MF scanning questions..

[jano]

Okay, so I've been having fun shooting MF c41 and b&w over the last week. Those large negs are something else 😀 Plan to try e6 soon, too.

I had these negs, looking at them.. and was, well, CONFUSED. 😛

I have a 35mm film scanner, but discovered 120 doesn't fit.

Read all about the various scanners.. choices ranging from flatbeds at $80 epson, to mid range around $200 to upper range $500. Then there are the canons. Then the dedicated stuff shoots up log to $2k, with even higher quality to $5k and up. Phew.

Exhaustive research.. proves no decision.

I put the negs on my light table and took a picture of them with my canon digital rebel.

"good enough" for web viewing. Certainly quicker than any scan I've done. Printing.. on the other hand.. no. Not very good beyond 4"x4".

So what to do? I've read the reviews. I've read everyone's opinions. I'm just wasting your time. 😛

😀 😛 :bang:

 

[kaiyen]

Jano - it depends entirely on what you do, and what your budget is.

My first response is, if budget is an issue, just get the $80 Epson 3170 refurb from epson.com, and Vuescan from hamricksoftware.com. That's about $170 total, and you got a great system for black and white and color.

If you tell me what you're looking for, what your budget is, and what you want to do with the images, then I'll be more than happy to be very opinionated 🙂

allan

 

[photodog]

I was asking the same question yesterday. Solution: buy a refurbished Epson 3170 from the Epson online store.

 

[jano]

Photodog.. yes, I read through it 🙂

Allan, thanks:

Budget is a weird question for me. I wish to skip it for now. I budget about as well as a housewife in a shopping mall with a credit card.

What I'm looking for? Something to put to web and something to be able to print to larger sizes (doubt I go larger than 16x20).

I have the nikon cs V.. under ideal circumstances, the euqipment purchased could replace the 35mm scanner (I need desk space and would like to fund purchase of MF capable scanner with it).. but I don't think the flatbeds will come close to the dedicated quality (or will they?) of the cs v. I typically don't print larger than 8x12 wtih 35mm, although I've been able to get a couple nice 11x14's and even oneoccasional 16x20 with the cs v. I don't really print large very often, but my local camera club requires prints mounted to 11x14, so I'd like to take advantage of the quality available from MF for that!

Hope that help... 😱

 

[aad]

I'm finishing an exhaustive scanner comparison (literally-I'm exhausted!) and I can tell you an Epson 4490 will be just fine for MF.

 

[kaiyen]

Well, if you want one to handle both 35mm and 120, then your only real choice is the Nikon 9000 (or 8000 if you're willing to go used). But that's like $1800.

I have taken a 120 slide scanned at 3200 dpi on an Epson 3200 (same scan engine as 3170, though slightly different electronics) and printed it at 3'x4' (yes, feet). It looks astounding. We have it hanging on the wall in our main lab as a demo of what our Epson 9600 can do, and people have offered to buy it.

The general consensus is that scanning 120 on a good flatbed (incl. the 3170) is the equivalent to scanning 35mm on a dedicated 35mm scanner in terms of sharpness and detail. Then it's up to what kind of image it is to see whether it can go that big.

allan

 

[jano]

The general consensus is that scanning 120 on a good flatbed (incl. the 3170) is the equivalent to scanning 35mm on a dedicated 35mm scanner in terms of sharpness and detail. Then it's up to what kind of image it is to see whether it can go that big.

Thank you!

Do you have a snapshot of the print hanging in your lab I could see? 😀

 

[kaiyen]

You want a picture of the print? The image is here at:

http://www.pbase.com/romosoho/image/29154014/medium

I can take a picture if you want, but you really need to see it. It's just a short 6 hour drive from LA 🙂

 

[photodog]

In case anyone out there is looking for a scanner, Amazon is selling a new Epson 3490 for under $100.

 

[xichlo]

Epson 3490 doens't support MF film , does it .

 

[Andrew Touchon]

I have a Canon 9950F and I think it does an excellent job scanning MF.

 

[kaiyen]

No, it does not.

I really don't think you can beat the 3170 for that price. I'm probably going to get the 4490, but only because there is a $50 rebate and I got $100 in christmas and chinese new year presents. Otherwise I'd get the 3170.

allan

 

[Todd.Hanz]

Jano,
I've been using an old Epson 2450 flatbed for all my 120 negs and get great results. I'm sure the 3170-4990 would do better. I have printed up to 11x14 on my Epson 2200 with outstanding results. Dedicated medium format scanners will of course do a far better job but are cost prohibitive for me.
I'm thinking of getting a 4990 because they are supposed to be that much better so we'll see.

Good luck and keep us posted,
Todd

 

[hth]

I looked into this issue a lot on various web sites before I took the plunge into MF and decided on a Minolta Scan Multi II pro. That was as far as I could stretch. I have not regretted it, the only downside is that it kind of slow when scanning, even 35mm is way slow.

If you think it is expensive, look at prices for DSLRs for a while (mid range) and then come back and look at it again.

Also realize that a reasonable good MF film scanner is not a product for the mass market. They will never get cheap before they are or film are more or less obsolete.

/Håkan

 

[photodog]

I was wrong about the 3490

I was wrong about the 3490

No, it does not.

I really don't think you can beat the 3170 for that price. I'm probably going to get the 4490, but only because there is a $50 rebate and I got $100 in christmas and chinese new year presents. Otherwise I'd get the 3170.

allan

Kaiyen is correct. I was getting a case of buyers remorse after ordering the 3170 yesterday.

 

[f/stopblues]

I assume that the 3170 can do 4x5 also, since it fits on the bed? The bed is about 8.5x11 inches or something, right?

 

[kaiyen]

No, the 3170 only does MF. it's not the size of the bed, but the size of the transparency unit in the lid. On the 3170 it's 2.6" x 9". So you could do...about 4 frames of 6x6.

The 3200 has a 4" x 9" TPU, so it can do 4x5.

If you want to go bigger, you gotta get the 4990, which can do a full 8x10.

allan

 

[Ukko Heikkinen]

Hello

Please see



http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13955


Ukko Heikkinen

 

[GeneW]

I'm thinking of getting a 4990 because they are supposed to be that much better so we'll see.

Todd, I'm also using a 2450 for MF and agree that it's quite decent. If you move up to a 4990, let us know how much difference you find. If it's substantial, I may upgrade.

Gene

 

[XAos]

My 3170 came today - and I like it. It definately 'fixed' some of the flatness of some of my diafine scans I was complaining about. I was getting scans that came out with histograms looking like ice picks, and now I get a much nicer more natural 'spectrum'.