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Hello.

 

I'm looking at getting myself a film scanner. I want the best at the lowest price, but realise that I'll have to compromise.

 

Already have a decent flatbed scanner, but it's not suitable for stock library work.

 

I'll need it to scan both 35mm and 120 roll film.

 

Batch scanning is not required.

 

The scans are for personal work (old and new), some of which may end up here (or elsewhere).

 

I'll be using Windows 10.2 and Photoshop CS3.

 

Previously, I had used a couple of professional scanning services, but may consider the self-scanning option for those rainy days.

 

Any help or advice appreciated.

 

Phil

 

 

 

 

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I use a lightbox, copy stand, and a macro lens on my digital camera. It works a treat, and so much faster than scanning.

 

There are several threads on this topic in the Alamy forum. Try searching for slide copying or film scanning. Here's a link to one of the threads.

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You say you have a decent flatbed scanner. If it's akin to (say) the Epson V700 and upwards that will scan 120 admirably. Unfortunately, it will not perform for 35mm. Here you may look at the Konica Minolta Elite II @ 5400 dpi. These units are frequently found on eBay and will run, via VUESCAN software, on your system.

 

That's the cheaper route.

 

The alternative is the Konica Minolta Multi Pro. 35mm to medium format. Difficult to find and expensive but a lot less than the Nikon 9000 and easily a match.

 

I use all three of the above scanners (Epson v750) and can vouch for their quality. I have images with Alamy and other agencies from all three models.

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Another vote for the KM Scan Elite 5400. I recently got one of the first model, has USB & Firewire. With Vuescan I got it going in 5 minutes. It out-resolves my Coolscan 8000ED, so I'll reserve that scanner for medium format. The focus is critical on the 5400, so several tries is sometimes required to get the best scan, with the focus point moved for each try. My recent images on Alamy of the American West were done on the Minolta.

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I have a Canon FS4000US and also a duping setup using a Novoflex slide copying bellows. One thing to note about the slide scanners is that the Nikon models such as LS-5000 hold the film in a stationary position and move the sensor, in contrast to the Canon and Minolta scanners that move the film past a fixed sensor. This is the reason that the Nikon can do multipass scans and the Canon and Minolta cannot (with precision). Theoretically, this also places some limit on Canon’s infrared dust and scratch removal, FARE, in contrast to Nikon’s ICE (although I have no side-by-side comparisons to prove or disprove this).

 

Using the bellows copy setup with a digital camera, both sensor and film are in fixed positions and it’s possible to use multiple exposures for greatly increased dynamic range. There’s no dust removal, so the film needs to be clean. Depending on camera and lens, resolution can be comparable to the best desktop film scanners, and, as M. Chapman said, it’s a lot faster.

 

One of these days I intend to get a wet-mount kit from Julio Fernandez, which should improve the results from both the scanner and bellows copier.

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I bought an Illumitran off ebay for about £40 including body adapters. I built my own carriers as it came without them. It works quite well with an enlarging lens and if you have a lot to do it would be much quicker than a lightbox homebrew. There can be a bit of vignetting on 6x6 but it's fixable in LR.

I'm not confident that the 35mm. would pass QC so it would have to go the archival route.

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I have been using a Nikon 5000 ED.

The scanner is quite good, but slow.

I don't know how much they value nowadays.

NikonScan software is not supported anymore so I use VueScan instead.

£800! :o

 

 

Got mine about 2 years ago for €750Euros...Tenerife pricing :D

 

Also use it with Vuescan...

 

Phil

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Thanks for the replies and links everyone.

 

Reading around and looking about......Think I'll do what's mentioned in one of the links in another thread......Save the hassle and use a scan service.

 

A decent scanner is quite expensive ! (I've medium format film, some of which will be for a library who's technical requirements are different than here).

 

Outsourcing the scanning .........it's a good way to edit tightly.

 

Now to find a scanning service ...(previous Alamy recommended guy I used has stopped doing it. And driving to his house to drop off the films and have tea and biscuits was cheaper than using Royal Mail postage ).

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Hello.

 

I'm looking at getting myself a film scanner. I want the best at the lowest price, but realise that I'll have to compromise.

 

Already have a decent flatbed scanner, but it's not suitable for stock library work.

 

I'll need it to scan both 35mm and 120 roll film.

 

Batch scanning is not required.

 

The scans are for personal work (old and new), some of which may end up here (or elsewhere).

 

I'll be using Windows 10.2 and Photoshop CS3.

 

Previously, I had used a couple of professional scanning services, but may consider the self-scanning option for those rainy days.

 

Any help or advice appreciated.

 

Phil

Here's another vite for the Minolta Dimage 5400 [although it is 35mm only] running Vuescan from Hamrick Software

i have used it off and on since 2004 and wore it out- I found the results to be pretty good.

A German company serviced it and my impression is that it is set up better than new:

 

Electronic Repair Center

Rosenheimerstr.10

28219 Bremen

 

Tel.:  0421-52628-0

Fax:  0421-52628-111

E-Mail: repairinfo@rtc-solutions.de

 

The price of these scanners seem to be holding their own

Good luck

John

 

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Thanks for the replies and links everyone.

 

Reading around and looking about......Think I'll do what's mentioned in one of the links in another thread......Save the hassle and use a scan service.

 

A decent scanner is quite expensive ! (I've medium format film, some of which will be for a library who's technical requirements are different than here).

 

Outsourcing the scanning .........it's a good way to edit tightly.

 

Now to find a scanning service ...(previous Alamy recommended guy I used has stopped doing it. And driving to his house to drop off the films and have tea and biscuits was cheaper than using Royal Mail postage ).

 

 

Not only are film scanners expensive to buy but some need to be cleaned every year or two. Nikon charges $250 (US) to clean a 5000 ED but once you add in the cost of shipping and insurance for the replacement value, it can run considerably higher. Unless you have a lot of film to scan outsourcing may be much more cost effective.

 

fD

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Thanks for the replies and links everyone.

 

Reading around and looking about......Think I'll do what's mentioned in one of the links in another thread......Save the hassle and use a scan service.

 

A decent scanner is quite expensive ! (I've medium format film, some of which will be for a library who's technical requirements are different than here).

 

Outsourcing the scanning .........it's a good way to edit tightly.

 

Now to find a scanning service ...(previous Alamy recommended guy I used has stopped doing it. And driving to his house to drop off the films and have tea and biscuits was cheaper than using Royal Mail postage ).

 

 

Not only are film scanners expensive to buy but some need to be cleaned every year or two. Nikon charges $250 (US) to clean a 5000 ED but once you add in the cost of shipping and insurance for the replacement value, it can run considerably higher. Unless you have a lot of film to scan outsourcing may be much more cost effective.

 

fD

 

 

Repairs to my Nikon Super Coolscan 4000 cost me over $500 a couple of years ago, and it's beginning to act up again. These are high-maintenance machines.

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I have not got a macro lens yet but I do have the Nikon ES-1 Slide copier that screws directly into a Micro Nikkor lens.  I have used this with a 50mm normal lens and extension tube and this works but only for personal use and not up to QC.  For the future I would probably get the Micro Nikkor to go with the ES-1 for 35mm and use my Canoscan 9000 for medium format.  

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I have not got a macro lens yet but I do have the Nikon ES-1 Slide copier that screws directly into a Micro Nikkor lens.  I have used this with a 50mm normal lens and extension tube and this works but only for personal use and not up to QC.  For the future I would probably get the Micro Nikkor to go with the ES-1 for 35mm and use my Canoscan 9000 for medium format.  

A possibly less expensive alternative is to get an M39-to-Nikkor adapter for around $12 and use a Rodenstock Rodagon, Schneider Componon or similar enlarging lens. The Novoflex Noflexar was designed for close copy work rather than enlarging, and might be slightly better. I've got a 50mm Rodagon and find the results to be acceptable, although I haven't tried to get copies of 35mm slides past QC.

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I have not got a macro lens yet but I do have the Nikon ES-1 Slide copier that screws directly into a Micro Nikkor lens.  I have used this with a 50mm normal lens and extension tube and this works but only for personal use and not up to QC.  For the future I would probably get the Micro Nikkor to go with the ES-1 for 35mm and use my Canoscan 9000 for medium format.  

A possibly less expensive alternative is to get an M39-to-Nikkor adapter for around $12 and use a Rodenstock Rodagon, Schneider Componon or similar enlarging lens. The Novoflex Noflexar was designed for close copy work rather than enlarging, and might be slightly better. I've got a 50mm Rodagon and find the results to be acceptable, although I haven't tried to get copies of 35mm slides past QC.

 

Same here with the Illumitran, which is really just a convenience over slide copiers or lens/tube/bellows. I think the results might pass at 4000px but I'll go the archival route.

Incidentally for some reason my Sony A55 won't fire the Illumitran flash via a shoe adapter- it fires my Multiblitzes and everything else I have works with the Illumitran, just not the A55, even though I've fitted a circuit to reduce the trigger voltage. I have to use open flash. Odd.

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I think that with the film scanners getting older and not supported anymore That the DSLR copy route is the way to go.  If you have a good macro lens that could be used for other things also.  I may scan ebay for one of the Illumitran units.

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I think that with the film scanners getting older and not supported anymore That the DSLR copy route is the way to go.  If you have a good macro lens that could be used for other things also.  I may scan ebay for one of the Illumitran units.

There seem to be plenty in the US. They must have been very popular back in the day. Budget for the appropriate body and lens adapters because they've often gone adrift from the ones being dug out of storage.

There are a dozen on ebay right now. An old enlarging lens is ideal, if you have one. With a bit of DIY you can take off the bellows and use a camera lens directly- I bought some 1/4x20 UNC bolts in various lengths to mount the body directly on the column.

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I think that with the film scanners getting older and not supported anymore That the DSLR copy route is the way to go.  If you have a good macro lens that could be used for other things also.  I may scan ebay for one of the Illumitran units.

The Hassleblad Imacon is still the 'industry standard' and unbeatable. For fully professional, high quality scans for 35mm, medium format and up to 5"x 4" unbeatable. Expensive yes but we are professionals so why would we compromise and struggle? If you can't afford one then use a scanning service that does. The cheapie services don't. 

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I agree with Mark's comments. Because of a prior life in prepress/graphic arts I've had a number of drum scans made over the years, as well as desktop scans more recently. Output from the Hasselblad/Imacon scanners doesn't compare to true drum scans. Today there are no commercial clients to foot the bills and cost is very much a factor. The place I use for medium format scans has a Hasselblad X-5 and a Nikon LS9000. I don't care so much for the X-5 output, particularly with respect to shadow noise, much preferring the output from the Nikon.

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I participated in side by side tests of a Nikon LS 8000 scanner, Tango drum scanner, Imacon, Epson V800, and a Nikon 36 MP camera with macro lens on a copy stand.

 
There was a mix of 35mm, 6X7, 4X5, B&W, Kodachrome, Ektachrome, Fujichrome. It was a kind of challenge, beat this quality, amongst very experienced professional scanners and photographers. Operators knew they were being tested, and were given 3 tries to beat the best one of each round.
 
The Nikon 36 MP camera won by a long shot on all counts, and it was quicker. Scanner technology has been moribund for years. In addition a lot of scanner technology has been directed towards fast throughput and ease of operation. Not quality.
 
Here is a new hi rez camera solution worth investigating for 35mm to 4X5. Read the sales pitch if you want to know why a hi rez 35mm camera is better than a any scanner.
 
 
I have a Nikon LS 8000 scanner that I am about to stop using as a doorstop, and put in the garbage. I would not inflict it on anyone.
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