What a drag, but this is already useful info. I'm hoping for some published review so better to assess the typical user experience.
There seem to be a number of people posting image samples over at RangefinderForum (RFF) on a couple of different threads, but there's a lot of anti-Plustek rhetoric and big egos, too, so the signal to noise ratio is low, IMO. If you can wade through the noise, there is some useful info over at RFF.
The images I have seen from "good" scanners look promising resolution-wise. But it appears there's at least one European user who is seeing similar issues to what I saw.
I'm also working on setting up objective (standards-based) resolution and Dmax/DR measurements. I didn't get around to that with the Plustek before it went back. There will be comparisons (fingers crossed) to the V750 and the LS-9000.
Even though I don't have any detailed image samples, etc. I thought I'd share my overall impressions:
-- For anyone who hasn't used it before, the interface for Silverfast 8 is much improved over Silverfast 6.6, IMO. All the same functions are there, but cleaner and a bit better organized.
-- Silverfast still has some UI issues with thumbnailing all of the frames of the holder (this process is similar to the way the LS-9000 does it in Silverfast) and some problems with batch scanning. There's a work-around described on Plustek's blog for batch scanning, until Silverfast gets their software straightened out.
-- I'm really impressed with the design of the negative holders. Each frame is supported on all 4 edges of the frame, top and bottom. There have been a lot of people concerned about lack of a glass holder, but I really don't see how one would be necessary. Curled film will be held flat. I really think a glass holder would only be necessary if you have warped/buckled film. I'll admit, though, I don't have a lot of "difficult" film. It would be difficult to retrofit glass, there's not a lot of slop in the fit of the negative holders, even just for glass on top. 2-piece glass would require serious carving up of the neg holders. A glass holder insert would have to be designed from the ground up.
-- The negative holders have magnetic closures, instead of snap-latch or friction latch, like the LS-9000 or the Epson V750 MF holders. This is preferable to me, IMO. The adjustable frame supports are nice. The 6x7 holder is just a mm or 2 too short to fit 3 frames from my GS-1, so the edges get trimmed just a bit, but it has generous inter-frame spacing, other 6x7's might not have an issue. I've pointed this out to Plustek. I also think that it might be possible to modify it to get a couple more mm. The MF holders cover the entire height of the frame, so you can get a bit of black border when scanning, but definitely not edge markings. I didn't think to check the 35mm strip holder in that regard.
-- The 35mm slide holder is designed to compensate for different slide mount thicknesses. The slide is held between up- and down-facing wedges so that it it always centered at the image plane. It's difficult to describe, but it makes total sense when you see it. There's a touch too much pressure...it causes 1.2mm Pakon DIY mounts to flex a bit, but I didn't see that with 1.4mm plastic machine mounts or older cardboard mounts.
-- I don't have objective scan time measurements, but it felt reasonable. Not painfully slow, not lightning fast.
That's all I can think of at the moment. I can't wait to get my scanner back and for things to slow down around here to start playing with it some more.
--Greg