qruyk12
Established
Just wondering what you all use to scan your negs? Dedicated film scanners or flatbeds?
I am considering getting a Coolscan 5000 ED..
I am considering getting a Coolscan 5000 ED..
thirteen
Established
I use a Coolscan 5000 and have been very satisfied with the scanning of color negs and positive film. I've never tried B&W on it. The bundled software I think is better than Silverfast (which I bought and was never happy with the results). IMO you cannot do better.
capitalK
Warrior Poet :P
I use a Nikon CoolScan that they have at work. I think it's the reason I have started shooting so much film in the past 6 months. I have never been happy with the CD's I got from the lab and my Epson Perfection 4180 scanner left much to be desired. The CoolPix scans make me feel like I am dealing with full-blown images and gives me way too much information to play with, more than I will ever need.
Jason Sprenger
Well-known
I use a Canon FS4000US which is long discontinued. Today, I'd buy the Nikon offering.
Nh3
Well-known
Canoscan 4200! 
Chris101
summicronia
I scan 35mm negatives with a 5000, and am very happy with the result. I have printed the resulting files with an Epson R2400 at 13x19 inches and LOVED the results.
Tom A
RFF Sponsor
Nikon Coolscan 5000 ED. Works well and is the very easy to operate. good black and white mode too. First scan and minor correction on contrast ( i still shoot for wet darkroom so the contrast needs to be bumped slightly in scans) and then transfer to Lightroom 2 for filing and any further corrections.
Chriscrawfordphoto
Real Men Shoot Film.
Coolscan 8000ED. I shoot a lot of medium format, so I needed the bigger scanner. I'm very happy with it and I imagine the 5000 would be just as good if you only shoot 35mm.
I do both Black & White and Color.
35mm color slide (can't remember the film used, too long ago!)
35mm Black & White negative (Ilford Pan-F in Rodinal)
I do both Black & White and Color.
35mm color slide (can't remember the film used, too long ago!)
35mm Black & White negative (Ilford Pan-F in Rodinal)
Michiel Fokkema
Michiel Fokkema
Minolta dimage scan multi pro and minolta dimage scan elite 5400.
Both are so much better than he epson 4990.
Cheers,
Michiel Fokkema
Both are so much better than he epson 4990.
Cheers,
Michiel Fokkema
TJV
Well-known
I use a Canon FS4000US and a Nikon 80000ED. Both are great but the Nikon is better, even without the MF capability. I'm saving for the 9000ED because I fear mine are on the way out and want to make sure I get a new one before they don't make them anymore.
John Robertson
Well-known
Canon FS4000US with Vuescan. Better than Canon software, allows multi-pass scanning for instance.
Olsen
Well-known
brainwood
Registered Film User
ocean7
DSLR Defector
I use the El Cheapo Epson V300 at $100. For web presentation it is more than enough and for the price it's very good. I am positive you could also print up to say 5x7 from the scans. The bundled software (Epson Scan) works well and is easy to operate.
If you don't intend to do medium format the V300 is as good as the V500 so you could save a bit
At the time I posted a wannabe review here :
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=65307
If you don't intend to do medium format the V300 is as good as the V500 so you could save a bit
At the time I posted a wannabe review here :
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=65307
Lilserenity
Well-known
I use a pretty ancient (in technology terms) Coolscan III (LS30) which I have to run on a Windows NT 4 box (it can work on 2000 with the Nikon software, and XP with VueScan but I'm taking the if it ain't broke principle...) -- which is about 10 years old.
It's not bad at all for C41 (and therefore chromogenic BW films) and E6 slides, but its 8bit per channel depth is limiting the quality of scans compared to optical prints and more modern 14bit per channel scanners.
For B&W film, I find it, not that great. It's 'OK' - I find I have to work it in photoshop a lot and the B&W wet prints I make beat what the LS30 can produce hands down.
But, the reason for me saying all this is that you can get a good dedicated film scanner such as a Coolscan IV which will do you pretty well for C41 and E6 for not a massive outlay.
I will be getting another scanner but instead it will be a half decent flatbed with the emphasis on scanning the final wet prints rather than the negatives, I'm thinking of the Epson V500 which I will scan the prints + slide positives on.
Coolscan IV's can be had for not that much money now, and the LS30/III is even cheaper still as it's a SCSI device and getting on a bit now (1998 I think)
Vicky
It's not bad at all for C41 (and therefore chromogenic BW films) and E6 slides, but its 8bit per channel depth is limiting the quality of scans compared to optical prints and more modern 14bit per channel scanners.
For B&W film, I find it, not that great. It's 'OK' - I find I have to work it in photoshop a lot and the B&W wet prints I make beat what the LS30 can produce hands down.
But, the reason for me saying all this is that you can get a good dedicated film scanner such as a Coolscan IV which will do you pretty well for C41 and E6 for not a massive outlay.
I will be getting another scanner but instead it will be a half decent flatbed with the emphasis on scanning the final wet prints rather than the negatives, I'm thinking of the Epson V500 which I will scan the prints + slide positives on.
Coolscan IV's can be had for not that much money now, and the LS30/III is even cheaper still as it's a SCSI device and getting on a bit now (1998 I think)
Vicky
Bob Michaels
nobody special
I use a Minolta MultiPro, a medium format film scanner that has not be manufactured for a few years. If it went up in smoke tonight, I would search for a used replacement that was exactly the same.
Borghesia
Well-known
Also A Minolta Multi Pro here.
Great scanner for 35mm to 6x9, good results on all types of film.
I hope I never have to depart from it. It's the heart of my photo hobby. If I could ever find a spare lamp, that would clear my mind.
Great scanner for 35mm to 6x9, good results on all types of film.
I hope I never have to depart from it. It's the heart of my photo hobby. If I could ever find a spare lamp, that would clear my mind.
noah b
Established
I use epson v500, the scans are very nice and you can even get up to 12800 dpi scans. It would be nice if it came with a glass negative carrier.
pkuglin
Established
True, but they were replaced with the 5000/9000 ED. The same S/W and drivers work with both. The Vista version can be downloaded from Nikon.
I use the Nikon 4000 ED and fine B&W scans show scratches and blemishes a fair amount. I expect the 5000 to do the same.
I wonder if others have the same experience?
I use Ilford HP5, FP4 and Kodak HIE IR
Chris101
summicronia
Yes - with the 5000. I need to keep my negatives as clean as I do when printing on a condenser enlarger and a good lens such as EL-Nikkor or Componon-S. But spotting is easier (if more tedious) digitally than with a 00000 brush! Plus, they don't make real Spotone anymore.