Jump to content

Film Scanners


paulsydaus

Recommended Posts

Guest Nowhereman
Until now, I'd never heard of the BEOON. What makes this of more interest than any well made copy stand?
It's "the cat's meow", almoore. What more do you need to know?

 

plasticman - This constant sarcasm is wearing thin.

 

almoore - As you say, it's a well made copy stand. While there are obvious alternatives, the BEOON is as close as you can get to a turnkey solution to camera scanning of 35mm film with a digital M camera. You put your camera on the stand, use the 1:1 mask and attach an M-mount lens or an M39 amount enlarger lens — and you have a stable setup that is fast to use and has good results. My experience is that using a good enlarger lens, instead of normal 50mm lens or a macro lens, improves with less post-processing than the M9 did.

 

The M9 points to the other advantage of the BEOON: you can focus the stand using its loupe, if your camera, like the M9 and MM, doesn't have Live View. The final feature is that the BEOON is portable and can easily fit in your luggage, which is important for me because I move annually between North America and Asia.

 

Because of its usefulness to some digital-M camera users (actually quite few), the BEOON has increased in price because relative few were made and few are left for sale. Because of its limited availability, the BEOON is not a mass solution for film scanning. My view of the high quality of the results are in a post earlier in this thread. My interest in exchanging information on the BEOON online is to get information from other users that could provide information on how to improve its use.

_________________

Link to post
Share on other sites

 

plasticman - This constant sarcasm is wearing thin.

 

I'm sarcastic because the BEOON phenomenon runs counter to everything I hoped would come out of an open discussion about how best to scan film with a digital camera: all of a sudden the very few people who have access to this copy stand are calling it "the cat's meow" and making all sorts of extraordinary claims about the superiority of the output compared to (for example) Imacon scanners, and of course all other types of DSLR camera scanning.
 
It seems to me very typical of the worst aspects of a Leica owner's attitude: the Leitz name on it instantly bestows lofty superiority.
  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

It seems to me very typical of the worst aspects of a Leica owner's attitude: the Leitz name on it instantly bestows lofty superiority.

 

For me it has nothing to do with the Leitz name. I digitize my 35mm B&W negatives with a camera because it is very fast, very easy and I like the results. My first camera digitizing setup was based on a macro lens, extension tubes and a modified Nikon slide holder. My second setup was based on a Durst M301 enlarger. My third setup is based on a BEOON. It is less fussy to use than the extension tube setup and both sturdier and more compact than the enlarger setup. It has problems too. No combination of the BEOON extension tubes will let it focus on the negative to fill the APSC frame of the Fuji camera I use. (I eventually found a 40mm helical extension tube that works.) And the BEOON has no mask for any MF format and no good way to handle MF negatives or to hold them flat.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

I have a PrimeFilm XE, and recently bought a Nikon Coolscan V. Silverfast profiles work better with the XE, and side by side comparisons show it to be slightly sharper than the Nikon. However, it's not good enough for slides, the Nikon is much better. Also the outdated Nikon Scan 4 software produces amazing colors after some teaking in ACR.

Link to post
Share on other sites

As I have posted, I recently got a Beoon.  Nowhereman's and others consistent tech support has saved me time and frustration in setting up the Beoon.

 

Nowhereman posted perfectly what the advantages of the Beoon are. It's a super nifty item, packaged in a small organized box that's ideal for travel.

 

I think part of the appeal of it is the intelligent design and the fact it wasn't made to be used as we are specifically using it now.

 

For those who want to digitize 35mm film with an M camera, it's an absolute Godsend. That doesn't mean it's more than a copy stand or enlarger, it just means it's neat, nifty and the cats meow if you will.

 

The issue that seems to be setting  off is mostly the claims not of the Beoon's ability to digitize film but of camera digitizing vs scanning.

 

I very much doubt I will ultimately get the performance from camera digitizing vs my Epson 850 but even if I don't, there is no comparison in the ability of the Beoon's speed, convenience and for some users, the ability to take it while traveling.

 

An absolutely brilliant device that is super cool that it was made so long ago and is relevant for a select group who make great use out of it.

 

I need the scanner but the Beoon is a very nice addition to the workflow.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Advertisement (gone after registration)

How about from a 'lots of new films being released' perspective? Or a 'return of Ektachrome' perspective? Or a 'multiply over-subscribed Kickstarter Lab Box' perspective? Or a 'Film Ferrania' perspective? Or a 'rising used film camera prices' perspective? Or a 'crazy frenzy to find a BEOON' perspective? Or even a 'Plustek120' perspective?

 

Obviously your own little weekly use of film gives you a much broader and more accurate perspective than all the above.

 

Here we go:

 

'lots of new films being released' perspective?

 

- 99% of it is repacking of existing films from renaming and few manufacturers.

 

Or a 'return of Ektachrome' perspective?

 

- Where is it? It is only announcement. No film.

 

Or a 'multiply over-subscribed Kickstarter Lab Box' perspective?

 

- like 4,791 in total? It is next to zero in terms of the market for developing tanks.

 

Or a 'Film Ferrania' perspective?

 

- total fiasco. Nothing is done for years. Just some small quantity of BW film which is questionable for origin by some small film makers I know.

 

Or a 'rising used film camera prices' perspective?

 

- Almost no film cameras where made new. One Nikon SLR, plastic Lomo, hundreds  of film Leica per year and some LF per order. Most desirable film cameras haven't been made for long enough time to have them disappearing from market due to worn out, no service and it is the only reason why. Less cameras for less users. This is why prices going up. Less and less cameras are available for sale.

Yet, Cosina quit from film cameras making in 2017. Why? No sales, I guess. Cameraquest and BH still have them for sale. Nobody is rushing to buy them.

 

Or a 'crazy frenzy to find a BEOON' perspective? Or even a 'Plustek120' perspective?

 

- very tiny demand it seems. Niche products.

 

 

Here is what happening not in the internet, but in the real world. Where I'm only small and few labs are remaining. Walmart quit film in 2015. If you want to process slide film in Canada where are about... three labs doing it now.

On previous week I was at the camera store where they still doing C-41. They told to another customer what 99% of the film they are getting to develop is old, forgotten film which is getting discovered accidentally.

Only few film supplies stores left where I'm and they are shrinking shelf sizes and products range, quantity. The only growing part is darkroom enlargers, more and more comes for sale, for less and less money. Or for free. This year I have seen Leica enlarger and copy stand for small money. Nobody wanted it here. 

Fuji is cutting manufacturing of film brands. Their Instax products are collecting dust in the stores. Kodak consumer division was sold to some strange group. They hijacked price on film to absurd levels first and in 2017 they did same terrible overpricing with chemicals. And it has nothing to do with demand, but the greed.

 

Here is no APUG.org anymore, not enough subscribers across the globe for film only forum. To stay afloat they converted to something named like fartio and it is digital, hybrid since August of 2017.     

Edited by Ko.Fe.
  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Guest Nowhereman
I have a PrimeFilm XE, and recently bought a Nikon Coolscan V. Silverfast profiles work better with the XE, and side by side comparisons show it to be slightly sharper than the Nikon. However, it's not good enough for slides, the Nikon is much better. Also the outdated Nikon Scan 4 software produces amazing colors after some teaking in ACR.

 

Edward - In the latest postings you're getting good colors from color negatives — not the ones of the Luang Prabang temples with the extreme blue skies — but the ones after that, which have more natural skies: how do your processing of the Ektar scans?

_________________

Edited by Nowhereman
Link to post
Share on other sites

Guest Nowhereman
I'm sarcastic because the BEOON phenomenon runs counter to everything I hoped would come out of an open discussion about how best to scan film with a digital camera: all of a sudden the very few people who have access to this copy stand are calling it "the cat's meow" and making all sorts of extraordinary claims about the superiority of the output compared to (for example) Imacon scanners, and of course all other types of DSLR camera scanning.

 
It seems to me very typical of the worst aspects of a Leica owner's attitude: the Leitz name on it instantly bestows lofty superiority.

 

plasticman - As Doug A and Avatar have stated, it's not the Leica name; it's the features of the BEOON, which I also explained at length. "Bestows lofty superiority"? You should read somewhat more dispassionately the sarcasm that you're writing.

 

Yes, I go further and state that my camera scans using the M10 and the Focotar 2 lens of Kodachrome and Ektachrome transparencies, films that are a challenge for scanners, are at least as good as the results I was getting with the Imacon Precision III except, instead of 12 minutes for a full resolution scans, it's taking me 5 seconds on the BEOON. Forgive me for being enthusiastic about what I see as the amazing results I've been getting. 

 

In the thread I started on scanning slides with the BEOON configuration that I started, I was musing that my experience in scanning old Kodachrome and Ektachorme scans makes me think that it's useful for digital photographers to shoot slide film occasionally: the colors, tones and contrast one gets with these films are so beautiful that it's often difficult to produce anything similar with a digital camera for the simple reason that, when one doesn't have the look of these slides one's mind, one has a tendency to "equalize things" too much in digital post-processing, without going all the way to get the more dramatic or intense looks that these transparency films render. I think this is worth thinking about and discussing.

_________________

Link to post
Share on other sites

Here we go:

 

- 99% of it is repacking of existing films from renaming and few manufacturers.

 

- Where is it? It is only announcement. No film.

 

- like 4,791 in total? It is next to zero in terms of the market for developing tanks.

 

- total fiasco. Nothing is done for years. Just some small quantity of BW film which is questionable for origin by some small film makers I know.

 

- Almost no film cameras where made new. One Nikon SLR, plastic Lomo, hundreds  of film Leica per year and some LF per order. Most desirable film cameras haven't been made for long enough time to have them disappearing from market due to worn out, no service and it is the only reason why. Less cameras for less users. This is why prices going up. Less and less cameras are available for sale.

Yet, Cosina quit from film cameras making in 2017. Why? No sales, I guess. Cameraquest and BH still have them for sale. Nobody is rushing to buy them.

 

- very tiny demand it seems. Niche products.

 

 

Here is what happening not in the internet, but in the real world. Where I'm only small and few labs are remaining. Walmart quit film in 2015. If you want to process slide film in Canada where are about... three labs doing it now.

On previous week I was at the camera store where they still doing C-41. They told to another customer what 99% of the film they are getting to develop is old, forgotten film which is getting discovered accidentally.

Only few film supplies stores left where I'm and they are shrinking shelf sizes and products range, quantity. The only growing part is darkroom enlargers, more and more comes for sale, for less and less money. Or for free. This year I have seen Leica enlarger and copy stand for small money. Nobody wanted it here. 

Fuji is cutting manufacturing of film brands. Their Instax products are collecting dust in the stores. Kodak consumer division was sold to some strange group. They hijacked price on film to absurd levels first and in 2017 they did same terrible overpricing with chemicals. And it has nothing to do with demand, but the greed.

 

Here is no APUG.org anymore, not enough subscribers across the globe for film only forum. To stay afloat they converted to something named like fartio and it is digital, hybrid since August of 2017.     

 

That's a bit off topic here (might be an interesting new thread :)), but I tend to disagree with you here from what I am seeing in my photography circle. You captured several bullet points worthwhile to discuss, I will reply to a few of them: I see that prices for high end enlargers are rising since 1-2 years - and I am not referring to the old or nearly broken down ones. I refer to large Beseler ones which fit 4x5" negative size and enlarger lenses as well matching this negative size. There is clearly a demand now - I heard that there is at least one company out there here in the US which specializes to buy these kind of enlargers and ship them over to Europe due to low availability there. This business wouldn't exist if there wasn't any demand.

 

I am teaching in selected areas of photography (at the East Coast of the US), and I have started since last year to include film development and printing from negatives in some of my courses - and I was surprised to see how much interest this captured. Especially younger amateur photographers start shooting with film again and learn the old techniques. This is still a niche of course, but it is a slowly and steadily growing one. 

 

I am part of several photography groups - one of them is a fine arts group with a mix of professional and hobbyists. About 20% in this group shoot film including small, medium, and large format. Age-wise, this 20% is a broad mix of people in their 30s to > 60s. But all film shooters do this as a hobby, not as professional photography. All professional photographers which I personally know shoot digital (even online I see that some do weddings now back with film photography to provide something "special").  

 

Regarding film, several companies mentioned above announced to make film, but as you said the quantity is very limited at this point. Same did just a week ago a Russian company which was even mentioned on dpreview (also with very small quantity). Nevertheless, it sets a sign - all this wouldn't be done if there is no seen demand in film in the market. Also look at the profitability numbers of Fuji - big part of it was related to their traditional film-based instant camera and regular film business. It is still a long way to go before film gets a lot more profitable, but the industry is in the beginning of a recovery IMO. 

 

There is still an excess of film cameras to choose from, especially SLRs can be obtained for fairly low prices. As I said, film is still a niche and likely not profitable enough yet for camera manufacturers to vest in bringing new models out since the photo market in general is struggling. I don't think that prices for M film Leicas go up due to lower availability since they might break down now - most of them can be still fixed. There is clearly higher demand in them which moves prices up for higher end camera gear - best of luck finding now a Leica M6 in EX condition below $1K online. But this was the case over 2 years ago. 

 

APUG is still there, only the address changed with the digital merger. But let's be honest - do you think that most readers were actual subscribers? It was a freebie for most participants, so it is tough for the owner of the site to make business from a well run online forum. Still, nothing has changed in its content - you can still opt out of seeing the digital part if you like. I don't find this change a biggie. 

Edited by Martin B
  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

That's a bit off topic here (might be an interesting new thread :)), but I tend to disagree with you here from what I am seeing in my photography circle. You captured several bullet points worthwhile to discuss, I will reply to a few of them: I see that prices for high end enlargers are rising since 1-2 years - and I am not referring to the old or nearly broken down ones. I refer to large Beseler ones which fit 4x5" negative size and enlarger lenses as well matching this negative size. There is clearly a demand now - I heard that there is at least one company out there here in the US which specializes to buy these kind of enlargers and ship them over to Europe due to low availability there. This business wouldn't exist if there wasn't any demand.

 

I am teaching in selected areas of photography (at the East Coast of the US), and I have started since last year to include film development and printing from negatives in some of my courses - and I was surprised to see how much interest this captured. Especially younger amateur photographers start shooting with film again and learn the old techniques. This is still a niche of course, but it is a slowly and steadily growing one. 

 

I am part of several photography groups - one of them is a fine arts group with a mix of professional and hobbyists. About 20% in this group shoot film including small, medium, and large format. Age-wise, this 20% is a broad mix of people in their 30s to > 60s. But all film shooters do this as a hobby, not as professional photography. All professional photographers which I personally know shoot digital (even online I see that some do weddings now back with film photography to provide something "special").  

 

Regarding film, several companies mentioned above announced to make film, but as you said the quantity is very limited at this point. Same did just a week ago a Russian company which was even mentioned on dpreview (also with very small quantity). Nevertheless, it sets a sign - all this wouldn't be done if there is no seen demand in film in the market. Also look at the profitability numbers of Fuji - big part of it was related to their traditional film-based instant camera and regular film business. It is still a long way to go before film gets a lot more profitable, but the industry is in the beginning of a recovery IMO. 

 

There is still an excess of film cameras to choose from, especially SLRs can be obtained for fairly low prices. As I said, film is still a niche and likely not profitable enough yet for camera manufacturers to vest in bringing new models out since the photo market in general is struggling. I don't think that prices for M film Leicas go up due to lower availability since they might break down now - most of them can be still fixed. There is clearly higher demand in them which moves prices up for higher end camera gear - best of luck finding now a Leica M6 in EX condition below $1K online. But this was the case over 2 years ago. 

 

APUG is still there, only the address changed with the digital merger. But let's be honest - do you think that most readers were actual subscribers? It was a freebie for most participants, so it is tough for the owner of the site to make business from a well run online forum. Still, nothing has changed in its content - you can still opt out of seeing the digital part if you like. I don't find this change a biggie. 

 

The enlargers I see for sale or for free aren't broken one. They are not something made in fifties, either. My 4x5 Omega 5D XL is in totally working and clean order costs me ... 100 CAD and nobody wanted it for months before me.

Toronto Ryerson University is closing all darkrooms, yet, they are teaching photography, but digitally.  Dozen of high end enlargers was dumped on dumpster recently in another Canadian large city at one of the Atlantic province.

 

I'm not part of any photography group.  In fourth largest by population area in North America I see less than dozen people per year who are actually using film cameras as me, on streets and events.

 

Prices of film M Leicas are not going up, they are going down and steady for five years. I don't remember M6 to be even close to 1K$ for last five years.  It was how M2, M3 where priced, not they are sold well under 1K$ and after CLA. M7 has dripped in price significantly. 

Only Leica made old lenses prices are going up because of interest in them by digital cameras users and collectors.

Leica stopped repairs of some M6 exposure electronics. Some basic parts like diodes are not available anymore. In my area two Leica technicians passed away in 2016, only one left and he is re-fixing my M4-2 since March 2017 and not taking any new repairs.

In USA basically three independent people left. One is Ye who if can't fix something complicated sends it to DAG. And then Sherrie with some not so positives reports growing.

 

Yes, SLRs are still for sale. But many of them now needs CLA or repairs. And those are units with up to thousand parts in them. It is not economically viable as business and parts are not available from manufacturers anymore.

 

Russian company is typical internet bias, dpreivew already recognized and deleted it. I know this as insider. It is one Moscow guy who has assess to coating machine and chemicals. Then I was in Moscow for two weeks in late 2016 I wasn't able to buy it from him. The operator of coating machine was sick. I was offered two rolls of his film by another film user, yet, he told me, be aware - coating is reported to have holes. It is one person not for profit afar,  he makes very small quantities of film missing anti-halo layer. Sounds like gone for good Polypan F 50, isn't it?

Here is not Shostka or Svema film made, either, for years, I have no idea where this scam is coming from on the market. Another re-packaging. 

 

BH has stopped shipping of many film chemicals in 2016. In store pickup only. Here is one guy company in Quebec who is still shipping. But this is it for on-line and reasonable shipping for me. If he quits and three remaining in GTA stores with chemicals on shelfs quits, the only option I'll have is to drive to BH in NY.  Or do my own chemicals or ask another film buddy in Moscow. Also one guy show who does film chemicals and ships them to North America. Sounds like plenty of choices :), but it is how niche products are exists. This is what film has become and this is where film is going to stay.

Edited by Ko.Fe.
Link to post
Share on other sites

....... It has problems too. No combination of the BEOON extension tubes will let it focus on the negative to fill the APSC frame of the Fuji camera I use. (I eventually found a 40mm helical extension tube that works.) And the BEOON has no mask for any MF format and no good way to handle MF negatives or to hold them flat.

I'm currently digitising MF with a Fuji XT-1 and Beoon. I use a Rodagon WA 40mm and 3rd party rings. To keep the negative flat I use the black card mounts that were a requisite years back when submitting to libraries. These mask off the negative perfectly, and have sufficient size for the Beoon to sit on, thus keeping it all flat.

 

The resultant scan obviously doesn't equal my Minolta MultiPro scanner in either IQ or size, but for web sharing the difference is negligible.

 

Without the facility of spare parts, repair or service I need to be conservative in the use of the film scanner and the Beoon is a perfect alternative. That's why I bought it and it works.

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

almoore - As you say, it's a well made copy stand. While there are obvious alternatives, the BEOON is as close as you can get to a turnkey solution to camera scanning of 35mm film with a digital M camera. You put your camera on the stand, use the 1:1 mask and attach an M-mount lens or an M39 amount enlarger lens...the BEOON has increased in price because relative few were made and few are left for sale...

Thanks, I wasn't sure if I was missing some special voodoo. How much do these things sell for?

 

Regarding the use of an enlarging lens, although Schneider and Rodenstock are the obvious choices, I'd recommend people keep an eye open for the 50mm Durst Neonon. It's at least as good as the German options and probably selling at a much lower price due to the lack of 'name'.

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks, I wasn't sure if I was missing some special voodoo. How much do these things sell for?

Regarding the use of an enlarging lens, although Schneider and Rodenstock are the obvious choices, I'd recommend people keep an eye open for the 50mm Durst Neonon. It's at least as good as the German options and probably selling at a much lower price due to the lack of 'name'.

UK I purchased for £200, complete less loupe.
Link to post
Share on other sites

Guest Nowhereman

altmoore - I bought one a year ago from a forum member for US$200 (complete and in perfect condition functionally and cosmetically). Two weeks ago I decided to get a second one that I could leave at home in the States while taking and keeping the new one  in Thailand.

 

First, I lost an eBay auction bidding to US$256, with the winner getting it at US$265. Then, I saw one having a "buy now" price of US$495 — it was described as being in mint condition, being sold by the original owner. I offered $265, which the seller rejected saying he had already rejected an offer of US$300: it was sold a couple days later at the asking price.

 

Then, I saw a BEOON just three minutes after it was listed, being offered for US$159. I bought it immediately: it's in the same excellent condition as my other one, but has the original box and instruction manual, which are not of importance to me. 

 

Earlier in this thread someone said he had an extra unit that he could sell.

_________________

Link to post
Share on other sites

 

Edward - In the latest postings you're getting good colors from color negatives — not the ones of the Luang Prabang temples with the extreme blue skies — but the ones after that, which have more natural skies: how do your processing of the Ektar scans?

_________________

 

I am guilty of overdoing the skies with Ektar as this is how it looks like when printed at a minilab. In fact the colors are much more subdued in my 16bit raw scans with Nikon Scan 4, which I basically post process in ACR.

 

Previously I used Silverfast, but somehow I don't like the color negative profiles for the Nikon scanner.

Link to post
Share on other sites

The enlargers I see for sale or for free aren't broken one. They are not something made in fifties, either. My 4x5 Omega 5D XL is in totally working and clean order costs me ... 100 CAD and nobody wanted it for months before me.

Toronto Ryerson University is closing all darkrooms, yet, they are teaching photography, but digitally.  Dozen of high end enlargers was dumped on dumpster recently in another Canadian large city at one of the Atlantic province.

 

I'm not part of any photography group.  In fourth largest by population area in North America I see less than dozen people per year who are actually using film cameras as me, on streets and events.

 

Prices of film M Leicas are not going up, they are going down and steady for five years. I don't remember M6 to be even close to 1K$ for last five years.  It was how M2, M3 where priced, not they are sold well under 1K$ and after CLA. M7 has dripped in price significantly. 

Only Leica made old lenses prices are going up because of interest in them by digital cameras users and collectors.

Leica stopped repairs of some M6 exposure electronics. Some basic parts like diodes are not available anymore. In my area two Leica technicians passed away in 2016, only one left and he is re-fixing my M4-2 since March 2017 and not taking any new repairs.

In USA basically three independent people left. One is Ye who if can't fix something complicated sends it to DAG. And then Sherrie with some not so positives reports growing.

 

Yes, SLRs are still for sale. But many of them now needs CLA or repairs. And those are units with up to thousand parts in them. It is not economically viable as business and parts are not available from manufacturers anymore.

 

Russian company is typical internet bias, dpreivew already recognized and deleted it. I know this as insider. It is one Moscow guy who has assess to coating machine and chemicals. Then I was in Moscow for two weeks in late 2016 I wasn't able to buy it from him. The operator of coating machine was sick. I was offered two rolls of his film by another film user, yet, he told me, be aware - coating is reported to have holes. It is one person not for profit afar,  he makes very small quantities of film missing anti-halo layer. Sounds like gone for good Polypan F 50, isn't it?

Here is not Shostka or Svema film made, either, for years, I have no idea where this scam is coming from on the market. Another re-packaging. 

 

BH has stopped shipping of many film chemicals in 2016. In store pickup only. Here is one guy company in Quebec who is still shipping. But this is it for on-line and reasonable shipping for me. If he quits and three remaining in GTA stores with chemicals on shelfs quits, the only option I'll have is to drive to BH in NY.  Or do my own chemicals or ask another film buddy in Moscow. Also one guy show who does film chemicals and ships them to North America. Sounds like plenty of choices :), but it is how niche products are exists. This is what film has become and this is where film is going to stay.

 

Our opinions differ here, and it might indeed be affected by regional differences in the market. I can only tell from my area here at the US East Coast close to NYC and back in Germany. In Germany the big majority of drugstores still accept and use outside labs to develop submitted film (also B&W!). B&H does not home-deliver liquid chemicals anymore (e.g. stopper solutions) due to liability reasons in the shipping process. Others do - e.g. Freestyle in CA. But I have no trouble getting powder-based packed chemicals like fixer or Hyper Wash from B&H, too. 

 

Regarding enlargers, I have seen Beseler 45MXT models going online for $500-1000 in very good condition depending on head type and accessories. Prices on Craigslist went up for these models in the past few years. Regarding Leica M6, you see more common prices in the US market now around $1200 but not below $1K anymore. Also the prices for M7 have not decreased. Servicing of Leica cameras is a big issue in general here in North America. But it seems the few third party repair services make a nice income from it....

 

In practical terms, I have no limitations getting film and paper for film-based photography (plus chemicals) - even 4x5" film negatives are offered in a good variety still. Most 35mm film I can get as 100' roll, too. Even if film remains a niche next to digital, it is a lot of fun to keep going with it :)

  • Like 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

All I can say is that my Imacon Precision II (before the software upgrade to III) started occasionally buckling the slide holders within 3 months of when I purchased it new; by 6 months it went in for warranty service — as I recall it was sent back to Denmark by the dealer. After that I moved the machine to Thailand and continued to to have the same feed problems which occurred randomly but fairly frequently. With no local service at that time sending it back to Denmark for paid service was too expensive. Then I stopped shooting film in 2006-16. Getting it running in December 2016, the feed problems were more frequent and, culminated in the problem of losing focus on the trading edge of the frame. I found the solution to that on the excellent Imacon support forum on Yahoo — on which I also found that other people were having the same problem, which required frequent belt and spring replacement. Neither my problems in this respect, nor those of the people on the Yahoo Imacon group were imaginary. 

_________________

Alone in Bangkok essay on BURN Magazine

I don't doubt your experience, I don't agree with your implication that it is universal or definitive, because it isn't.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...