Flatbed Scanners

Here's a V600 disassembly guide which may be helpful:

https://www.photo.net/forums/topic/517706-epson-v600-glass-cleaning/

I haven't used a V600, but have performed my own V700 maintenance, including CLA of the main scanner mechanism, cleaning the inside of the scanner glass, and CLA of the transparency unit/lid. It wasn't particularly difficult as these things go.

Alan Edward Klein said:

Let;s trust that Epson will return the repaired scanner in the same type of shipping carton they send their new ones.

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Alan Edward Klein said:

Epson will also verify that his two-year-old unit is working properly in all areas after they clean the whole unit.

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LOL right.

I have seen very good reviews on the Canon Lide 400 Scanner which comes for under 100 Bucks.
Some report issues with the driver/software on Win 11, though.
Anyone got experience with that one? The 4800dpi seem very nice, especially for enlarging smaller prints.
I am going to use it so scan some solargraphs, if nothing better comes around but i haven't pucrchased it yet.

Welcome to Photrio @Synthon!

Synthon said:

The 4800dpi seem very nice

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There's no way this flatbed scanner will actually realize 4800dpi. Epson's 4800-6400dpi models max out at 2100-2400dpi of somewhat softish resolution. The Canon won't be much better; likely a little less. The old but quite popular Canoscan 9000F managed about 1700dpi (from a nominal 4800). I see no reason to expect the modern variant will perform any better.

Fortunately, your solargraphs are likely on formats much larger than a 35mm film frame, which means that even a scan resolution of, say, 1200dpi will likely be more than you'll ever need.

Keep in mind that most of the discussion on this forum w.r.t. flatbed scanners will revolve around their use as film/transparency scanners. The Canon LiDE400 AFAIK is a document/reflective scanner exclusively. This is perfectly fine for your solargraphs on paper, of course.

I have a 750V. I regularly remove the panel which contains the bottom glass for cleaning, and when I want to wet mount large format negatives. Four screws hidden under plastic caps. Easy.

koraks said:

Welcome to Photrio @Synthon!


There's no way this flatbed scanner will actually realize 4800dpi. Epson's 4800-6400dpi models max out at 2100-2400dpi of somewhat softish resolution. The Canon won't be much better; likely a little less. The old but quite popular Canoscan 9000F managed about 1700dpi (from a nominal 4800). I see no reason to expect the modern variant will perform any better.

Fortunately, your solargraphs are likely on formats much larger than a 35mm film frame, which means that even a scan resolution of, say, 1200dpi will likely be more than you'll ever need.

Keep in mind that most of the discussion on this forum w.r.t. flatbed scanners will revolve around their use as film/transparency scanners. The Canon LiDE400 AFAIK is a document/reflective scanner exclusively. This is perfectly fine for your solargraphs on paper, of course.

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Thanks for the advice koraks! I already found those numbers suspicious. Guess i will look around some more to find a good scanner on a budget, that still runs on Win 10/11, maybe with third party drivers.
1200-1800dpi is enough to enlarge a 13x18cm Paper to DIN A3 anyways.

You are right, the Lide 400 is a reflective scanner only, but marketed for scanning photos and artworks very well and not just documents. I have seen a review by an artist with great results, but he is an artist and probably doesn't know too much about the hardware.
As for the forum, i thought so much but this thread started as a discussion about scanning photos, not film. So i guess i was right to post in this thread in particular.

Synthon said:

So i guess i was right to post in this thread in particular.

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You're right, and even if you weren't, you still were entirely free to post it anyway!

Here is a question for Koraks or others , I have a Creo Eversmart Supreme in repair, and in the past have seen very good scans off this unit. I also have a mint wet mount station
for this unit which I never used to this point - do you think I will get apparently sharper superior scans by wet mounting film and trans to the unit and why?

The Epson V600 (BTW, I have a V750) can easily be user-serviced insofar as removing the platen glass to interrogate a speck of dust. That said, you will be de-specking large scans as a matter of routine (oh, the fun, fun, fun!), and dust is inevitable; even new scanners, like new cameras, have it!

EPSON? Eugh. EPSON is most unlikely to come to your rescue over the issue of a speck of dust. I venture to suggest they'd bring up the DIY route, viz...

...On the platten fascia in each corner are very low profile black plugs. Using a scalpel blade (thick No. 4 handle with radiused No. 23 blade), lever the blade under the plug and gently wiggle it up around the circumference and up and out. Below is a Phillips head screw. Unscrew and repeat for each corner. Lift the platten fascia off and set the glass aside e.g. on a towel. No fingerpoken und mittengrappen at the scanner innards!

It is important to work in a known dust-free environment; anywhere else and you will simply add more dust into the area where dust should not be.

Ideally the glass should be laid on an antistatic cloth. If not, put on antistatic cotton gloves and use a spray antistatic (e.g. Ilford's); wait a few seconds then again with a clean antistatic and (critically) lint-free cloth, wipe the glass down in single strokes (not circular) until all of the surface has been wiped. Do the same with the other side. Finish off with a blower brush (either hand blower or compressed air).

As the glass is carefully placed back down onto the cabinet, use a few more jets of air on the underside before sealing it down. Replace the screws and, your choice, either replace the plastic plugs or leave them aside.