Picking a film scanner... What a pickle

[fotohuis]

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You are talking about ICE. It works with color films only and the chromogene type B&W films, XP2 Super, T400CN. Yes, handy when doing a lot of C-41 or E-6 films. On most modern scanners it is available.

[colonel]

You are talking about ICE. It works with color films only and the chromogene type B&W films, XP2 Super, T400CN. Yes, handy when doing a lot of C-41 or E-6 films. On most modern scanners it is available.

 

Not so sure, I don't think ICE is to do with Plustek, I think that's Epson's software

 

Reading the blurb on Plustek's website, they only supply two software packages with the scanner:

1. Quickscan

2. Silverfast 8

 

According to the website only silverfast can use the iSRD channel:

"SilverFast iSRD® uses the built-in infrared channel to remove dust and scratches without losing details."

Edited October 2, 2015 by colonel

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[gbealnz]

I too am back in looking a scanner mode, and what a pickle it is.

 

The choices of flatbed style, so Epson V700/800 etc, as opposed the Plustek style, with older Nikons and Minoltas as well.

 

Something has to be better than floundering along with the T and BEOON though, I need to get my act together.

 

I'll echo the Colonel's question above, is the extra of the 8200i or 8200i SE significantly better for the average Joe like me?

 

Right now I am favouring a cheaper and used Plustek style, along with an older V550 Epson, so I can do the thumbnails etc with the flatbed (as well as scan my wet prints) and home in with the Plustek for the occasional "better" scan.

Wrong/right?

Gary

[250swb]

.

Wrong/right?

 

 

Right!

 

The Plustek models (except the 120) are defined by the Silverfast software that comes with them, underneath they are the same scanner and only a couple have a different specification in that they don't have IR dust control (the 7400 model I think is the only one you are likely to come across NOS or second hand, but IR or ICE dust removal degrades the image anyway). So you can choose an 'older' new in box scanner being sold off cheaply and know it will scan as well as the latest model. And Silverfast is a hateful piece of software but you could buy a Vuescan license. So if you can buy new but older Plustek you may have enough left in the bank to buy a V700 second hand, the V550 will do, but when you start scanning it is often the case that other ideas and film formats occur to you and the V700 will do a better job in the long run.

 

Steve

Edited October 3, 2015 by 250swb

[jpattison]

I use a different method to copy my 35mm film negatives... (OK, it's one at a time, but superb results!)

It involves a Leitz copy stand; a small lightbox, an Apo 50mm Schneider enlarging lens and a Monochrom.

 

John

 

 

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[gbealnz]

Sounds similar to mine John, with the exception of a Leica T (or Fuji X-E1) instead of the Monochrom. Oh and an apo Rodagon.

Maybe I should stop grizzling about how slow it is, and just use it.

Gary

[jpattison]

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Slow is good!

 

John

[Michael Hiles]

Scratch/dust removal software works only with non-silver film, i,e, film where there is no residual silver - so it does not work with conventional B&W film, e.g. Tri-X, T-Max, FP4, HP5 etc. It does work with C41 type film, which is mainly colour negative film, plus chromogenic B&W film, e.g. Ilford XP2. I think it also works with colour positive (slide) film.

 

It is very useful when it works. Dust disappears.

 

On a conventional B&W film, post-processing software has the ability to help. In Photoshop there is a clone tool that is useful. It allows you to do what darkroom folk call spotting. It is time consuming and a bit fiddly, but it works very well. I suspect that other similar software has the same feature.

 

So the decision (were it me) would be whether I was likely to scan mainly conventional silver B&W (do not spend the money) or colour negative (and chromogenic B&W) film (then useful and likely worth the money).

Edited October 6, 2015 by Michael Hiles

[philipus]

Hi Harold

 

I'm a bit surprised to see that Silverfast writes this:

"SilverFast iSRD® uses the built-in infrared channel to remove dust and scratches without losing details."

 

Maybe their technology is different but Digital ICE will affect the image, in minor ways (and depending on which level is set) but there is an impact.

 

That's a very nice setup John. Though for someone who doesn't have a Monochrome it'd be a very expensive "scanner" (but with additional benefits no doubt if one likes to shoot digital). 

 

It involves a Leitz copy stand; a small lightbox, an Apo 50mm Schneider enlarging lens and a Monochrom.

 

 

[DirkR440]

I just found that topic... I bought a Reflecta RPS 10M this week. First impression is good, but this is my first film scanner so I don't have any comparison to other scanners. The results with SilverFast on 3'600 dpi looks like this:

 

London on film by Dirk Raffel, auf Flickr

[Michael Hiles]

Looks pretty good from here. You might want some more detail in the shadows (doors etc.). But that is not a scanning issue - that is photoshop or Lightroom etc.

Edited October 19, 2015 by Michael Hiles

[friedeye]

I think it all kind of depends on what your subject matter is and how you expect to display your photos.  Do you shoot architecture or nature/landscapes? Then maybe you need to see hard lines and the veins of leaves. But for street and family and general photography, I think the V500 is just fine, although now, I guess, it's been upgraded.  Here's a shot on HP5 - I think it's pushed a stop - scanned on the V500.

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Edited October 21, 2015 by friedeye

[friedeye]

Some other V500 scans of street & scenic material…. files seem to be too big for one post.

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[friedeye]

A street shot:

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[gbealnz]

So, while we are discussing scanners, I have a question.

Recently I located a used Minolta 5400 ii scanner and it arrived today.

Operating system is OSX10.10, Yosemite. No software came with it. I do have Silverfast 8 on my desktop, and I downloaded Vuescan.

Silverfast doesn't see the scanner, Vuefast does, although using a trial version all I can do is be happy that it seems to work.

 

So, any suggestions? Write to Silverfast perhaps and see what they say? Spring the $89 for the full copy of Vuescan? Anything else works?

Gary

[fotohuis]

Vuescan will always work. It is the best interface for any scanner.

[gbealnz]

Returning to this question.

I bought Vuescan and it works as I hoped so I am very happy.

I cannot however use the calibrate function, it simply doesn't calibrate.

 

Anyone got a 5400 II using Vuescan care to contact me please. I asked Ed, but he's stumped too.

Gary

[plasticman]

For quite a while I've been anxious about what I'd do when the coolscan 9000 breaks, but recently I've been seeing what great results people get when they use a digital camera mounted on a stand.

 

So what would be the drawback of getting a Pentax 645D and one of the really sharp manual macro lenses available for that system? I think it would cover 35mm at 1:1 with the lens I had in mind - though I'm not sure about 6x6 negs?

 

This way you get a scanner and a medium format digital camera thrown in for 'free'.

Edited November 2, 2015 by plasticman

[gbealnz]

One of those, "you'll never know until you try it" scenarios I reckon.

As a matter of comparison, I have only just received the Minolta 5400 II, and am really just learning what and how to with it.

Up until then I used a Leica BEOON (copy stand) with an Apo Rodagon 50mm, and either the Leica T, or a Fuji X-E1 (both APS) to shoot the negs. Illumination was via a flat-panel LCD which the whole kaboodle sat on.

Difference? To be honest, I can't see a heap. I already had the camera(s), the enlarging lens, and had purchased the BEOON for this, but it's a piece of Leica history, and not much money anyway. The CD was very cheap in HK.

If you already have suitable (but not MFD) gear, why not have a go at it, and see.

Gary

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[ramarren]

35mm film, particularly color print, I scan with a Nikon Coolscan V using VueScan. It works well. 

I also shoot some 35mm film with a copy setup using a 24Mpixel digital camera, and do the same with larger formats as well. 

 

I still have a Nikon Super Coolscan 9000, but it's such a pain to set up and use I usually reserve it for when I have several rolls of medium format to scan. For one-offs, the copy setup is easier and produces satisfying results.