Epson V600 scan quality?

I recently traded my Pacific Image XES 35mm slide scanner for an Epson V600 flatbed, as I'm now getting into medium format photography. My intention is to use the V600 for my 35mm and 120 film scanning, so recently I ran some tests scanning some of my old 35mm negatives, and the results were quite honestly underwhelming. The scanner is not nearly as sharp as my old XES, which I was prepared for, though not quite to this extent. It actually looks like the V600 might be slightly out of focus. I attached some screenshots from LR comparing the same image scans zoomed in that I got from the XES, on the left, and the V600, on the right. I'm wondering if some of you with a good eye or who use a V600 would be able to tell me if the scanner actually looks out of focus, or if that's the image quality I'm going to get and I need to quit pixel peeping and just go with it.

 

Both images in each case were scanned using Silverfast at 3200 ppi resolution without any additional settings like unsharp mask or dust removal, and without any modification in LR.

 

The issue I now have is this: if there is such a lack of quality on the Epson scanner, would scanning medium format film on it essentially yield the same quality image as a 35mm scan on the Pacific Image slide scanner? In this case I would essentially be losing the benefit of shooting on medium format to achieve a more highly detailed image.

 

Are you using the film holders or just scanning from the glass platen ?

 

At the very top of Silverfast is "Transparency", click on it for the drop-down and select the right format for what you are scanning with

Are you using the film holders or just scanning from the glass platen ?

 

At the very top of Silverfast is "Transparency", click on it for the drop-down and select the right format for what you are scanning with

 

I'm using the film holders and I have transparency selected in Silverfast. I did try a scan without the film holders but without much improvement.

The Epson V700-850 scanners have adjustable heights on their film holders to optimize sharpness of scans. Can you try shimming the film holders a little at a time to see what height is best? Perhaps with some strips of light cardboard.

Don't know about the V600 but IMO flatbeds in general are insufficient for 35mm, save for quick social media images. I have a 4490 and it's pretty good, but IMO again, just barely adequate for medium format. If I need to digitize 35mm I use a dSLR (or my mirrorless), bellows and adapter. With the right setup, that might be the way to do medium format, but obviously you'll get no better than 35mm or the sensor size of your camera, which sort of defeats the purpose of medium format.

I've got one, and I've always been happy with it. I'll scan a slide at the same settings and post once I get home from work. Are those crops at 100%?

OP: What sharpening routine are you using with the Epson? Very important.

The Epson V700-850 scanners have adjustable heights on their film holders to optimize sharpness of scans. Can you try shimming the film holders a little at a time to see what height is best? Perhaps with some strips of light cardboard.

 

Will try that out!

I've got one, and I've always been happy with it. I'll scan a slide at the same settings and post once I get home from work. Are those crops at 100%?

 

The crops are 3:1 zooms in Lightroom... I'm not sure exactly what percent that would translate to.

OP: What sharpening routine are you using with the Epson? Very important.

 

The images provided are without any sharpening. However, I have tried both the unsharp mask in Silverfast and the sharpening in Lightroom and neither turn out very great, I think because there isn't enough information in the base image.

Hello everyone. I have been using a V600 with the Epson software for over 6 years now and have nothing but phrase for it... IF... the following occurs.

Straight out of the box I differ with Epson on scanning a negative EMULSION UP. Ages of wet lab use always had the emulsion down. Putting the emulsion up is using the substrate as a diffusion filter. If you also look at the "normal" cupping of either a 35mm or 120 negative, you will note that putting the negative in an Epson carrier, even with the cover down, you will not have a completely flat negative.

Put the emulsion down but do use a Anti Newton Ring (ANR) glass cover plate to flatten the negative.

I have two V-600 scanners, and both were out of focus with the stock Epson carriers. I purchased a Better Scanning carrier for the 35mm material and after about 30 minutes of adjusting per their instructions, now see a quantum jump in sharpness.

For the 120 negatives, I purchased a piece of ANR glass to fit the standard Epson carrier. Some testing of the focus height showed that the 120 carrier was right on using the emulsion down. Lucky Me !

Some may say to use the V600 only for internet sized photos. . here again I differ with them. I occasionally sell large 11x14 B&W prints here in Hawaii, primarily of Island subjects. Using the V600 along with careful selection of film / developers allows files that need little post production work.

The V600 is another tool for your work or art. It is only a piece in the network to excellences.

The picture below is now an 11x14 on metal print that a "client" uses in trade shows. Kiev-4 / Jupiter-8, UFX 100, Hypercat & V600 scan.

Aloha, Bill

Impressive! I've done OK, but never that good.

The images provided are without any sharpening. However, I have tried both the unsharp mask in Silverfast and the sharpening in Lightroom and neither turn out very great, I think because there isn't enough information in the base image.

Can you put the original image up on dropbox or wherever? I'd like to try my old sharpening procedure on it.

The Epson V700-850 scanners have adjustable heights on their film holders to optimize sharpness of scans. Can you try shimming the film holders a little at a time to see what height is best? Perhaps with some strips of light cardboard.

 

I tried this, and it actually seemed to cause an error with the Epson, despite trying to flatten the cardboard pieces as much as I could and reorienting them on the bottom of the tray.

Can you put the original image up on dropbox or wherever? I'd like to try my old sharpening procedure on it.

 

Will do.

Here is a 100% screen grab after the old two-step USM routine. (First pass: 200/1.1/0 Second pass (300/.3/15)

 

I have a V600 and scan 35mm and 6x7 medium format. Medium format seems to comes out better I guess because the negative is larger to begin with. You can see samples here. There are both 35mm albums as well as MF albums. Alan Klein’s albums | Flickr

 

You have to sharpen a lot. I don;t use Silverfast. Why don't you try Epsonscan that came with the unit to see if you get anything different.

This is from a 35mm slide, scanned at 3200 dpi cropped at 100%. Epson own software, no sharpening or ICE etc.

 

Leaves from a 6 x 7 neg, and barbed wire from a 35mm neg. Both ISO 100 films.