Scanning film without holders - EPSON V700

[jackson_bowley]

<p>Hey, <br>

So I recently bought an EPSON V700 for around £200 less than retail, the only catch being it came without film holders.<br>

I've read a lot about scanning using anti reflective glass and that you are able to get amazingly sharp images. I've attempted myself and get mixed results, however I am scanning the negative directly from the flatbed glass and using a 2nd piece of glass to flatten.<br>

Does anybody here scan film (120) without using the holders, instead using a more DIY method. I would buy the holders but I'm a student and would much rather pay £10 on two panes of glass than £25-£80 on holders... <br>

Thanks for the help. </p>

<p> </p>

[peterbcarter]

<p>The cheapest way to go is http://myfilmstuff.blogspot.ca/2010/04/5-wet-mount.html and arguably the best way to go. The only real update I have is I now use clear lamp oil (aka kerosene).</p>

<p>When I upgraded to my V700, I kept using it (and still do). I can pretty much scan any film size I want.</p>

<p> </p>

[Ed_Ingold]

<p>The sharpest plane of focus is on the flatbed glass itself. I made a mask from black cardboard to exclude light and provide a spacer for a cover glass. I used a piece of no-glare glass for a picture frame. The textured surface prevents Newton's Rings from forming. If you place the film emulsion side down on the scanner, the matt surface of the film doesn't cause Newton's Rings either.</p>

<p>IMO, it's more productive and gives better results if you put the film on a light table and shoot it with a camera. For 35 mm slides, Nikon makes the ES-1 slide holder which has a telescoping tube and attaches to a lens with a 52 mm filter thread. Novoflex makes a similar film holder for up to 120 film that attaches to one of their focusing rails.</p>

[peterbcarter]

<p>The sharpest plane of focus on a V700 is not on the bed. There are two lens in the unit. The low res lens is on the glass for standard scans and in the reflective mode a high density lens is focused about 3mm above the glass bed.</p>

 

[Ed_Ingold]

<p>A good way to determine the focal plane is to scan a good ruler, like for a machinist or draftsman with engraved markings, on the surface of the scanner at an incline. A little trig or geometry will convert that reading into a distance. The DOF is pretty shallow, and flatbed film scanners need all the help you can give them.</p>

[stephen t]

<p>peter, do you mean to say that in the *transmitted* mode for negatives and slides, that the lens is focused above the glass bed?</p>

[peterbcarter]

<p>yes</p>

[david_henderson]

Several years ago I bought a V700 and a Betterscanning adjustable holder and AN glass. I followed the procedure set

down by the Betterscanning people to adjust the scan height on my transparencies till I got the best sharpness. Any

higher and any lower and the results worsened. So I'm sure that the optimum sharpness for a slide/neg isn't found by

laying the film on the glass.