scanner for large pictures...new Microtek coming?

[leonard_isaksson]

This is quite an informative place. I read several threads on various scanners

for larger pictures.

 

On the subject of scanners that are around the 500$ pricepoint,

 

it seems like several devices that are used and liked here are the Microtek

i900, or the Epson 4900(I think that is the one), or the Canon Canoscan 9950.

 

I have old family pictures, some large format sizes of 4x5 or 8x10, some

larger. And there are old negatives.

 

I wanted to get in to large format photography, and so I bought some camera on

eBay, which was broken when I got it, and not worth repairing, according to one

repairman here(one of two poor experiences on that place, among many good ones).

I have not spent lots of dollars on getting a new or good one that works,

since a house remodel has taken up a great deal of monies.

 

But, I would like to do this.

 

So to start off with, I would like to get some decent item to work with. I read

among the conversations on scanners in this price range(about 500$), that while

several folks like the i900, it will be replaced soon by an M1. Or did I not

get that right?

[helenbach]

The M1 is expected to be around $700 from what I've read so far, and due to be introduced in February or March. There was a non-working mock-up on show at Photo Plus in New York last month.

 

Best, Helen

[rich815]

<i>"...one of two poor experiences on that place, among many good ones..."</i><p>Just curious...was the camera clearly represented as to be in fine working order in the auction?

[sattler123]

Should it come down between the Epson and the Canon - go for the Epson. I own a Canon Canoscan 9950F and I am not too impressed with it. I scan mainly 4x5 chromes and negative films with it. I had the opportunity to use an Epson 4990 at a recent scanning workshop and I liked it much better - both in output quality and software. Microtek is highly regarded and if you can wait and spend the addtl. $200 then get the Microtek. If on the other hand you want to scan mostly 35mm film, then forget the flatbed scanners - they are not very good for that, get a dedicated film scanner instead!

[leonard_isaksson]

Thanks for the responses to my query.

 

I know Microtek makes scanners for many manufacturers. I think I will wait for this to come out. Thanks for the notes here on this, it was helpful to hear from users of the equipment.

 

On that camera, which is a Brand camera. It is one of those vintage when several large format cameras were made early in the 20th Century. I was bidding on Koronas and Crown Graphics, and I would always get beat out at the end, then I got this Brand.

 

I call it Brand X.

 

It was represented as working. The seller did not say in fine or good working order, but it was supposed to work. How disgusting a development, and how foolish of me. Well, my cats have something to look at.

[jerry_kirkwood]

I bought my Epson V700 for $546 at newegg.com a few months ago. Love it!

[leonard_isaksson]

I read a review on the Epson that it erred to the red, that was in MacWorld. I thought as I read it that it may likely be a software matter.

 

So many folks here seem to like the Epson V700. So apparently this problem that these reviewers talked about is not bothering anyone here now?

 

I would like to not have to wait, and thought about getting a less expensive scanner, and getting some experience with it, but then I thought, why spend money now unless it gives pretty good results?

 

Hmm, the Epson 700. Thanks for the report.

[tedharris]

Leonard,

 

The Microtek M! will be incementally better than the current i900. How much better is

incrementally better .... cant't tell until we have an evaluation unit to test and I expect one

of those at the end of this month or early in january.

 

Having said that, the Epson 4990, which you can buy refurbished (when availablee) direct

from Epson for $309. will handle all of your old photos and will give you quite good

performance on your 4x5 negatives and chromes. As good as the V700 for negatives and

chromes, no but the difference in performance is very slight and if you print no larger than

8x10 the 4990 will do very well indeed. Any of the scanners in this price range start to fall

apart when you are scanning to print larger than 11x14.

[jerry_kirkwood]

Update: Epson V700 for $480 at newegg.com <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16838110002">HERE</a>. When you get it, download Vuescan <a href="http://www.hamrick.com/vsm.html">HERE</a> and you're done. I have not had any color problems, if there were it's probably either software or pilot error. Read Vicent's article on adjusting the carrier height <a href="http://www.photo-i.co.uk/Reviews/interactive/Epson%20V700/page_1.htm">HERE</a>. Not an issue if you're just scanning prints.

[paul_viapiano]

My wife got me an Epson V700 for Christmas from buydig.com for $450. It came this week and she insisted I test it before Christmas (yay!)...after one scan of a color negative (usually the hardest to get the color correct with) it gave me an almost perfect match and the quality was better than any other scanner I've seen in the under-$1,000 price range.

 

It's a keeper...

[bob_marshall1]

I bought a V700 on the back of several enthusiastic reviews to scan my medium format negs and transparencies. Much of my work is mono. As soon as got the scanner I could see that it was going to give high quality results. I was particularly impressed with its ability to give good results from 35mm. However I discovered a fault with my scanner. The red channel was misaligned with the green and blue channels (easy to see in Photoshop by switching on and off channel layers) and worse the red channel was out of focus. It has been a long battle first for Epson to recognise the problem and second to do something about it. Finally today as a result of me stamping my feet they have agreed to courier me a new machine tomorrow. I still retain my initial faith. It is a good scanner especially for making big prints but I would now check any new scanner for channel alignment and individual channel focus. It probably isn't just the V700 and just my bad luck. You can read the fuller version here - www.vividvisions.co.uk