I really don't know which scanner to get

[Dwayneb9584]

Hey all,

So I'm getting a scanner today or tomorrow from Adorama here in NYC. I've been doing research and i'm tied between the Plustek 7400 or 7600i se. Can anyone help me out with this? I shoot mainly B&W but may be using some color film around spring/summer for some projects I have lined up. the 7400 is over $100.00 cheaper but at the same time I don't want to regret anything. Does having the Auto Dust/Scratch removal come in handy?

 

[dfoo]

Dust removal doesn't work with real silver B&W films.

 

[Dwayneb9584]

I see so I'd be wasting my money on the 7600i SE if I mainly shoot just B&W?

 

[dogberryjr]

Dust removal doesn't work with real silver B&W films.

Why is that? I've been wondering about this.

 

[Dwayneb9584]

Can someone elaborate more on this matter. I just want to if anyone using these two scanners for B&W film or color, which one would the prefer or rather buy.

 

[thegman]

I understand that the IR light is reflected right off the silver in the film, whereas with C41 or E6, the film does not contain silver, but instead has dyes, which don't reflect the IR light. That's how I understand it anyway.

 

[Roger Hicks]

I understand that the IR light is reflected right off the silver in the film, whereas with C41 or E6, the film does not contain silver, but instead has dyes, which don't reflect the IR light. That's how I understand it anyway.

Basically, that's what I understand too.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Dwayneb9584]

Hmmm, So manually cleaning the B&W film should work fine as far as scratches go for the 7400. Would I have to less cleaning if I were to get the 7600i

 

[bwcolor]

Don't save money. Save yourself the grief of having to buy another scanner because you saved money in the first place. This is an easy one. Once you get the scanner, download the trial version of Vuescan.

 

[dogberryjr]

Thanks!

/Sorry for the minor threadjack.

 

[Dwayneb9584]

Yea I think it might be best to go with the 7600i

 

[dfoo]

For 35mm if you want a good scanner get an CS 5000.

 

[mervynyan]

When the budget allows, you can go upscale. Plustek is a value buy. Can't see others making upgrade to scanner. Epson vs Plustek is merely a choice of film format.

 

[bobby_novatron]

FWIW, here's a link to a review of the 7600i ... the author compares it to the Nikon 9000ED and the Epson v750.

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/scanners/plustek.shtml

If you download the .pdf file, you will find the actual comparison + test scans.

I read it quickly and deduced the following:

1. The Nikon is still awesome, and beats the other two scanners. It has the best 'sharpness' and detail rendering.
2. The Epson v750 does hold up extremely well, although it seems better suited for medium format. The flatbed design means a trade off: you get better versatility (35mm, 120, 4x5, and document scans etc.) for slightly reduced sharpness. BTW, I own the v700 and for my purposes (hobbyist) it works great.
3. The Plustek is good value for what you get ... IF you only need to work with 35mm and don't mind the slightly slow workflow. The Nikon is faster to use, and the v750 can batch scan up to 24 frames. The Plustek only does 1 frame at a time.

 

[literiter]

Get the 7600i first. Then, if need be for the larger formats, the V750, later.

The V750 is great, but not really as good as the 7600i for 35mm stuff.

 

[Dwayneb9584]

Thanks everyone, I stopped by Adorama earlier to pick up the 7600i SE scanner. I purchased it at $319.00. I'm really excited about it and can't wait to scan some film tonight or tomorrow. I will post the results once I scan them. I have a question for the software, I realized lots of people have their own opinions on Silver fast and Vue Scan. Whats the best program to use with this scanner to get the best out of it.

 

[bwcolor]

Use what comes with it then download trials of other software. Make up your own mind. I like Vuescan.. others differ. Spend money after you like the product.

 

[raid]

Thanks for the thread with the discussions.

 

[Zonan]

Polaroid Dust and Scratch Removal tool, available for Mac or PC thru the 2009-dated links here (http://alphatracks.com/archives/134) to the waybackmachine, can work with silver-based black and white. A Polaroid product which is still available and doesn't need refrigeration 🙂 Some like it, some don't, but might be worth a try. YMMV.