Plustek Scanner 8200i

[roscoetuff]

So my ambitions for scanning using my Sony A7II seem to be "okay", but more time consuming than I thought. Worth thinking about options, and rather than buy a used Nikon Coolscan that's likely waaaay old, seems there are some who suggest the Plustek Scanner 8200i is good at the job. Got B&H folks to walk me through this, and the difference between the models isn't firmware, but the packaged software to run on your 'pooter. While there is some debate between the expensive software it could ship with, I've read here and elsewhere that Vuescan does a fine job, is cheaper and easier to use.

Curious what's up, what you use, and whether this is a good way to go? Thoughts and recommendations appreciated. You guys have been extremely good as I've gone through these hoops, sorry to plug in one more time... but as we make progress, I keep bumping in to things that need ironing out. THanks in advance! (Let me add that the flatbed alternatives seem just as much work - I have an old Epson V300 and it is waaaaay slow. The Sony A7II approach is okay, and speedy, but quality has a few bumps.)

 

[leo mm]

There is a lot written about the different scanning approaches and scanners in older threads here. I recently bought a Plustek 8200i AI, mainly because (a) I was worried about the hassle of using an older Nikon or Minolta scanner which might be unreliable or have compatibility issues with my computer, (b) my old Epson V500 does not provide great 35mm results in terms of resolution, and (c) I wanted something with a small footprint because I currently have limited space and need to put the scanner away between uses. The Plustek is a lot smaller than a flatbed and comes with a little carrying bag. I bought the AI instead of the SE not because I wanted the fancier Siverfast but just because the SE is not sold where I live.

If I had more space I would have strongly considered one of the better Epson flatbeds (V600/V700/V800), which in tests I have seen online seem to have lower resolution than the Plustek for 35mm, but still adequate for my purposes, and which allow you to scan multiple strips of film at once rather than a single frame. When I next move house I might upgrade my Epson if I find the Plustek too tedious. If time is a big consideration for you, you might want to take a hard look at the Epson flatbeds (including what people can achieve with the aftermarket film holders etc.) and really make sure that you would not be satisfied with their results - though you said you found a flatbed slow as well.

I have also played around with digicam scanning using a Leitz BEOON stand, but presently do not have a really suitable digital camera for that purpose. It seems like a great solution for many, though you indicated not for you.

 

[bob338]

We just scanned about 300 negs at work with a Plustek 8200iAI.
We started out using my V600 and the results were not good enough for the 40x60 prints the client wanted. I ordered the Plustek and it did the trick.
We scanned about 20 different kinds of film, ranging from 20 year old dime-store garbage to recent Ektar and had no real issues. I only had to send a couple of them out to be scanned on an Imacon that were to be printed larger.
I don't know enough about it to have an opinion, but my wife says the software with the AI model is worth the extra expense.

Good luck!

 

[Johnmcd]

I use the 8100 with Vuescan, and for the cost ($250 Australian second hand) am extremely happy. My previous scanner was a Minolta Multiscan Pro. I shoot nearly exclusively B/W so I can't comment on it's colour performance.

I use it mainly to share images online and proof for the darkroom.

Recommended.

Cheers - John

 

[roscoetuff]

John: Nice shots on your zenfolio. I shoot color with a digital mirrorless, but B&W film. Like your work. Thanks for the input.

Leo: Not sure digicam scanning's not for me... I just want to look at alternatives before I put too much money down a rat hole. Besides... if I go the Plustek route, I would probably sell off the Sony A7II and keep the A7RII... so simplifying my rig(s) by one. FWIW, I've read a fair amount on the site, but much is also now dated, and yeah... the digital vortex continues to pull folks in. It's those STILL doing this that I'm curious to hear from rather than those who've since jumped ship or junked it.

Thanks! This is a great start.

 

[Faintandfuzzy]

We just scanned about 300 negs at work with a Plustek 8200iAI.
We started out using my V600 and the results were not good enough for the 40x60 prints the client wanted. I ordered the Plustek and it did the trick.
We scanned about 20 different kinds of film, ranging from 20 year old dime-store garbage to recent Ektar and had no real issues. I only had to send a couple of them out to be scanned on an Imacon that were to be printed larger.
I don't know enough about it to have an opinion, but my wife says the software with the AI model is worth the extra expense.

Good luck!

Do you mean 40" x 60" from 35mm film?

 

[Johnmcd]

John: Nice shots on your zenfolio. I shoot color with a digital mirrorless, but B&W film. Like your work. Thanks for the input.

Thanks! This is a great start.

I'm glad you enjoyed the images. Anything taken over the last 6 months was with the 8100 and Vuescan. I've got a lot of time for Vuescan as I used it extensively with my now defunct MultiScan.

It's not the fastest but that is mainly due to the fact that you have to manually progress the neg tray to the next neg. I usually sit doing other stuff on the computer and every minute or so push another one through. So no problem there.

I also find the best results are by scanning as a slide and inverting, something I carried over from the Multiscan.

I am also just preparing my first photobook with scans from the 8100 so that will be interesting. I normally scan at 3600 then sample down but for the book are scanning at 7200. Even then I can still resize down significantly and still get a page sized 300 dpi image for the book. This keeps the book upload smaller when the time comes to print.

Cheers - John

 

[bob338]

Do you mean 40" x 60" from 35mm film?

Yes. We did the prints on Hahnemuhle FA Baryta paper with an Epson 9800 printer. 40x60 was really pushing it size-wise, but they came out great. I think we ended up printing about 20 of them at 40x60 and maybe 20 more at 20x30. The rest were for a trio of books.
The scans I had to farm out to the Imacon were also 40x60s, but the film was a mess and we just couldn't get enough detail out of them to get a decent print. Most of the negs had been through Katrina, so there was a lot of damage.

 

[Faintandfuzzy]

Yes. We did the prints on Hahnemuhle FA Baryta paper with an Epson 9800 printer. 40x60 was really pushing it size-wise, but they came out great. I think we ended up printing about 20 of them at 40x60 and maybe 20 more at 20x30. The rest were for a trio of books.
The scans I had to farm out to the Imacon were also 40x60s, but the film was a mess and we just couldn't get enough detail out of them to get a decent print. Most of the negs had been through Katrina, so there was a lot of damage.

Nice. I've never gone beyond 24x36 for 35mm.

 

[roscoetuff]

Guys: So I'm doin' my first scans with this thing... and I'm very pleased to report - my photos, development and all were waaaay better than I was seeing trying camera scans in a makeshift manual approach. This may not be quick, but it sure produces fine output! Very happy with this! $300 + Vuescan software seems money well spent.