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<p>Hello<br>

I have started photography with a Nikon D200, and then "up graded" to a Nikon D300. Around February, I could not resist<br>

and bought myself a Nikon D3 which is a FF digital camera. I was surfing in Flickr and looking at the photos, I wanted to see film camera photographs. I fell in love with almost all of them. For some reason, I could not see the depth of the photos<br>

in the digital photos, colors, saturation, contrast everything seemed to be perfect, well, almost perfect. When compared to the digital images, they have this 3D view. Digital seems to be more planar than film. I have top of the line Nikon lenses and seems like Film is more forgiving in that area as well. Recently, I bought two cameras, of course, film cameras. Nikon F5 and a Nikon F100 and will shoot slides from now on. Can anyone advise on slide scanners first hand? also, do you guys think I am out of my mind? :))<br>

Regards,</p>

<p>Serdar Yorulmaz</p>

 

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<p>The F5 and F100 are both excellent cameras, but do not qualify as "Classic Manual Cameras". Since your question is about scanners, you would probably get more results if it were moved to the Digital Darkroom Forum.</p>

<p>No, you are not out of your mind, but you are headed in that direction. Please stop back when you digress to a Nikon F.</p>

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<p>Since the guy is already here and cross posting is not allowed might as well give my 2 cents. The Nikon CoolScan scanners are top notch, so are the Minolta Dimage however prepare to spend over $400-$500 for one. If you would like to save some money, then definitely consider the Epson Photo flatbed scanners, they are the best I have seen. I purchased an Epson Perfection 4490 Photo from B&H for $89 and it handles slides and negatives(B&W or color) in both 35mm and medium format. It is a real steal. Good luck.</p>
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<p>What does it matter if you're out of your mind? Everyone here is (except me) so no one will ever notice. Except me.</p>

<p>Nothing is ever perfect. Here, we strive for, and value more highly, the almost perfect. If there were a perfect camera, and you had it, where would you find the excuse to buy this other one?</p>

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<p>Serdar-<br>

I went through this 15 years ago with digital audio. I couldn't bear to meet deadlines or budgets with analog audio tape, but there is a quality to it that can't be replicated with digital. Even my 4-track cassette recorder (at double speed and dbx noise reduction) captures something that digital can't.<br>

In the past designers of photography equipment (and audio) had more difficulty and cost in achieving technical perfection so they did more eye-balling (and ear-balling), going with what looked (and sounded) good to them.<br>

Then there's character. The best loved lenses, films, mics and speakers are not usually the most accurate, but the ones with some "character".<br>

Perhaps the older technologies produce results closer to how we remember a scene rather than how it actually is.</p>

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I bought a Canon Canoscan 8800F which works pretty well but I'm not sure that the Epson 4490 isn't a better deal, the Canon was about $179.00 US. If you think you are out of your mind, I recently picked up a Graflex Speed Graphic (4X5), bought a used Jobo reel and loader from Ebay, and picked up the sheet film holders, bought film, processed it and then realized that my scanner wont scan anything larger than 6cm (120/220). Now I have negatives that I can't print, or even digitize for web display. So yea, if you are out of your mind you are in good company.
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<p>Tom, You can scan your negatives in two passes and autostitch together. I'm sure you can figure out how to make a wider back light for your scanner, but the autostitch will work until then. You never know, you might want to make the new back light for 8x10 just in case for future use. But that might be considered totally loosing your mind.</p>
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<p> Hey Cliff, I thought about trying to make the backlight bigger (I'll have to look into it), that would be easier than having to listen to my wife's complaining if I buy another new scanner. I did scan one in two passes and stitched it together but it is going to take a little practice before it will be presentable. </p>
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<p>I am glad to see that I am not alone. The only hard part is to find slide films at local camera stores.<br>

I guess I will have to use Adorama.</p>

<p>I have tried to buy some Fuji Provia but it seems like major camera stores are<br>

out of stock. Any suggestion on good slide films? Sharp, fine grain, good color saturation?</p>

<p>thank you all for your answers.</p>

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<p>use what you enjoy using to get the results you like best</p>

<p>I have a ton old used film gear I have bought and then slid over to digital but I am about to head back to film again, call me crazy but I wont listen to that kind of dreck.</p>

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<p>Digital gives excellent results, no doubt about that. And, instant feedback so you can make changes on the fly, or show a customer previews as you go. but, I feel that film has a certain richness that digital hasn't been able to reproduce. . . yet. Film requires an understanding of the mechanics of photography, composition, and imagination to produce acceptable images. Digital should be the same but I see so many photographers using the shotgun approach, throw enough pixels at a subject and eventually some will stick to an acceptable image. And, if that isn't good enough, there's always Photoshop. There is no longer the investment in an image that there used to be.</p>

<p>I lost my Canon AE-1, all my lenses, and worse, all my images, to a flood 5 years ago. Thought it would be an opportunity to break into digital. Bought an EOS-3 and EF28-105mm with the intention of getting a 20D and EF100-400mm IS next. Loved the camera, hated the lens. I borrowed a couple other lenses during the time I owned the camera, but I was never ever happy with EF autofocus. They never seemed to focus where I wanted them to. I have since sold the EOS gear and bought a complete outfit of Canon FD gear. I may eventually get a digital camera, but for now I am more then satisfied with the process and results of film.</p>

<p>Oh, I am now shopping for a slide/negative scanner so I can e-mail, review, and store digital copies of my images. I am looking to buy a Nikon Coolscan 5000 ED in the next 2 weeks.</p>

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<p>Serdar, if you can find one, get a Minolta DSE5400 scanner. It's the sharpest 35mm scanner ever, with debatable exception of a drum scanner. Unfortunately they are orphaned as Minolta folded and Sony -who bought them out- isn't supporting the scanner any more. So far, the drivers work with XP, Vista and 7 but who knows what the future will bring. Vuescan supports it fine ina any of the aforementioned OS's. Otherwise, the Nikon 5000 is the best option, albeit expensive.<br>

PS, get a Leica M or Nikon FM2 and experience the true film experience. :_)</p>

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<p>There's not a huge amount of choice left in slide films to recommend.<br>

Among the Fuji offerings, Provia 100F is a good all-purpose slide film in my experience. In dull light and particularly in open shade it can go very blue, so you may want to invest in an 81A or 81B filter. Velvia 50 if you want something with high saturation and a lot of punch (not for portraits, though; stick to landscapes with this one). Velvia 100 and 100F each seem to have their own supporters...Astia is a very sharp but neutral and well-mannered film with good skin tones.<br>

Kodak clearly seem to be on the verge of washing their hands of slide films altogether, but if you can lay your hands on some Kodachrome 64 it has a very distinctive look, though with challengingly narrow latitude...the newer Ektachrome films are all good, if rather more neutral than Provia to my eyes. <br>

Finally, Rollei now market a 200 ASA slide film based on an old Agfa emulsion that by all accounts has a slightly retro look. That's about it, I think, though you can also process any B&W film as slides for something <em>really</em> fun.</p>

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<p>Serdar, if you get the hang of the M7, you'll be able to shoot faster with it than with the D3. In general, I find the M Leicas the best street cameras. I foresee a M9 in your future. ;-)</p>

<p><img src="../photo/2355465&size=lg" alt="" /><br>

Tri-X, Leica MP, Summicron 50/2.</p>

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