Nikon scanners no more??

[joachim]

The epson doesn't suck, especially for medium format. However, for 35mm I don't think it is very good compared with a nikon for a whole variety of reasons. a) workflow. I have to handle the negatives much more meaning more prints, dust and scratches b) I can scan a whole roll of negs with the nikon, not so with the epson. c) scan quality. The scan quality with the nikon is much sharper.

You got some samples to share? Just curious. I got a Nikon IV and EPSON 4990. The EPSON doesn't hold a candle against the Nikon, but then the v700/750 are supposed to be better than the old 4990, but from the comments no magic bullet.

Concerning the workflow I like the Epson better. I can load four stips a 6 frames each and go away. The Nikon only takes one strip at the time.

 

[rogue_designer]

Maybe Epson or Fuji will buy Nikon's designs and production? 🙂

Maybe Imacon will release a lower price point model to fill the gap?

Maybe pigs will fly...

 

[JJW]

Who cares?

Who cares?

I don't see what the worry is. As photographers switch away from film the demand for scanners should drop. I mean this isn't a growing market segment. After a while when the hoarding mentality abates, there should be plenty of supply in the secondary market.

Frankly I think it's stupid for an individual photographer to buy a super scanner like a Nikon for big bucks and have it spend most of its life sitting around not being used.

I'm a filmmaker and in my business you either rent gear or own it cooperatively. The better way to do this is for a bunch of you guys to go in on a decent unit and share expenses. That way the scanner gets more use.

That's how I can afford a good HD camera.

 

[dfoo]

You got some samples to share? Just curious. I got a Nikon IV and EPSON 4990. The EPSON doesn't hold a candle against the Nikon, but then the v700/750 are supposed to be better than the old 4990, but from the comments no magic bullet.

Concerning the workflow I like the Epson better. I can load four stips a 6 frames each and go away. The Nikon only takes one strip at the time.

Sure, but that strip can contain 40 exposures 😉

Whether or not the quality is acceptable depends on what you want to do with the negatives.

I've posted these samples a million times on this forum.

Fuju Reala 100.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mnewhook/3251404399/

Full res 5000 scan. Check the link for the v700 scan.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mnewhook/3252217996/

Provia comparison

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mnewhook/3251346899/

 

[johannielscom]

I don't care about production, like others pointed out there's a lot of them to be picked up from the secondhand market.

But, I'd like to know: what about service? When will Nikon seize repair services? Any substitute for Nikon repair?

Suggesting Fuji or others might be interested in starting scanner production is plain ignorant, there are no newcomers to be expected to the scanner market, expected turnover will never cover initial development and production costs. No company will just toss that kind of money down the well!

 

[joachim]

Sure, but that strip can contain 40 exposures 😉

Whether or not the quality is acceptable depends on what you want to do with the negatives.

I've posted these samples a million times on this forum.

Fuju Reala 100.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mnewhook/3251404399/

Full res 5000 scan. Check the link for the v700 scan.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mnewhook/3252217996/

Provia comparison

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mnewhook/3251346899/

Thanks that is interesting. To be honnest I find it more surprising how good the EPSON is. If you work on the scans (e.g. raise the contrast to the level of the Nikon and perhaps some unsharpmasking) a lot of detail (and grain) will still come out of that scan and the gap will narrow. I think that holds even more for the Provia scan you show.

In the end, the Epson is half the price of the NIKON, that still has to count for something. I don't think my EPSON 4990 is anywhere near this. The only comfort is, I got that cheap at closeout price.

Thanks agiain
Joachim

 

[JJW]

What? Why worry?

What? Why worry?

CLE, digitally archive all your decent film shots. By the time you do that you should be able to pick up another scanner for short money on EBAY.

I think the problem is going to go away and solve itself over time.

Digital cameras are getting incredibly better and cheaper.

After a while worrying about scanning will be a lot like bemoaning the fact no one shoots with glass plates anymore. Maybe that's not true. I am sure someone on APUG does it.

 

[rogue_designer]

well fuji is hardly a newcomer to the scanner market. Their big flatbeds were a staple in the image labs at the Tribune and several other places I've worked with high end scanners.

But they certainly have not been in it for a little while - aside from the scanners embedded in their mini-lab equipment. (SP-500 and SP-3000 scanners)

 

[JJW]

Digital antiques

Digital antiques

Isn't the Tribune in Chapter 11?

Did you guys do wet prints and then scan them on a flatbed?

I remember when there was a big hubbub about OCR software and digitizing text documents. No one complains about that anymore. Anyone still make dictation machines?

 

[rogue_designer]

Sun Times is as of yesterday...Tribune has its own issues - they might be in Ch. 11 too... I haven't been there in years, and don't keep up on the news.

We had two Imacon 848's the big fuji and a few other assorted scanners (some little Kodaks for bulk/basic 35mm scanning). The Fuji was used for print scans when we needed to. But it was also used for larger transparencies and troublesome images - my recollection is we could eke out a bit more dmax than we could with the imacons.

My workstation was one of the 848's and I didn't end up over at the Fuji much. But some tech's preferred it.

 

[Sam N]

This basically mirrors my experience with a V500 vs. Minolta Scan Duall III vs. DSLR+Macro lens.

The flatbeds do a pretty good job, but I feel like they are not focusing clearly enough or something. I don't think the flatbeds can resolve the grain even with USM. The V500 scans 12 frames at 3200dpi (6400 is useless) in about 11 minutes. The DSLR + Macro lens method, while somewhat tricky, is far faster and clearly resolves the grain like your Nikon scan above.

 

[shadowfox]

Suggesting Fuji or others might be interested in starting scanner production is plain ignorant, there are no newcomers to be expected to the scanner market, expected turnover will never cover initial development and production costs. No company will just toss that kind of money down the well!

Maybe, but never say never. 🙂

 

[venchka]

Get a darkroom for free for crying out loud.

 

[rogue_designer]

Get a darkroom for free for crying out loud.

City condo = No room for a viable one - especially not for 120 and 4x5. Processing the film is about all I can manage in our 1 bathroom.

Plus my clients usually need digital files at some point. But that's where the lab comes in.

 

[JeremyLangford]

Right when I was thinking about getting a Coolscan V, they were discontinued. And now that I've been thinking about going for a Coolscan 9000, there is rumor about them being discontinued.

 

[navilluspm]

My local photo shop set me straight. Nikon's 5000 and 9000 series are not discontinued, but they are only making them in batches of 100, when they get enough orders.

 

[Issy]

I used to think that negatives and prints were the only two formats or media that would be format-change neutral... as things moved from floppies to HDs to CDs to DVDs to SSDs to whatever, you could always scan an old negative or print... (I've been doing the "shoot film and get back negatives and a CD" thing) ....looks like that may not be the case.

Maybe it's a ploy to get us film holdouts to finally knuckle under and buy a D300? 😛

Everyone from my generation got their family albums and photos scanned? Better get crackin' ... 😀

 

[astroman]

My local photo shop set me straight. Nikon's 5000 and 9000 series are not discontinued, but they are only making them in batches of 100, when they get enough orders.

In other words if you want one your going to have to wait
possibly months till they decide to make a run of 100.

 

[marbrink]

For high quality film scanning I think that duplicating your slides and negs is the future. There's a lot of amazing macro lenses and high resolving DSLR's available. I saw this comparison between a slide duplicate using the K10D and a 50mm macro lens vs a Plustek 7500. In terms of sharpness I think the camera beats the scanner and that's funny because the K10D is far from the best or newest DSLR... Have a look for yourself.. http://www.photoinfos.com/Fotolabor/Repro/Repros04.htm