What scanner?

[fabian628]

Ive got the v700 which i think does a good job. It isnt cheap but can do medium format as well. I think the cheaper v500 can only do 35mm and medium format (?) so this might be an option if you have no large format to scan.

I have seen a contraption where someone used a dslr to 'scan' slides/negatives. From what I recall they use a tele lens with extension tubes, but i think a macro lens like the 60mm macro would work very well due to the purposely built flat image it produces. If you could get a good system going it would be much faster than scanning.

[Tom J McDonald]

If you just want 35mm go straight for a Plustek. Don't mess with the Epsons coz they are crap for 35mm.

[ameerat42]

If you just want 35mm go straight for a Plustek. Don't mess with the Epsons coz they are crap for 35mm.

(Preface: Gee, this is an old thread, but I guess people still read it.)

Tom, I might be feeling your pain a bit as I have a V700 and found the scanning of 35mm negs a bit fiddly with the carriers. But some expansion of your particular gripe would probably be of some use in this thread.

And Fabian, your...

...v700 which i think does a good job. It isnt cheap but can do medium format as well...

can go better: it does 8x10 inch

[fillum]

I have no experience with them, but just to let you know there are a few other Epson models: http://www.epson.com.au/products/scanner/


Cheers.

[ameerat42]

GAWRSH! This is a bitter va shock!! The price of

$949 RRP inc GST.

Five years ago I paid only $700 for the V700.

(Hey, what about that A3 scanner for a cool $6265!!??!!)

[Maz1]

Best price so far is $795 Bing Lee.

[blacktop]

CPL Computers are the cheapest
V500 = 325
V700 = 725

I've done a lot of research and I'm still lost, I've heard bad things about flatbeds and 35mm, and I've had some well respected people tell me that an old Canon/Nikon/Minolta/Kodak dedicated film scanner will still blow any flatbed out of the game.

My problem is most of those cheaper old dedicated scanners run only on Windows 98, I haven't used win98 since 2001! I do have a PC set up with XP, but then I'm told you have all sorts of problems with drivers and software incompatibility issues...

I'm at a point where I'm willing to part with about $1k, but when I look you can't find much apart from a flatbed for $1k, the Plustek come in under $1k but then they only do slides and 35mm, I'm not yet into medium or large format, but I am planning on getting there at some stage, and when I do that will make the Plustek all but pointless.

the Nikons that everyone raves about still go for stupid amounts on Ebay, but thats what I would like, as I can then future proof my photo scanning...

So in short I'm stuck, not willing to go over $1k, can't get much for less (that doesn't require an old PC anyway) want something that does large format, brings me back to spending over $1k...

I'm too impatient to wait for one to come up on ebay as well, since I've been looking (2 months) only 3 options have come up, all selling for more than what I was willing to pay, apart from a CanoScan that I forgot to bid on.

[ameerat42]

Well, while the world waits, take a leaf out of Chimbu's book. Look at his thread here. And he's only using a P+S camera.

Do you have one that does RAW? Knock up a rig, use some macro lenses, and bingo... (maybe).
Am.