New Plustek 7600i-Ai Film Scanner Review

[jazzwave]

I'm not happy with flatbed and thinking to have dedicated film scan.Coolscan too expensive for me and not easy to find.

Just visited amazon, the price of 7600I SE;$329.99 , 7600I Ai ;$418 , $7400;$243.

Is there any image result comparison among those scanners? ...need very good reason to buy the Ai..🙂
I shot color and BW....

~ronni~

 

[Corto]

+1 for the 120
Until then, there's no reason for me to consider it.

Yep, Me too.

 

[menos]

Ronni, the difference between both 7600I scanners is only in the Silverfast software version, bundled with the scanner (and a IT8 target for color management bundled in the more expensive version).

You decide, which version you need.

If you are a black and white film shooter, preferring to use Vuescan, go for the less expensive version.
If you like Silverfast and need good color for your color slides, you might want the more expensive Ai version.

 

[mdruziak]

I'm not happy with flatbed and thinking to have dedicated film scan.Coolscan too expensive for me and not easy to find.

Just visited amazon, the price of 7600I SE;$329.99 , 7600I Ai ;$418 , $7400;$243.

Is there any image result comparison among those scanners? ...need very good reason to buy the Ai..🙂
I shot color and BW....

~ronni~

What flatbed are you using now?

The hardware is identical between the 7600i models. The difference is that the SE comes with Silverfast SE Plus and Ai comes with Ai Studio. Exact differences are here: http://www.silverfast.com/comparison/scanner/en.html

As far as image quality goes, it will really depend on the person operating the software. If you are really comfortable with programs like Photoshop or GIMP, you should be able figure out the Ai version. On the other hand if you are looking for an easier way to scan, the SE version is probably the way to go.

Also, shop around. There are better prices available for the next few days.

 

[jazzwave]

I'm using the cheap Epson V300, the result so flat. I need more effort in post processing (Photoshop) to make the image more "live".
Mostly I shoot in BW (TMAX) but now starting love Ektar 100 , I need a scanner that can handle BW and color.


Noted, that 7600i SE and 7600i Ai is simmiiliar hardware , same sensor and optic. What make different between those models is software package.

So if I'm buying 7600i SE now, and later I buy software Silverfast Ai....my 7600i SE become 7600i Ai...(?)

 

[mdruziak]

I'm using the cheap Epson V300, the result so flat. I need more effort in post processing (Photoshop) to make the image more "live".
Mostly I shoot in BW (TMAX) but now starting love Ektar 100 , I need a scanner that can handle BW and color.


Noted, that 7600i SE and 7600i Ai is simmiiliar hardware , same sensor and optic. What make different between those models is software package.

So if I'm buying 7600i SE now, and later I buy software Silverfast Ai....my 7600i SE become 7600i Ai...(?)

Yes you can upgrade to Ai later, but if you look at the price difference between the upgrade and purchase price of the Ai, it may make more sense to buy the Ai now. Many US on-line sites are selling the Ai for $100 off until the end of the year.

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

Yes, Scans are Flat

Yes, Scans are Flat

I'm using the cheap Epson V300, the result so flat. I need more effort in post processing (Photoshop) to make the image more "live".

In my experience, even with an excellent scanner, you will generally get scans that initially look flat. They need some simple curves adjustment, noise reduction, and sharpening. With color, usually I want to make some color adjustment. Take a look at Chris Crawford's tech pages, for example, this page. (Thanks, Chris!)

 

[huddy]

I for one would be glad to get a 120/135 capable scanner. I currently shoot digital and 135 as I can share the same lenses, but I am planning to sell a lens or two to fund a 120 body. I almost bought a 7600 when they were $299 on amazon, but am holding out with the hopes of getting a unit that will do 120 film. I don't want to purchase a second scanner after a year.

For $1000 or less, I'd like to see 120/135 capability and performance that at least matches the 7600. I would normally settle for just a 120 scanner, but only if I can get a dedicated 120 and 135 units for the same or less $$$ than a 120/135 combo unit.

 

[danielmk2]

I have to say that this scanner is awesome. Nearly all my 35mm are scanned by 7600i, here are many B/Ws I scanned http://gsen.wordpress.com/. The only thing I have to take care is some noise when scanning negatives, still it's acceptable but just not so amazing as a VED when handling negative.

 

[mdruziak]

I have to say that this scanner is awesome. Nearly all my 35mm are scanned by 7600i, here are many B/Ws I scanned http://gsen.wordpress.com/. The only thing I have to take care is some noise when scanning negatives, still it's acceptable but just not so amazing as a VED when handling negative.

Excellent! I'm glad it is working out for you!

Mark... From Plustek

 

[Rangeman133]

hello,

i'm using the ai version with 7600i, and the service has been brilliant. i called the germany office (i think) about the update from 6.6, and they were very friendly, and they managed to instantly send me an update serial number.

was wondering what other owners make of negafix. is it something that you always look, and if so...does it do a good job with whatever film you're using? i might be mistaken, but i believe that negafix is only available in the ai version? or is it also in the se version?

 

[mdruziak]

hello,

i'm using the ai version with 7600i, and the service has been brilliant. i called the germany office (i think) about the update from 6.6, and they were very friendly, and they managed to instantly send me an update serial number.

was wondering what other owners make of negafix. is it something that you always look, and if so...does it do a good job with whatever film you're using? i might be mistaken, but i believe that negafix is only available in the ai version? or is it also in the se version?

Yeah our German office is really great. They have a ton of experience with film scanners!

 

[Stefan Wood]

Negafix is in the SE version.

I have had the issues with scanning in OS X Lion, with the muddy scans at times, perfect in others. Raised the issue with both Silverfast and Plustek -- Plustek sent me a beta driver to use, and Silverfast mentioned that with the OS architecture change, that there was something in the software that needed to be changed.

 

[goo0h]

ya, it is available now, but need additional fee to get it.

Suckers like me who upgraded to Lion and stuck with unusable SilverFast 6 Ai and Plustek 7600i, need to pay additional 150 euro for SilverFast 8 Ai.

switching to VueScan isn't an option currently according to VueScan site:

Yeah, it sucks having to pitch out that much money, but as others have posted version 8 (I think the latest is 8.0.1r2) does work on Lion, and I have to say I think I like it way better than 6. I'm not sure, but somehow it even seems a bit faster to me.

Last time I compared SilverFast and VueScan, before going to Lion, I *think* I got ever so slightly better scans out of SilverFast. However, I didn't have the time or patience for a really serious test, so I could be wrong about that.

 

[useless generation]

I can confirm that I'm running the latest version of vuescan on my mac OSX Lion iMac and it works a charm! Silverfast kept crashing and i found it a pain in the ass to use. Because i had silverfast installed on my mac the drivers from silverfast allow the scanner to communicate with vuescan also.

 

[celluloidprop]

Has anyone run into issues with the internal motor(s)?
My new 7600i has a tendency to hang in Vuescan and Silverfast when I preview, just making a kind of grinding noise. I have to turn it off to try again.

Got it to preview this time (in Vuescan), now a single-pass/single-exposure scan is taking forever, I'm waiting to see what it looks like.

The one good scan I've gotten is nice enough (@7200, downsized to 3600), but I'm guessing I'll have to return this unit to B&H. I'm losing a millimeter at the top of negatives (as viewed onscreen) from apparent misalignment (A white bar, so I assume I'm seeing the holder) which isn't a huge deal, but the motor noises and restarting has me worried.

 

[celluloidprop]

There don't seem to be any issues today, hopefully it was something running in the background on my iMac interfering.

Still get a pretty thick white line on one side - is this fairly normal with the Plustek/other scanners? I've adjusted the film holder as much as possible to get it straight, but can't make the white line any smaller.

7600i using Vuescan, just downsized to 1500 on the long side in CS5

Plustek 7600i test by celluloidpropaganda, on Flickr

 

[menos]

Yes, the uneven frame/ crop is normal with the Plustek. I have this too - it really is designed, to crop the frame without borders :-(

I use the latest 64bit release of Vuescan with Lion after having installed the Silverfast 8 demo for the needed drivers and it runs fine.

The Plustek scanner can hang from time to time, needing, to switch it off, restart the scanner software and do a pre scan or two, to reset the scanners position - annoying, but thats the way, it is :-(

I would not go through the pain of scanning with the Plustek for effective 3600dpi, as it takes forever and you kick yourself, when it hangs during such a long wait.
I use the Plustek for quick preview scans @ lower resolution and rescan the keepers @ high resolution for print with a proper scanner.

Just, to try it out, I just bought a nice Minolta Elite Scan 5400 with full automatic film transport and autofocus. With the first scans, it's a pleasure, to use.
I will see, how it compares to the Plustek and other scanners in practical use.

One is for sure: it's fantastic, to not have to push the film holder manually through the machine, but lust let it run along all by itself.

People, who complained about the Plustek being loud never heard one of those Minoltas though - those are like diesel generators on your desk (are also built like such - quite the opposite to the Plustek) ;-)

VueScan vs. Silverfast: I really advise everybody, who is stuck with the older, packed SilverFast software, to first try out the latest SilverFast demo, before paying the upgrade fee and if any doubts, straight go ahead and buy a pro license for Ed Hamrick's Vuescan, after having installed the latest Silverfast demo for the drivers to work first.

Vuescan is such a much better, user-friendly and faster to use software, it's a joy!
Make sure, to safe your complete preference profile for each film type/ scanner/ resolution (takes a little time, to prepare)!
Once, you have done this, you simply switch on the scanner, start Vuescan, load a profile and just scan.

I like the fact, that Vuescan also allows, to work with certain RAW camera files (like Nikon NEF files) instead of attaching a scanner!
You can just shoot your negatives on a light table and convert the RAW files into beautiful positive, corrected TIFF files with Vuescan!

 

[boomguy57]

I'm considering jumping for a Plustek 7600 Ai...I have a V500 but am not entirely pleased with the results. Will they get any better with the Plustek?

 

[Murchu]

I'm considering jumping for a Plustek 7600 Ai...I have a V500 but am not entirely pleased with the results. Will they get any better with the Plustek?

Should do. Your V500 should have about 1600dpi effective resolution (don't mind what Epson proclaim), with the 7600 giving you double that in effective resolution of about 3300dpi. Basically the difference between scans of 2400 x 1600 pixels vs scans of 4950 x 3300 pixels. The real difference you will note is in sharpness though, with the Plustek giving you a very sharp scan, and much sharper than you are used to from your flatbed.