12-bit. Actually, from looking at the specs, it has a 14-bit A/D and 4000 dpi. I'm sure the LS-5000 is the same scanner with only minor improvements (16-bit). Filesize will be the same in all cases (with the remaining bits just truncated to 0).

 

[thegman]

I'm using a V700 for medium format, which doesn't knock my socks off but it's passable. The 35mm scans are just bad, and I've heard that dedicated 35mm scanners are much more cost-efficient.

I am looking for a USB scanner that works on my Linux computer running Vuescan. Let's say around $600 USD. I don't need to make insane prints but I would like to see what my M4 is capable of, something better than the blurry, thin scans I'm getting with the V700. The Plustek 8200i looks good but does not work with Vuescan running on Linux. Any alternatives? Or is it just smarter to go back to optical printing and scanning prints with the V700?

I'll also add that I don't need a scanner that's particularly fast or does batch scanning.

If you're already a Vuescan user, maybe email Hamrick and see what they can recommend for you. They'll be able to tell you right away what will work on Linux and what will not.

 

[furbs]

If you're already a Vuescan user, maybe email Hamrick and see what they can recommend for you. They'll be able to tell you right away what will work on Linux and what will not.

Thanks; I looked at Hamrick's FAQs, and sure enough, he suggests just about any Nikon scanner for 35mm film. Good compatibility with Vuescan as well. I'm hoping that the resolution for a Coolscan V is better than my flatbed.

 

[clayne]

4kdpi and dedicated film scanning. Absolutely better. The results will be immediately noticeable. The worst part is you'll probably want to rescan everything.

 

[citizen99]

A slightly 'sideways' suggestion 😉 ; I run on Linux, sometimes using Vuescan directly with it, but more often prefer to run the scanner supplier's Windows s/w (Canon in my case). If you have a Windows disk (e.g XP as in my case) you can install it in a virtual machine in a (free) VirtualBox system. On a big-ish screen on the linux sytem, I find that the virtual machine window is useably large for the job. It can run Canoscan, Photostudio, 'Win'-Vuescan, Silverfast, Photoshop Elements... spring to mind for me.

Just saying, as it may increase the choice of scanner available to you 🙂.

 

[Godfrey]

Thanks; I looked at Hamrick's FAQs, and sure enough, he suggests just about any Nikon scanner for 35mm film. Good compatibility with Vuescan as well. I'm hoping that the resolution for a Coolscan V is better than my flatbed.

I had the V700 for a bit. It did a good job with 120 and a decent job with 35mm, but could never equal the quality of a Nikon Coolscan IV (2900 ppi optical), never mind the Coolscan V (4000 ppi optical) or Super Coolscan 9000 (4000 ppi optical). The best I was ever able to get out of the V700 was about 2600 ppi, measured with an interferometer, regardless of the resolution settings I tried beyond that. (Certainly better than my old Epson 2450, which seems to top out at about 1600 ppi with the same test.)

The Nikon film scanners are right on their optical rating for resolution, measured with the same reference test. The Coolscan V improves on the Coolscan IV by not only having higher resolution and dmax, but by improvements in the optical system which net greater DoF—film curvature is often a bit of a problem with the IV, and isn't with the V unless the film curvature is extreme.

They're also amongst the best made, most consistent, and most durable film scanners produced at reasonable consumer prices. To get significantly more quality means going to a Flextight or beyond, at double to triple the money.

G

 

[Peter_wrote:]

If you have a Windows disk (e.g XP as in my case) you can install it in a virtual machine in a (free) VirtualBox system.
Just saying, as it may increase the choice of scanner available to you 🙂.

that would be my advice, too.

On a big-ish screen on the linux sytem, I find that the virtual machine window is useably large for the job.

do you have the guest-additions installed? with them you can set the virtual screen to any resolution you want. even full-screen.
edit: sry, i think, you have them installed anyways. otherwise vbox couldn't access usb devices like scanners.

 

[colyn]

I get excellent quality scans with my v750 in Linux. I never do editing from the scanner. Instead I use Gimp, DigiKam, and Darktable for all my editing..

 

[citizen99]

... the [virtualBox] guest-additions installed ... with them you can set the virtual screen to any resolution you want. even full-screen.

Thanks, good point 🙂. When scanning,I often like to have other windows open on the same desktop, but I do use Photoshop at full screen.

 

[furbs]

Thanks for the Virtualbox suggestion, but I don't have a Windows disk and am not all that interested in buying one. I do like how easy it is to edit my Vuescan scans in darktable, and I figure I might as well use Vuescan since it works well and I've put the time into learning it.

The Nikons may be a bit pricey, but I guess you get what you pay for. I'm looking forward to finally getting the kinks out of my workflow so I can just shoot!

 

[kanzlr]

one thing to keep in mind is that you will most likely work in a color proofed workflow and thus should also think about how you will calibrate your screen and how you can profile your printer.

 

[sevo]

If you have a Windows disk (e.g XP as in my case) you can install it in a virtual machine in a (free) VirtualBox system. (...)
Just saying, as it may increase the choice of scanner available to you 🙂.

I don't know about VirtualBox, but I have and do use VMware and Windows VirtualPC, and going by my experience with these, virtualization usually will not help to access extra hardware under Linux, unless it is a high level application rather than a low level driver problem. The generic low level drivers supported by virtualization hosts appear to be very similar to or even the same as the cross-brand standard conforming native SCSI/FW/USB drivers that enable the majority of scanners to use Linux Vuescan.

So that probably will not help. But in serious cases of desperation it could be an option to run native Windows (preferably 7 or 8, these virtualize much better than XP or Vista) to scan with, with Linux in a virtual session.

 

[Sejanus.Aelianus]

But in serious cases of desperation it could be an option to run native Windows (preferably 7 or 8, these virtualize much better than XP or Vista)

I found that 8 was not at all happy to install in a VMWare Fusion machine. 7 works very well.

 

[mike rosenlof]

I use a Minolta Scan Dual IV with VueScan and Linux. No extra device software required. I had to add a local UDEV rule for the scanner to be able to access the scanner.

It's not real high-end quality, but works well. I think it's something like 3200 DPI. 35mm only (well... APS also for you library of that).

 

[teleparallel]

I use a Windows XP with VirtualBox under linux. VirtualBox let's windows access my scanner, and I use epson software. Works flawlessly. VueScan should work also really well. VirtualBox is more Linux oriented, and it's free initiative.

 

[citizen99]

I don't know about VirtualBox, but I have and do use VMware and Windows VirtualPC, and going by my experience with these, virtualization usually will not help to access extra hardware under Linux, unless it is a high level application rather than a low level driver problem. The generic low level drivers supported by virtualization hosts appear to be very similar to or even the same as the cross-brand standard conforming native SCSI/FW/USB drivers that enable the majority of scanners to use Linux Vuescan. ...

Interesting point. My Canon scanner is perhaps more straightforward than e.g. some Epson models, as it does not require the invocation of a binary file (I have seen these referred to as a 'blob' 😉) which is obtained either from the Epson windows CD, or by download from the epkowa website, or (presumably) provided as part of VueScan. But I would have thought that the USB bridging interface provided by the VirtualBox 'PC' from the (genuine, not like Wine or Crossover Office) Windows OS to the host sytem is 'transparent' for this. However I don't now have such an Epson scanner to test this experimentally.

EDIT: just seen teleparallel's post above

I use a Windows XP with VirtualBox under linux. VirtualBox let's windows access my scanner, and I use epson software. Works flawlessly. VueScan should work also really well. VirtualBox is more Linux oriented, and it's free initiative.

Just for the record, the Epson model that I had, and which used the binary file, was the Perfection 3490. In those days I just used libsane, not virtualisation 😉

 

[Peter_wrote:]

i don't want to go into deep now, because the threadstarter is looking for something else anyway. just for all the others, who read that thread looking for informations...

Linux + VirtualBox + some kind of Windows and GuestAdditions installed can handle everything nowadays. to be more specific: as furbs was mentioning the Plustek Opticfilm 8200i. i use the Plustek Opticfilm 7400 (which is quite the same) with linux and xp in vbox without any problem.