newbie advise on scanners

soulstar89 · Dec 2, 2015

Hi guys im new to this forum so firstly hello form london england!!!

now. Ive been doing research on purchasing a scanner for home use as i have recently got into film photography and very quickly discovered process and scan services from a mount up fast. I have purchased my developing equipment and now im looking for a scanner.

i shoot both 35mm and medium format. nikon, olympus and mamiya rz67.

i have looked at the v700,v800, v850. i have read the limit of the dpi is 2400 and they excel in medium format but lack in 35mm.

i looked through this forum before i posted to get some help but im still so lost.

i have a seller who is offering the v700 for around £250. from reading in depth reviews from filmscanner.com silverfast ai makes a massive difference in quality.

my end product will be both prints and web. im currently working on a project which i wish to exhibit so a scanner is much needed.

advise and help would be very much welcome.

would it be worth going the flat bed route or spending more on a film scanner?

artobest · Dec 2, 2015

The Epson V700/750/800 are excellent scanners for medium format. Using a custom film holder, like a betterscanning.com holder that allows you to adjust the film height very precisely to match the scanner's focus point, you can get results that aren't far off drum scans; some here will scoff, but I know what I can achieve with mine, given a well-exposed negative. Also, that 2400 dpi figure is based on imperfect testing with the rubbish OEM holders, so take it with a grain of salt. Incidentally, I like the softer, less highly collimated light from my V750 in comparison to the newer machines, but tastes vary.

However, scanning with a flat bed is quite fiddly, and for 35mm I would definitely recommend a film scanner. These are generally faster to use and usually have better film holders. Also, the smaller format exposes the flat beds' weaknesses more blatantly - these include obvious chromatic aberration (easily fixed, but it adds to post-processing time). If you are shooting black and white, this is not an issue, of course - simply scan as positive, invert and isolate the green channel for maximum sharpness.

Here's a large scan from a piece of 6x6 film: https://www.flickr.com/photos/61171860@N05/15729181753/sizes/o/

soulstar89 · Dec 2, 2015

artobest said:
The Epson V700/750/800 are excellent scanners for medium format. Using a custom film holder, like a betterscanning.com holder that allows you to adjust the film height very precisely to match the scanner's focus point, you can get results that aren't far off drum scans; some here will scoff, but I know what I can achieve with mine, given a well-exposed negative. Also, that 2400 dpi figure is based on imperfect testing with the rubbish OEM holders, so take it with a grain of salt. Incidentally, I like the softer, less highly collimated light from my V750 in comparison to the newer machines, but tastes vary.

However, scanning with a flat bed is quite fiddly, and for 35mm I would definitely recommend a film scanner. These are generally faster to use and usually have better film holders. Also, the smaller format exposes the flat beds' weaknesses more blatantly - these include obvious chromatic aberration (easily fixed, but it adds to post-processing time). If you are shooting black and white, this is not an issue, of course - simply scan as positive, invert and isolate the green channel for maximum sharpness.

Here's a large scan from a piece of 6x6 film: https://www.flickr.com/photos/61171860@N05/15729181753/sizes/o/

thank you for your informative reply. i read on a review about that film holder as well as the drastic difference using the 3.5mm riser included with the epson.

the problem is i will be shooting more 35mm in the long run. i got the rz67 for my project and will probably sell it after. ive taken it out to shoot street and some protests but realistically it to much of a beast lol.

so if i wanted a scanner which excelled in both 35mm and medium format what would be the options?

your scan shows great detail.

artobest · Dec 3, 2015

If you want a scanner that excels at both formats, then you will need to spend a lot more than you probably paid for your camera. Both Plustek and Reflecta/Braun make decent 135/120 scanners, but for £££. Older models from Nikon and Minolta can be had on eBay at a premium. You might be best getting that deal on the V700 and sell it on when you no longer need it. Then invest the money in a Reflecta 35mm scanner - these are nice machines that will give you all the resolution you will ever need from that format. By the way, if you're using the RZ67 hand-held, then resolution isn't an issue for you, as shooting technique will play a much bigger role in ultimate image quality than scanning ever will.

soulstar89 · Dec 3, 2015

artobest said:
If you want a scanner that excels at both formats, then you will need to spend a lot more than you probably paid for your camera. Both Plustek and Reflecta/Braun make decent 135/120 scanners, but for £££. Older models from Nikon and Minolta can be had on eBay at a premium. You might be best getting that deal on the V700 and sell it on when you no longer need it. Then invest the money in a Reflecta 35mm scanner - these are nice machines that will give you all the resolution you will ever need from that format. By the way, if you're using the RZ67 hand-held, then resolution isn't an issue for you, as shooting technique will play a much bigger role in ultimate image quality than scanning ever will.

so when you say paying a premium would you mean more than £1500? which scanner models would be recommended?

my project is staged photography so all will be on a tripod with controlled light. i really like the output of medium format its a MASSIVE leap from 35mm. i could possibly purchase a smaller unit after project.

artobest · Dec 4, 2015

The usual suspects are the Nikon 8000/9000 and the Minolta Dimage Scan Multi Pro - all great scanners, but long out of production and in some cases requiring software hacks to run on modern machines. For the same price you can get a decent modern machine with a warranty (albeit no auto-focus). I still think the Epson is the way to go - the price is right, and, with a little learning, you can coax superb results out of it. Also, because it's medium format, you most likely won't have all that many frames to scan, so the relative inconvenience of flat-bed scanning is mitigated somewhat.

pschwart · Dec 4, 2015

I also think the Epson is worth owning since it can be used for a number of tasks, and a refurbished unit from Epson will save a lot of money. I own both a Nikon 9000 and an Epson V700. Epson scans may suffice for smaller prints, but they are not comparable to those made with the Nikon (using a glass carrier on both scanners). The Epson does a good job with large format film up to 8x10.

newbie advise on scanners

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