Flatbed Scanner

[Liam Bunce]

Hi all

 

Can anyone recommend a flatbed scanner that is capable of producing the quality that Alamy request, I am running W7 home premium 64 bit.

 

Liam

[ReeRay]

For 35mm - None.

 

120 and upwards Epson V700/750

[Ed Rooney]

They tell me you can get a good drum scanner for about $20,000 now. Ten or so years ago they cost $300,000. This is what they use in publishing companies. 

 

ReeRay mentioned 35mm but you didn't say which format you need to scan. If you are presently shooting 35mm film, you need to own a good film scanner.  But if you now shoot digital and just want to scan some of your better old transparencies, the most practical way to go is to buy a Nikon Coolscan 5000 (used?) or the like (a dedicated film scanner) and when you finish your scanning then sell the scanner on eBay. 

[Chuck Nacke]

For my money the CanoScan FS4000 is the best unit.  I would Love to have a NIKON 5000, but the price

is too high.  I would suggest looking for a FS4000 used and in the box with all accessories that it was sold

with for around $300.00.  I have two of them and all of the 35mm film that I have on Alamy was scanned

using the CanoScan FS4000.  I also use it with an Adaptec 1640 PCMCIA 16bit adapter.  I think it works

better than the NIKON 9000 and even though I am a dedicated F mount user, I find Canon tech support

easier to deal with than NIKON's

[Bryan]

I have used an Epson 4990 in the past and would agree with ReeRay that this type of scanner is not really suitable for 35mm scans, although fine for larger formats.

 

I have had 35 mm flatbed scans accepted by QC in the past, indeed none have failed, but I get the impression the standards have become a deal  tougher lately.

 

Some considerable while ago I paid to have a 35mm film developed and scanned professionally. The results were so much better than my flatbed scans, that I decided not to continue scanning 35mm, except for archival usage. Unfortunately the cost of using that service was prohibitive even before the days of the 60/40 split and $6.20 newspaper deals, and are now out of the question.

[Alex Ramsay]

Set up a diffused light source and photograph them with a good macro lens - or better, buy an old Illumitran (always some on ebay)

[Guest]

Only real choice for flatbeds for 35mm are the old Cezanne Elites - problem is the price unless you can find a used one that is ready to go.

 

You can pick up a drum scanner (ex print works) on Ebay for as little as £500, you'll need a few mates and a van however to move it. They pop up fairly often or search for local used equipment suppliers.

 

Unless the slides are really important and have a decent stock value, it may not be worth the bother. You can however get pretty good results via the slide copier method previously mentioned.

 

Personally I pretty much gave up on getting viable (saleable) scans from the few 35mm I had as stock. I was having 35mm slides drum scanned and the results needed to be downsized by the agencies.

[Martin P Wilson]

I use Microtec Artix 4000 Scanner. Bear in mind many film scanners used SCSi interfaces (esp ones that are cheap on

eBay)and it will be a challenge finding a suitable, and affordable, interface card with drivers that will work with a modern operating system. I have a basic old Vista PC with a similarly basic Adaptec 2940(or 2930, not sure) for when I want to dip into my archive. I use it with Vuescan. I have not submitted any scanned images to QC for over a year, most will go via Reportage/Archive - most are not really worthwhile anyway unless they have some historical interest.

 

I do find when I scan now I get better results that previously because I understand digital imaging and image files so much better than 14 years ago.

[Graham Morley]

My own experience with the Epson V750 has shown it gives excellent scans with 5x4 and roll film, but 35mm scans are marginal.  Using adjustable masks set up to provide optimum sharpness, will improve 35mm scans.  I now only use the V750 for 35mm scans for my own archival use, some of which are submitted to Alamy, via the Archival route.  

Years ago, I used an Bowens Illumitran for slide copying, and with great care could achieve good quality copies (with a Nikon F and macro lens).  However, looking at some of these copies today, I do wonder whether an Illumitran set up could produce quality to pass Alamy QC when copying 35mm originals, although this may be possible with a top-notch DSLR and macro lens.  Copies of 5x4 or roll film originals should be OK, though.

I find using a diffused light source ideal for copying old prints (with blemishes, etc), copying them with a DSLR and macro lens, using diffused NE window light, plus a reflector.  This arrangement even gives usable digital copies of prints with a lustre surface, which is impossible with a flatbed scanner.  I have only submitted scans from lustre-surfaced prints via the Archival route, though.