Plustek vs Epson

[rpilottx]

I am looking to buy my first scanner. El Paso does not have a camera store so it will be purchased online and I won't really have a chance to play with one before purchase.

So, I was watching Steve Huff's video on scanning 35mm and he uses an Epson 700. It seems pretty quick and painless but he says scanning above 2500 dpi does not do much. What size enlargements can I get from 2500 dpi.

Does the Plustek provide better detail in scanning? It looks like you have to scan individually and it won't do a "contact sheet" like the Epson. For those of you with the Epson and using 35 mm, are you happy with the results?

Thanks for your responses.

 

[htimsdj]

I print on an Epson 3800, and I only feed it files that are 360dpi. So if you had 2500 dots on the short side of a 35mm frame, that would be approximately 7 x 10.5 inches.

In my case, I have been using a Coolscan 9000, and I print 8 x 12 that are very nice.

Finally, be aware that the Plustek has the same limitations as the Epson - the stated DPI is not the true, effective DPI.

 

[keithdunlop]

Proper 35mm film scanning requires a dedicated film scanner. The new Plustek 7600 Ai is getting really good reviews and is a terrific alternative to paying the used price premiums currently being asked for the discontinued Nikon Coolscan V. There is an instant rebate at B&H right now and you can get it for $419.00, which is a really terrific deal considering the cost of the Silverfast software on a standalone basis.

 

[berlincontemporary]

I am looking to buy my first scanner. El Paso does not have a camera store so it will be purchased online and I won't really have a chance to play with one before purchase.

So, I was watching Steve Huff's video on scanning 35mm and he uses an Epson 700. It seems pretty quick and painless but he says scanning above 2500 dpi does not do much. What size enlargements can I get from 2500 dpi.

Does the Plustek provide better detail in scanning? It looks like you have to scan individually and it won't do a "contact sheet" like the Epson. For those of you with the Epson and using 35 mm, are you happy with the results?

Thanks for your responses.

I am also torn between the two.

V700
+ Batch scanning four strips
+ reasonably good detail
- lots of dust on the glass surface no matter how careful you are
- Integrated ICE painfully slow (at least on my computer)

Plustek 7600
+ very good detail on "Nikon Coolscan" level
+ dust reduction works well
- manually loading each strip, manually advancing each frame

What you gain in speed with the V700 on "batch loading" will you lose with handling dust on the large glass surface. So all in all I am currently leaning towards the Plustek.

 

[daninjc]

Slightly off topic, is it my understanding or for classical B&W film the plustek 7400 is all one needs? The difference from the 7600 model is the lack of a IR channel, which is useless for normal B&W. The rest of the hardware is the same. The price difference is about 100-200$ though. I might be wrong - I just started looking into this.

 

[willie_901]

I decided on the Plustek. I use Vuescan. I'm very pleased with the quality.

 

[mdruziak]

Plustek OpticFilm 7400 vs 7600i

Plustek OpticFilm 7400 vs 7600i

Slightly off topic, is it my understanding or for classical B&W film the plustek 7400 is all one needs? The difference from the 7600 model is the lack of a IR channel, which is useless for normal B&W. The rest of the hardware is the same. The price difference is about 100-200$ though. I might be wrong - I just started looking into this.

Hi, Mark from Plustek here. You are correct that the 7400 does not have an IR channel and the 7600i does. Notice the "i"? Now you know our top secret naming conventions 🙂 You are also correct that IR dust and scratch removal doesn't work with B/W negatives.

Both the 7400 and the 7600i SE use the same software: Lasersoft SilverFast SE Plus. The 7600i Ai adds IT8 calibration and Lasersoft SilverFast Ai Studio.

See this page to explain the differences between the SE and Ai software:
http://plustek.com/usa/products/opticfilm-series//opticfilm-7600i-se-v.s.-opticfilm-7600i-ai.html

You can get great images with SilverFast SE. It just doesn't have the flexibility as SilverFast Ai. The analogy that comes to my mind is Photoshop Elements vs Photoshop CS5.

It's really a tough call on which software is best for you. If you want a quick way to scan negatives with out too much bother, then SE is the software you should use. If you want the most control over the imaging process possible, than Ai is the right softare. Don't forget that with control comes complexity and an increased learning curve!


Let me know if you have any other questions.

Mark

 

[valdas]

slightly off topic - is there a big difference between plustek 7200i model vs 7600 (or 7400)? It looks like they have different Dmax values - 3.5 and 3.6 respectively, but are there any other significant differences?

 

[mdruziak]

slightly off topic - is there a big difference between plustek 7200i model vs 7600 (or 7400)? It looks like they have different Dmax values - 3.5 and 3.6 respectively, but are there any other significant differences?

The biggest difference between the 7400/7600i and the older 7200/7300/7500 series is that the 7400 and 7600i use LED based illumination instead of cold cathode illumination. There is no warm up for the LED illumination and it is more stable over its life.

Personally I don't think there is a big difference in image quality.

Mark

 

[daninjc]

Thank you so much for the answer! This clarifies my doubts. It's great to have this kind of first hand information on RFF!

Hi, Mark from Plustek here. You are correct that the 7400 does not have an IR channel and the 7600i does. Notice the "i"? Now you know our top secret naming conventions 🙂 You are also correct that IR dust and scratch removal doesn't work with B/W negatives.

Both the 7400 and the 7600i SE use the same software: Lasersoft SilverFast SE Plus. The 7600i Ai adds IT8 calibration and Lasersoft SilverFast Ai Studio.

See this page to explain the differences between the SE and Ai software:
http://plustek.com/usa/products/opticfilm-series//opticfilm-7600i-se-v.s.-opticfilm-7600i-ai.html

You can get great images with SilverFast SE. It just doesn't have the flexibility as SilverFast Ai. The analogy that comes to my mind is Photoshop Elements vs Photoshop CS5.

It's really a tough call on which software is best for you. If you want a quick way to scan negatives with out too much bother, then SE is the software you should use. If you want the most control over the imaging process possible, than Ai is the right softare. Don't forget that with control comes complexity and an increased learning curve!


Let me know if you have any other questions.

Mark

 

[hipsterdufus]

I actually use two scanners in my workflow: a Canon 8800f for my digital "contact sheet" and batch scanning. Then, I use a Plustek 7300 for my hi-res scans. I really think this is the best workflow for the price. The total cost for all of this equipment was about $350 and I can't imagine getting better quality from another scanner (than the Plustek).

 

[mtargz]

Just to pipe in: German manufacturer Reflecta produces quite a line of dedicated film-scanners (35mm-only, for now - they say an MF model is in the works) which have been tested to be equal or superior to the Plustek models. Their actual DPIs for the sub-7200dpi models have been nearly equal to the nominal DPI stated - as with the Nikons, where a stated 4000dpi resolution equals nearly 3600dpi actual resolution.

The most in-depth scanner review site I've found, http://www.filmscanner.info/ - highly recommended some of the Reflectas. I think I'll buy one of the models designed for complete film-strips once I have the necessary funds - or if I can bring myself to end my relationship with the friendly pro-lab nearby. Or, if my photography takes me to medium-format, I'll wait for the announced MF5000 model.

 

[smile]

it would be great to see examples from both devices face to face

 

[mtargz]

The link I've shown has at least a resolution-chart scan of each scanner (and nearly every other film-scanner on the market). Some tests are also translated into English, but there's also a long description in German on the picture-quality provided.

Colour, I believe, is more dependent on the software than on the scanner itself, and Silverfast almost always produces superior results in tests.

EDIT: As far as I'm concerned, I'd rather have a product that's nominally 3600-4000dpi (Nikon, Reflecta) that delivers 3200-3600dpi "in the field" than one that claims 7200dpi (various flatbeds, Plustek) and delivers 3200dpi and downwards.