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Film Scanners.


Stealth3kpl

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I'm shortly to buy a scanner. Possibly tomorrow. I've been thinking of the Epson V700 (£400) or the Nikon Coolscan (about £550 second hand). I think I'll be using Vuescan although I like the results Steve Huff gets for black and white with Silverfast. I rarely print and only to A4. Do you think I should go for a coolscan or do you think the Epson will more than suffice? I'll mainly be scanning 35mm colour neg film (although I have lots of old slides I want to rescan).

Pete

Edited by Stealth3kpl
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I would recommend the Coolscan. Even, if the scanner a bit older, used or what ever, for 35mm is a dedicated film scanner always the better choice.

 

I would test the Coolscan, the price seems to be a bit cheap, or are you planning to buy a 4000?

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Which Coolscan? - there have been about 7 of them.

 

Personally, I think the most recent Nikons (5000ED, 9000ED) still edge out the Epson for detail resolution (but also bring out the film grain), especially from 35mm - but Nikon has stopped upgrading the software and you do get a "free" flatbed scanner for documents included with the Epson.

 

I find all the plastic negative carriers for scanners to be not very good (compared to Omega enlarger carriers) - but a nice thing about the Epsons is that one can cut one's own carriers out of thin cardboard to get a cutout that holds the film flatter and allows black-border full-frame scanning. For slides, the smaller (5000ED/V) Nikons need no carrier - just pop the slide mount into the slot.

 

Be aware that with any scanner, color negs take work. The variability of the orange masking from film type to film type and lab to lab means color balancing from highlights to shadows takes some experience and knowledge. You can get good results, but it will not be as simple as pushing the "scan" button.

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Which Coolscan? -

 

Coolscan V

 

Personally, I think the most recent Nikons (5000ED, 9000ED) still edge out the Epson for detail resolution (but also bring out the film grain), especially from 35mm - but Nikon has stopped upgrading the software and you do get a "free" flatbed scanner for documents included with the Epson.

As I tend to just look at photos on the computer and rarely print and then only to A4 I wondered whether it was worth the extra cost to get the Coolscan V. I would think I'll be using Vuescan as Nikon have lost interest in firmware.

 

I find all the plastic negative carriers for scanners to be not very good (compared to Omega enlarger carriers) - but a nice thing about the Epsons is that one can cut one's own carriers out of thin cardboard to get a cutout that holds the film flatter and allows black-border full-frame scanning.

Good idea

 

Be aware that with any scanner, color negs take work. The variability of the orange masking from film type to film type and lab to lab means color balancing from highlights to shadows takes some experience and knowledge. You can get good results, but it will not be as simple as pushing the "scan" button.

Yes, it looks like a right headache. I'm hoping Julian Thompson is going to put his definitive guide to scanning with vuescan up soon :D

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The smaller the negative, the better the scanner must be. I think almost any dedicated film scanner would exceed a flatbed scanner in terms of output, though not necessarily in speed or ease of use. Even the lowly Pacific Image scanners I have had (1800u, 3650u) have beaten out any flatbed 35mm scans I have seen, and I believe they have improved somewhat since those days. I also use a Konica Minolta 5400 and a Nikon Coolscan 9000ED. The Nikon produces dramatically better scans than the Minolta, which pleases me no end as I have to use it for medium format (got a rare Nikon anti-Newtonian glass medium format negative tray for it in the mail today - whoopee!) I could just about foresee using the best flatbed I could find for MF id the Nikon ever dies, but if there was no dedicated 35mm film scanner around I would have to sell a kidney and get a Hasselblad/Imacon.

(On second thoughts, I'd sell the MP's, keep the kidney, and buy a lifetime supply of film and Diafine.)

 

Chris

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I think almost any dedicated film scanner would exceed a flatbed scanner in terms of output...

 

Not necessarily. Definitely seems to have been the case in the past, but flatbed scanners seem to have gotten a whole lot better. Check out reviews on some of the latest Canon products at Digital Scanner Reviews.

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Are you using the V700 with a Windows or Mac computer?

 

I'm looking for something to scan both 35mm and 120 (from a film Hasselblad). Am all Mac computers at home though.

 

Both actually! Works well on both platfoms. the Epson software does an OK job at scanning and easy to use. Silverfast is better, but a horrible interface and takes some practice! Both have mac equivalents.

Rob

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Both actually! Works well on both platfoms. the Epson software does an OK job at scanning and easy to use. Silverfast is better, but a horrible interface and takes some practice! Both have mac equivalents.

Rob

 

That's interesting about Silverfast. I use the software on a Plustek and must admit have not been entirely happy with the results. But I could put that down to ignorance on how to get the best results as I am a rank amatuer on these things.

 

Is there a guide on using Silverfast available other than the stuff you get with it which is basic and assumes I know what the jargon means?

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I've used both the Nikon V and Epson V700 on Macs. The Nikon provides a sharper, higher resolution scan, but the Epson does a very good job batch scanning (4 strips of up to six frames at once). It really works very well---you set up (a couple minutes), preview (a minute or so), adjust as needed (pretty quick and easy), and then press scan and walk away for a half hour or so. Good for up to around 2400 dpi, and takes much less of my time than the Nikon.

 

The ability to scan a full roll with only two setups is great. I now use the V700 for all proof scanning and anything up to large screen sizes, and a slow old Imacon for the occasional shot that merits more serious enlargement.

 

If I had to pick one scanner, as nice as the Nikon is, I'd take the Epson and send out the occasional negative when I needed a higher quality scan.

 

Later,

 

Clyde

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I too do proof scans on my Epson. For final scans, KM5400.

 

Used scanners are ? This is like a used car without an odometer and you can`t get it inspected by a competent person. People buy these and scan a like time of work and then sell it. As it sits on a dest, it tends to look new. Just my opinion.

 

Unfortunately that is the case for scanners today. You are about 3 years too late to the game.

 

I would get a Plus tech 7600 new today. around $400. The nikn is better, but not new.

 

Epson is questionable for bigger than 5x7. At least get the 750 and do wet scanning.

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That's interesting about Silverfast. I use the software on a Plustek and must admit have not been entirely happy with the results. But I could put that down to ignorance on how to get the best results as I am a rank amatuer on these things.

 

Is there a guide on using Silverfast available other than the stuff you get with it which is basic and assumes I know what the jargon means?

 

 

Try here:

Scanning with Silverfast

It's one of the better tutorials I think.

Rob

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Used scanners are ? This is like a used car without an odometer and you can`t get it inspected by a competent person. People buy these and scan a like time of work and then sell it. As it sits on a dest, it tends to look new. Just my opinion.

That's a very good point. I hadn't thought about it before.

I've declined the offer of a Nikon Coolscan V for £500. I recall the convenience of being able to scan 12 frames at a time on a V700 as being one of the factors that brought me back to film. Having a warranty is something too. Typical cost is £400 for the V700 and I do like the look of the Mamiya 7ii ! Decision made. Thanks for your help. :)

Pete

Edited by Stealth3kpl
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When Canon brought out the Coolscan 9500, they claimed it was good enough to replace a dedicated film/slide scanner. I like mine well enough, but still wonder if I'd get better results with Nikon. The paper I worked at in the early '90s had one that worked quite well and had adjustable focus.

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Are you using the V700 with a Windows or Mac computer?

 

I'm looking for something to scan both 35mm and 120 (from a film Hasselblad). Am all Mac computers at home though.

 

I use a Coolscan V for my 35mm stuff and an Epson V700 for my 6x6, both with Vuescan on a Mac.

 

Getting the V700 to scan multiple negatives is not possible with Vuescan, as far as I can see. You'd need to use the Silverfast software that came with the scanner for that, but I haven't had the time to learn yet another piece of scanning software since I bought the V700.

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