Should I replace my Epson 4870

[Deborah Wesley]

My Epson 4870 has been a workhorse and is still functioning fine. I did have a slight mechanical issue with it last year (the carriage was hanging on return), but I was able to resolve the problem. I use my scanner for personal use - I am a photography hobbyist and passionate family historian.

As the family historian I have inherited the family photos from all sides. I have the typical mix of sides, negatives, and photos, spanning from the late 1800s to the early 2000s. Perhaps 5000 slides. Maybe 50,000 photos plus negatives in most (but not all) cases.As you would expect I have photos and negatives in all sizes and types. While over the years I have scanned "this and that", I have barely scratched the surface. I have decided it it time to aggressively organize, scan, and then distribute the "wealth" with family.

I am considering if I should dig in with my 4870, or if I should treat myself to an Epson V850. Obviously I am going to invest thousands of hours into this project. So if I was ever going to replace my scanner, now would seem to be the time. It is not my goal to have "perfect pixels." Franky, I am not sure I am discerning enough to see the differences sometimes. And I am sure most of my cousins are not. I do want to have decent scans of course. Many photos need color correction. I have intermediate skills in LIghtroom and Photoshop.I am willing to do some post-processing there, but with the number of photos I am looking at I need to establish a reasonable workflow and make choices that allow me to complete the project.

So my question - is there a noticeable speed advantage with the v850 over my 4870? Would a "mere mortal" like myself get better results "straight from the scanner" withe the V850? If so, would it be across the range of material I have to scan - or is the advantage more evident with sides? Or negaitves? Old photos? Newer photos?

Thank you for your insight. Happy New Year to all.

 

[jeffreyg]

I would keep the 4870. I had one that worked very well with no problems for many years until it was fried by a lightening strike outside our house. I replaced it with a V850 which also works very well. I use SilverFast Studio so I had to replace that. It also took out my computer which I replaced. The negative holders for the 850 are different and with 120 film only hold one strip of three exposures so my previous strips of four have to be cut. The 4870 film holders don't work with the 850. Actually I like the old holders better. I haven't really noticed a difference in the scans. You can put the negatives just on the glass but I prefer a holder. I suggest if it isn't broken and you are pleased with the results, use it until you have to replace it.

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/

http://sculptureandphotography.com/

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

I had a V600 for ten years which handled my 35mm and 6x7 film, and photos It served me very well. I now have a V850 because I took up 4x5 large format. One advantage of upgrading is I don't believe your scanner has ICE for photos. It might not have it for film either but I don't know the 4870. The V850 also has two sets of film holders. That could speed up production as you could be preparing the next set to scan while the existing film holder is working. The V850 film holders also are height adjustable which improves focus and resolution and sharpness.

 

[winger]

First off - good luck with your project! Much luck, in fact. I'm not quite in the same boat, but I do have a 4870 and a small pile of family negatives and slides. But I scanned most of mine a few years ago. I've held off upgrading, but I know I'll need to if mine dies. Since I haven't seen that there will be anything after the V850, I've been tempted to buy one just in case. My 4870 is about 15 years old and I can't even guess how much I've scanned with it. I've definitely gotten my money's worth. I'm not impressed with the number of frames the holders can handle for the V850, but I guess I'd have to deal.
@Alan Edward Klein - the 4870 does have ICE for scanning film, but it's only good for color.

 

[4season]

If the 4870 uses a CCFL (Cold Cathode Fluorescent Light) tube for illumination, then yes I'd consider upgrading to V850 with it's LED light source, because CCFL adds several seconds per scan for the CCFL to warm up.