New photo scanner

[quasar]

Hi,

I have an Epson V750 Pro scanner to digitalize the photographs of my collection in a professional way.
I'm very pleased with the quality, but now the scanner has had its best days.
I would like to buy a new scanner with similar features.
But which scanner to buy?
I'd like to stay with Epson; it also has to be a flatbed scanner (it can have an automatic feeder, but I need the flatbed facility for old photographs on cardboard).

I looked around, but it turns out to be not so easy to find a replacement that is more or less recent (including the newest facilities, maybe with a higher speed, ...).

I found Epson V850 with similar features to V750.
However V850 dates from around 2010.
Would this be an advisable option?

I also found Epson DS 6500.
This scanner has a maximal resolution of 1200 dpi, but sometimes I need a higher resolution.
So here also I have doubts.

Would there be other alternatives?
I would appreciate the view of someone who's also digitalizing photos in high resolution.
What are you using and what would you buy if you had to replace your current scanner?

Thanks in advance!

Best regards,

quasar

 

[koraks]

Welcome aboard @quasar!

Can you specify in which sense your v750 is not meeting your requirements? I'm asking because in the flatbed domain, it's pretty much the best you can get and newer/other models are not necessarily any better than a V750 in decent condition.

It's also important to know whether you only intend to scan prints/reflective materials, or also film originals (negatives, slides).

Without going too far into solution mode yet, it may be wise to consider at this point also the obvious alternative to a scanner: a digital camera and a suitable reproduction setup. Many amateurs are now embracing this option and in the professional cultural heritage domain it has already been the de facto standard for over a decade. Personally, I would be looking in this direction, or at least include it as a real option.

This scanner has a maximal resolution of 1200 dpi, but sometimes I need a higher resolution.

Can you specify the resolution requirements for the various media you scan? I assume this relates to film as there's no real-world benefit to scanning reflective prints at such high resolutions. Please also indicate if you scan film, which film format(s) are involved.

 

[quasar]

Thanks for your reply!

Epson V750 still delivers good quality, but the scanning process sometimes is very difficult. Regularly there is a slight 'hesitation' immediately before the scan starts (as a result a photo is not correctly scanned); afterwards the scanner initiates itself. Sometimes this happens several times after oneanother. So this is what I meant with 'it has had its best days'.

As I want to buy a new scanner anyhow, I would like to know if I can make some 'progress' in comparison to V750.
That's how V850 came into the picture... but this is also not a 'recent' scanner.

I'm using the scanner for old photos.
I'm using at least 800 dpi, regularly 1200 and sometimes 2400 for very sharp photos or details.

For negatives and slides I also tried V750, but it's very time consuming.
I'm using now my Nikon D600 with a macro lens with very good result.

But for photos (on paper) I would like to continue with a real scanner.

Best regards,

quasar

 

[koraks]

Thanks; that makes things a little clearer. I'm not quite sure what's wrong with your V750, but I do understand you're looking to replace it - although there's a possibility it can be repaired, given the availability of someone willing and capable of looking at it.

The V850 will not yield noticeably better image quality in your scans. But it may be a viable replacement of the V750 if you liked what it had to offer and are just looking to replace it with something that works reliably. It's also pretty much the only alternative in its league. If you only intend to use the flatbed for reflective media, you may be satisfied with the considerably cheaper V600. If you also want to retain the possibility of scanning film at decent quality, then the V850 is virtually your only option.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

How about the Epson V19ii or v39ii It only scans photo prints but you say you're using a Camera to scan film.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1848817-REG/epson_b11b267201_perfection_v19_ii_flatbed.html

V39ii

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1763785-REG/epson_b11b268201_perfection_v39_ii_photo.html

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

How about a Canon, prints only.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1428261-REG/canon_2996c002_canoscan_lide_400_color.html

 

[jeffreyg]

Have you tried reinstalling the scanner software?

 

[quasar]

@Alan
Thanks, I will look into that.
It strikes me that those scanners are very cheap - an enormous contrast with for instance V750 and V850.
Do they (V19ii and V39ii) have enough durability to scan for years (like my V750 has done)?

@jeffreyg
Yes I tried, but without result.
Thanks for the suggestion.

Johan

 

[4season]

Epson V700-750-800-850 are all pretty similar, but the 800 series uses LED as a light source rather than CCFL, so 800-series scans should be faster, as the light source needs less time to "warm up". Here's a site which summarizes the changes:

https://timlaytonfineart.com/2025/04/26/epson-v700-vs-v750-vs-v850-film-scanners/

Although Epson does not recommend it, I feel that these scanners need occasional maintenance. To be specific, when scanning errors start happening more frequently, the linear bearings (the silver rods visible through the scanner glass) may need to be cleaned and relubricated. Only a very thin film of lubricant is needed: The bearing surfaces should appear clean and dry to the touch. If a toothed belt comes loose, it can simply be reattached, there's no specific attachment point as the system is self-aligning. I have performed this procedure on my V700 and it works perfectly now.

 

[Saganich]

If the document encroaches into the calibration area there will be odd behavior and bad scans. Sometimes this happens after you close the lid.

 

[MattKing]

Much of the cost for the Epson 750 - 850 scanners comes from the inclusion of the film scanning capability, so if you aren't using that, then any document scanner will be at least useful.
Unless you are scanning things like postage stamps, it is unlikely that you would have need for much more than 1200 ppi in a document scanner.
I actually am quite happy with the print and document scans I get from our relatively new Canon multifunction laser scanner/printer/fax machine.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

@Alan
Thanks, I will look into that.
It strikes me that those scanners are very cheap - an enormous contrast with for instance V750 and V850.
Do they (V19ii and V39ii) have enough durability to scan for years (like my V750 has done)?

@jeffreyg
Yes I tried, but without result.
Thanks for the suggestion.

Johan-

The V750 and V850 are so costly because they're made to scan film as well a photo prints. The primary quality sensor is used only when scanning film. When you use them as a photo scanner, they use the secondary, less quality sensor. So the quality should be similar to the V19ii and V39ii, which are only photo print scanners. I;ve never used them so can;t attest to their quality. BUt they do have very high resolution and also have software that gives ICE and other programs to correct for color fading, minor tears, and other damage on the prints that are repaired by the software during the scan, saving a lot of time afterwards when editing the results. Check online for the reviews of these scanners.

 

[Sirius Glass]

A used Epson V850 Pro scanner could be a good replacement.

 

[quasar]

Thanks everyone for the additional hints.

I think I certainly won't take Epson DS 6500, one of my initial possibilities.

I'll probably go for V19ii, V39ii or V850, with momentarily a slight preference for V850 as it can scan larger glass negatives (that I can't process with my Nikon D600 + macro lens + reproduction kit).

Johan

 

[250swb]

Thanks everyone for the additional hints.

I think I certainly won't take Epson DS 6500, one of my initial possibilities.

I'll probably go for V19ii, V39ii or V850, with momentarily a slight preference for V850 as it can scan larger glass negatives (that I can't process with my Nikon D600 + macro lens + reproduction kit).

Johan

If you are scanning a lot off things and want the best quality you only want to do it once because of the time it takes. A faster and better quality alternative to a new flatbed scanner whether it's an expensive or cheap is to use your Nikon D600 and macro lens. I guess you see it's limitation with the 'reproduction kit' which I take to be for 35mm only. But a good light source such as a Kaiser Slimlite Plano and a copy stand/tripod are going to be cheaper than a new scanner and allow you to scan any film format. The lens does need to be a 1+1 macro. Scans will be in fractions of a second instead of minutes, think of the time you get back. One other bit of kit you'd need is some software to invert a negative into a positive and this would typically be used as a Lightroom or Photoshop plugin but there are stand-alone programmes. For negative holders you can use your current Epson holders until you find something better.

 

[quasar]

I guess you see it's limitation with the 'reproduction kit' which I take to be for 35mm only.

Yes, the reproduction kit only works for 35 mm. But aside from 35 mm, I only rarely have to scan larger negatives or slides. Your suggestion to work with Nikon D600 and additional material would be logical indeed if I had to handle larger negatives or slides frequently. But as this is rather exceptional, I prefer to keep using V750/V850 in those cases. Yet I will keep your suggestion in mind if ever I would have to digitalize larger amounts of over 35 mm sized negatives or slides. So thanks for the suggestion.

 

[250swb]

Yes, the reproduction kit only works for 35 mm. But aside from 35 mm, I only rarely have to scan larger negatives or slides. Your suggestion to work with Nikon D600 and additional material would be logical indeed if I had to handle larger negatives or slides frequently. But as this is rather exceptional, I prefer to keep using V750/V850 in those cases. Yet I will keep your suggestion in mind if ever I would have to digitalize larger amounts of over 35 mm sized negatives or slides. So thanks for the suggestion.

But even for 35mm the D600 would be better quality and much, much faster, how much is quality important and how much is your time worth? The V700/V800 series are notoriously bad at scanning 35mm negatives, it is only with medium format that they become a reasonably good scanner. Even a Plustek 35mm scanner is miles better than a V700, and a camera scan goes beyond that.

 

[albireo]

Even a Plustek 35mm scanner is miles better than a V700, and a camera scan goes beyond that.

A GOOD camera scanning setup, perhaps. A bad one will be much worse than the Plustek and possibly even worse than a flatbed.

Variance across home-baked DSLR scanning setups is huge, variance across any two V750 or any two Plustek 8100 units is minimal, as you would expect from factory designed, calibrated, and assembled units.

 

[Alan9940]

FWIW, I saw something a few weeks ago indicating that Epson is vacating the high-end scanner market (think V850). Therefore, if the V850 is the direction you're thinking of going, you may want to look into it sooner vs later. No idea of the veracity of Epson's plans...just thought I'd mention it.

 

[John Wiegerink]

FWIW, I saw something a few weeks ago indicating that Epson is vacating the high-end scanner market (think V850). Therefore, if the V850 is the direction you're thinking of going, you may want to look into it sooner vs later. No idea of the veracity of Epson's plans...just thought I'd mention it.

Yes, I saw/read the same thing about Epson bowing out of the scanner business and decided to jump on a V850 (actually a Japanese model 980). I like everything about the scanner except the "dust magnet" negative holders/carriers.

 

[koraks]

I saw something a few weeks ago indicating that Epson is vacating the high-end scanner market (think V850).

I saw/read the same thing about Epson bowing out of the scanner business

But did that turn out to be a reliable report?

 

[Ballinderry-Michael]

I still use my 20+ years old Epson F-3200. It got a bit of a new lease of life when I switched from Epson's software (latest available versions compatible with the model) to Vuescan.

For flatbed work, I have a simple Canon USB-powered scanner which cost me less than £30 a few years ago. It can certainly manage 1200 ppi and up to A4.

That arrangement is very convenient (though I have the components of the camera set-up suggested by koraks, stored just in case).

 

[250swb]

A GOOD camera scanning setup, perhaps. A bad one will be much worse than the Plustek and possibly even worse than a flatbed.

Variance across home-baked DSLR scanning setups is huge, variance across any two V750 or any two Plustek 8100 units is minimal, as you would expect from factory designed, calibrated, and assembled units.

I was giving the benefit of the doubt to the OP and they would know what they are doing, if you think different I think you should let him know.

 

[John Wiegerink]

But did that turn out to be a reliable report?

I don't know since I stopped caring after I got the new scanner. If I didn't shoot 4X5 film and larger I would not have bought the new Epson. I can see the dedicated film scanner market drying up, but the flatbed scanner demand should be here for sometime down the road. I'm surprised Plustek is still around. Nikon, Minolta, Canon film scanners are all long gone. I have all the electrical components, like main board, CCD sensor, power board, complete RGB light module spare parts in storage just in case my Nikon LS8000 goes down again. Now that I have all those spare parts for the Nikon scanner I'm pretty sure it will never breakdown again. If I didn't have them my luck would go the other way like it did once already.

 

[koraks]

I don't know since I stopped caring after I got the new scanner.

OK, reason I asked is that the whole claim seemed to have been bogus, made up & alarmist YouTube nonsense.

Epson Denies Claim That Its CCD Film Scanners Are Approaching 'End of Life'

Epson flatly denies the claim that its flatbed CCD film scanners are approaching "end of life" and says they're still actively being made.

petapixel.com