Advice on a professional film scanner

[hannah_brohier]

<p>Hi, <br>

I'm looking into buying a film scanner for my boyfriend as a present, but I have no idea what to look for. He's a professional photographer who shoots all his pictures on colour film (35mm I think). I know he would want the best quality product but it also needs to be in my price range. I can't afford to spend thousands of pounds, probably £700 ($1140) is my max. What is the best product out there for that price? (preferably one I can get in the UK!) <br>

Thanks for your help! </p>

[steven_clark]

No longer in production. My guess: a used Nikon 5000

off eBay and a license for Vuescan Pro so he will

continue to have software to run it as the manufacturer

software goes further out of date.

[JDMvW]

<p>There is a tempting batch-loading Braun scanner on the market still (perhaps?), but it ONLY does mounted slides.</p>

<p>Some of the more expensive 'flatbed' scanners do OK, but the best scanners, as Steven says, seem to be in the past.<br /> If you buy an old one, be sure to check what the interface to the computer is, and whether a recent computer and its OS can be connected to the scanner, or not.</p>

<p>Once a physical connection is made, then VueScan <strong><em>is</em></strong> the software of choice for almost all historical scanners. Check, but whatever you find to buy is probably on their list. It's often better than the original software for the scanner anyhow.</p>

[thirteenthumbs]

<p>http://plustek.com/uk/products/opticfilm-series/<br>

I have an older version the 7200 SE. It does as well as many older scanners claimed to be great if you can find them. The 8100 and 8200 will give the highly praised Nikons a run for the money and it will take a very critical eye to see the difference. The major drawback is that the Plusteks are manual feed only.</p>

[bgelfand]

<p>Either the Nikon Coolscan V (LS50) or as Steve wrote the Coolscan 5000. I have the Coolscan V. It is a very good machine for 35mm both negatives and slides.</p>

[danield]

<p>Hi Hannah<br>

You will probably get many answers pointing to specific scanners, but let me ask you the question another way: are you sure you want a film scanner? Are you clear of the reasons for which your bf wants or needs a scanner for his film?</p>

<p>There are several reasons I am asking this. First you say he is a professional - what is he doing now, is he printing his photos in a lab, is he scanning them somewhere else? The size of film he is using also matters greatly, you may have some options for 35mm film but for larger films good quality scanners will be above your budget.</p>

<p>The other reason is that film scanners are a dying breed. There are no longer any "professional" level film scanners being made. The few scanners still being made are not that great, and the second hand ones are very expensive, hard to find, and likely to be out of serviceable life soon. A professional would not invest into that to be frank, as it will not pay off, unless he is doing some very specialized work.</p>

<p>The last reason that is worth mentioning is that film scanning is SLOW and difficult. Even with the best scanners it takes well over several minutes _for each frame_ to scan. You also need to think about investment in learning scanning technique, as it's not really a simple push-button kind of thing, particularly if a high level of quality is requested.</p>

<p>If it were me I would spend the £700 quid on digital equipment and for scanning film I would use something like this http://www.scantips.com/es-1.html . That link is well worth a read.</p>

[q.g._de_bakker]

<i>"There are no longer any "professional" level film scanners being made"</i> <a href="http://hasselblad.com/products/scanners.aspx">is not correct</a>. They do cost a lot.<br><br>If, as the OP told us is the case, someone is using film, a decent scanner would indeed be the right thing to get. It does take a lot of time to scan film, but that isn't necessarily a problem.<br>The Nikon scanners also do a good job, and do not need other software than the one supplied by Nikon. The Nikon 4000 or 5000 shouldn't be too expensive.

[danield]

<blockquote>

<p><em>"There are no longer any "professional" level film scanners being made"</em><a href="http://hasselblad.com/products/scanners.aspx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">is not correct</a>. They do cost a lot.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Agreed - I should have qualified that a price point.</p>

[Wouter Willemse]

<p>That all said, as Daniel said, it does matter an awful lot which format film is really needed. For 35mm, the second hand market has very good scanners at decent prices, and new scanners for even less (Plustek, as mentioned, Reflecta (*) is another brand worth mentioning - they may not be as sturdy, manual loading and optically slightly below the Nikons, but not <a href="/photodb/folder?folder_id=1073428">bad results</a> by any stretch). If it's medium format film, the game does change and I don't think there is anything in the price range mentioned in the OP.<br /> So, it should be the first thing to verify.</p>

<p>___<br>

(*) looks like the Braun scanners JDM mentioned are another rebrand of the Pacific Image / Reflecta scanners. It looks extremely similar.</p>

[mendel_leisk]

<p>I have a Minota Scan Elite 5400 (first generation), and a Nikon V. Both are out-of-production, dedicated 35mm scanners. The 5400 can deliver produce a better quality scan, in particular with b/w and slides, but is quite slow, has problematic focus depth. The V is faster, and likely the best choice for color negatives. Vuescan is very helpful with both, though I do use the OEM software with the 5400.</p>

<p>You <strong><em>really</em></strong> need to verify what format of film he's shooting, first. Still, I'd consider getting him something else, considering the above mentioned variables. It's not a cut-and-dry purchase, there are so many variables.</p>

[cabbiinc]

<p>For home scanning there's a few options.</p>

<p>New there's Plustek scanners. If he's shooting color make sure the scanner has IR dust removal. It costs just a bit more but it's worth it when you want it. Opticfilm 8200i for example has IR dust removal, where the 8100 doesn't.<br /> If you want a scanner that does a poorer job on the film but also scans prints then an Epson flatbed is your best bet, but the results with film aren't super.</p>

<p>Used there's the Nikon scanners that have already been mentioned. There's also the Minoltas. The Scan Elite 5400 and Multi Pro scanners are on par with Nikon scanners. </p>

<p>If you buy used, make certain that there's a decent return policy and the seller will honor it. If the seller is charging top dollar but claims that they have no way to test the unit then move to the next seller. Anyone charging top dollar for these should know what they're talking about.</p>

[deanmeeks]

<p>Hannah,</p>

<p>There are good scanners out there that are very affordable. I use the Epson V550 which cost me $200.00 brand new and if you look at the photos of people using the even higher priced Epson V750 ($800) there isn't that much of a discernible difference, at least as far as internet usage with smaller files. Many of the photos you'll see on Flicker, Tumbler, etc are with the Epson series, V500, 550, 600, 700, 750. My V550, scanning at 2400 dpi still makes a very good looking print up to 11x14, but I have not printed beyond that yet. As long as he knows how to use the settings, he should be covered for most of his work. There's plenty of internet sites that discuss the best settings for the Epson Vseries scanners.</p>

[lenny_eiger]

<p>oops, dup posting...</p>

[lenny_eiger]

<p>An Epson 750 will not make a good scan from a 35mm negative. The best option is probably a Nikon scanner with a liquid mounting system. One could also go with a drum scanner or a Flextight/Imacon. The drum scanner has the highest quality but the can be large and one needs a little work, or training, to master them.</p>

<p>I think this is a wonderful sentiment. However, pros are very picky about the equipment they choose, we agonize over it endlessly. My advice would be to either find a way to surreptitiously learn what he wants, or ask him. A gift of this size (and thoughtfulness) will be appreciated even if it isn't a surprise.</p>

[Uhooru]

<p>I'll weigh in, and assuming that your one shoots 35mm film, a good condition Nikon V or Coolscan 5000 which is its slightly more full featured brother, if you can find one with "low mileage" on it, will be a very usable scanner and the CS 5000 will actually scan relatively fast. It seems you should be able to find one in your price point. They are solid little guys and "Professionals" get and use them a lot more than some here think. Its true, Nikon doesn't make them any more, but that doesn't mean they can't be repaired. See http://www.photo.net/digital-darkroom-forum/00cDgg<br>

The other thing is, has your boyfriend expressed a desire for a scanner? Sometimes people have very clear equipment preferences and want to pick it out themselves. Saying that, the Nikon's are a good choice in my opinion.</p>

[sebastianmoran]

<p>Google Pakon. For about $300 in the US you get a fully automatic scanner that runs a whole roll of 35mm film at once, very fast. Quality is good for 4x6 prints. </p>

<p>Allows one to shoot film, get reasonably quick gratification. For fine art, pick the winners and send them to the pro shop.</p>

[scottelly]

<p>For about a hundred bucks in the U.S. you can get a Wolverine Super F2D scanner that is super fast and easy to use, and that will allow him to scan 35mm slides and negatives in a reasonable amount of time and at 20 MP, for viewing, posting, and printing small. No, it won't let him scan at super high quality for making 16x20 inch or 20x30 inch prints or even for making fine art prints at 8x10 size, but it will let him see a reasonable amount of detail and print at 8x10 for cheap prints, and it may even give reasonable quality up to 13x19 (probably not for show quality printing though). The word "professional" has many meanings. He is probably using medium format cameras if he is a professional who still shoots film (though he might just like the look of film - I do, and I've been shooting with an old Nikon F3 lately). If this is the case, the Wolverine scanner will not do, because it will not scan medium format film. You should get him a flatbed scanner, like the new Epson V850 scanner if he is shooting film larger than 35mm (also called 135 film). They are just coming out on the market now, to replace the V750 scanner. There is a cheaper one called the V800, but if you can afford it, the V850 will be appreciated.<br>

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1083201-REG/epson_b11b224201_perfection_v850_pro_scanner.html<br>

Some people say flatbed scanners are no good for scanning 35mm film, and for some uses, that is true, but the new Epson V850 (or V800 or even the older Epson V750 or V700) would surely be good enough for scanning film to make prints up to 16x20. That is an opinion thing though. Certainly to print really big prints, or for entries to competitions, where large prints are required, I would suggest sending 35mm film out to a professional scanning service, where they scan using a Heidelberg Tango drum scanner at 8,000 ppi or something like that. That is very expensive though (both the service, and of course that huge monster scanner).<br>

Here's the Wolverine (a great little gift that might be a complete waste of money, but fun to use):<br>

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1018538-REG/wolverine_f2d20super_super_f2d_4_in_1_film.html<br>

Has he ever use a large format camera? You could get him one, and he might find it a wonderful gift.<br>

If he likes to shoot in the studio, you might get him this:<br>

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/221234-REG/Toyo_View_180_109_45CX_4x5_View_Camera.html<br>

If he likes to shoot still subjects outdoors (like flowers or landscapes), you might get him this:<br>

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/257305-REG/Toyo_View_180_106_4x5_45CF_Field_Camera.html<br>

The cheaper camera can be taken outdoors, but it is very bulky and not convenient for walking around with. If he shoots in the back yard a lot though, it would work just fine.<br>

He will need to buy himself a lens, some accessories, and some film for those cameras.<br>

Here's a good place in the U.S. to find used lenses for around $200 to $500:<br>

https://www.keh.com/search/list?n=151<br>

Presumably he has talked about getting a scanner, but just in case he has not, you might think about these other options, because large format is a wonderful world, and no reasonably priced digital camera will ever reach the level of quality achievable with 4x5 film . . . in our lifetime anyway. I've been waiting 10 years for it to happen, and even today the new $25,000 medium format 60 megapixel digital cameras are not there yet, and it looks like it will be many years before they match the quality from 4x5 with such expensive cameras, if ever.<br>

Just so you know, large format film is much more expensive than the film he is probably using now:<br>

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/759411-USA/Kodak_1710516_4_x_5_Portra.html</p>