ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 มี.ค. 2017
- In this video I talk about some of the considerations and obstacles I faced while looking for a quality and affordable film scanner. I also show you some of the basic equipment I use and preparations I take while scanning. And lastly I briefly show you the basic settings I use when scanning in an image for distribution online.
LINKS I SAID I WOULD PUT HERE:
Cotton Gloves: amzn.to/2n0NvHs
Find GRAIN Online:
Website: www.graintv.me
Instagram: @graintv.me
Twitter: @graintv_me
Email: graintv.me@gmail.com
Gear Used:
Camera: Sony A6000 :: amzn.to/2mdXm9L
Lens: Sony 10-18mm :: amzn.to/2mdXplX
Tripod: Manfrotto :: amzn.to/2lOx69L
Ring Light: Newer Ring Light :: amzn.to/2mUP6iu
Fill Lights: amzn.to/2me3r62
Microphone: amzn.to/2mUK3yF
Lapel Mic: amzn.to/2me6Y4c
Audio Recorder: Zoom H4n :: amzn.to/2mUMFN4
Video Monitor: Aputure VS2 :: amzn.to/2mNCCIZ
The gear links above and any Amazon links I post are Amazon affiliate links and it helps with the time and costs associated with producing this show. Any views or opinions are my own and come from a place of honesty and sincerity. I hope you enjoy the videos and my channel and leave me your notes or feedback in a comment below. Thanks for watching!
-Chris - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
I ditched flatbed scanning all together a year or so ago. After doing a test against flatbed scanning, my jaw hit the floor when I saw how much more detail I gained doing it with a camera. I've been scanning with my digital ever since. I now use my digital camera with a macro lens mounted to a copy stand with the negative on an LED light table. The detail and resolution of the files far surpasses the quality of even the best flatbed scanner on the market and it's easier to do, takes up less space, and I don't need a whole separate software to do it. I downloaded the negative lab pro plug-in for Lightroom to convert my color negatives but I just flip the tone curve for B&W and pull the bottom third of the curve to the left to deepen the blacks to taste. That's it.
I've been wanting to do this as part of a regular workflow (after testing and having a similar jaw-dropping moment) for almost 5 years now, but I just don't have the room to leave a workspace for it setup permanently. I just cannot stand having to set it up each and every time (I know the copystand is the answer but I don't want to have to move it, ever :) ) .... But you're right detail you can achieve is second to none with today's DSLRs... and it's a nice bit of poetic irony using a DSLR to scan your film.
Make a vid
I can agree with everything you say here except for "it's easier." It's not even remotely close to as easy as flat bed scanning. Better, yes. Pain in the rear from a workflow perspective? Also yes
I have a flatbed scanner, but the scanned images from films and slides are too soft even after sharpening. I look for other methods. Today, it seems digital photography with macro lens to copy, and these new film scanners are good.
However, the cost to invest on a macro lens for my SLR camera, plus light box, copy stand is much higher than buying a film scanner. Thus, I would like to try the Plustek for now.
I don't want to buy a macro lens for my old SLR. May consider to get one when I upgrade to mirrorless camera later 😊.
This is really helpful, especially about how to clean negatives before scanning.
Thank you for this video! There's so few videos about the Plustek scanners and I liked seeing your workflow with it as well as with Silverfast!
Hi Fiona! I noticed that too! I hope this was helpful in some way. Thanks for watching! -chris
I got the pulse tech 8200i and I'm super happy with it. Even scanning negatives from old disposable cameras has given me great results
Back when I was doing a lot of film photography I remember some of the best scanners we had were made by Agfa. We had a few different models in the studio I worked in. Problem was by the late 90s they were becoming obsolete. Getting one to connect today would be a challenge as they were SCSI interface and the last OS drivers to run them were OS 8.6 (mac) and Windows 95.
I bought a coolscan iv ed, it makes beautiful 11mp scans
WOW! I was searching for an Epson V600, and viewed this PlusTek. I am sold, and will start searching for an 8100 now. XLNT video!! Thank you
I just found your channel and already really like it! I use a Nikon CoolScan V for my 35mm scans and an Epson V800 for my medium format and large format scanning. The problem I've got with the Nikon is since it's an older version there aren't any Nikon drivers updated for MAC OSX or Windows 10. I did find an app called VueScan which does a good job. I just wish I could scan in to formats other than .jpg with it. I've gone through all of my 35mm negatives & slides and scanned them in and now I'm starting to work on my medium format negatives. I want to scan all of my older negatives for historical purposes before I start scanning any new film images. I've been a shooter for over 50 years, but I've been shooting strictly digital for the past 20 years. I'm pulling out all of my outdated film and using it up as well as new film I've bought. I know emulsions have changed since I last shot film, so I'm trying some different films (Ilford Pan F, FP4, Delta 100 & 400, Kodak T-Max and then color negatives and transparencies. Once I figure out the new stuff I'll standardize again. I used to shoot strictly FP4 processed in Perceptol for maximum resolution and good contrast. I look forward to watching a number of your videos in the near future.
Very nice video, helpful and quick... I'm trying to decide which scanner to get and that Plustech is high on my list. MANY THANKS!!!
Great video, excellent info. I'd love to see and hear more about your experiences with the Plustek. I'd be interested in your workflow. Again, great info.
Great idea Andrew! I'll do that!
I have the V700 and am extremely happy with the results I get from it
such a rare beast
took your advice and bought the Plustek Opticfilm 8200 from bH. It works like a dream, although haven't tried infrared dust reduction yet. can't wait to scan the next roll!
Awesome! I love mine! Enjoy your tasty scans!
If Christian Bale decided to be a photographer.
ron naz Batman's new hobby !
Nice to see that you got Silverfast to run. I bought an Epson V800 a few months ago and I could never get Silverfast to run. I've been using the Epson scan software and so far it has served my needs. Great video, keep up the great work!
I had this same problem! I got Silverfast with my Plustek and couldn't get it to work with my new/old Epson 4990 and found out that I had to buy a separate license for the Epson but it only cost like $30 I think. -chris
thanks for sharing Chris. i really like your content.
I appreciate it. Thank for letting me know. It keep me motivated! -chrirs
Wonderful video, Chris! Thank you for sharing : )
Thank you for watching and commenting Matt! -chris
wow, exactly the video I was looking for, very informative
Excellent! Thank you for watching!
Nice introduction to scanning. I use a Plustek OpticFilm 8100 and VueScan software. Did not really like SilverFast. I do not use gloves and try to avoid cleaning negatives. I try to handle them carefully and keep them sleeved. Works pretty well.
Silverfast is a strange beast. I have only scratched the surface with it, but I try not to get to bogged down in all of its options. Just get a clean scan and close it and finish it up in lightroom. Agreed on the white gloves. I have also since bought an anti static gun that I will experiment with. Thanks for the comment! -chris
Thanks for the response. Will be interested to hear if the anti static gun helps with avoiding/removing dust.
Which software is suitable for a Mac?
Nice introduction to the scanning process. I would be interested in what you have discovered around resolution and grain size?
I was hoping for more of a demo with the Plustek...I know as much about the Plustek now that I did before watching the video.
Great video! Big thumbs up!
This video should get more views. Pretty informative and i like your content. subbing.
Thank you for the kind words and support! Even if the videos never get huge numbers, knowing that there are dedicated people like you out there watching them , I'll continue to make them. Thanks again!
Hey man just found you're channel good stuff. I'm in the same boat as you on scanning. I am seriously considering buying a Plustek 8200i SE for color and B&W scans after not being able to find a Pakon.
Question, what dpi where you scanning in and does it really scan each image in 30seconds? I have seen people online saying it takes 15-20minutes per image to scan. Maybe that is just for color since you can't use the dust/scratch remover on B&W. About how long did it take for your Portra scans? Thanks
Great video. 👍🏻👍🏻
Lint free Kimwipes and anti-static film cleaner will do a much better job than cotton swabs and alcohol. It's easy to check for dust if done on a lightbox. I've also seen people use a lightbox to photograph film with a digital camera if they don't have a good scanner.
Thanks for posting. What Plustek do you use? I have the V550 and I'm totally not happy with it. What's the largest print can make with a Plustek scan?
Great video! Currently, I am looking for a film scanner I've been shooting film for a while and need help finding a scanner. The Plustek 8200i seems really good for great dpi/resolution. Do you think I should invest in the Plustek 8200i?
First I'd like to see you make new videos. In 2003 I went down the scanning rabbit hole with a Pacific Image film scanner that looks similar to your Plustek. Later on I wanted a scanner to do 120 and 4x5 so I got an Epson 4990 Photo. The Epson was a nightmare because it would die when the film scanner was in use and Epson replaced it three times. After the third replacement I gave up trying to scan film and went digital. Now I'm going film again. We're ordering a Pacific Image scanner from b&h for 35mm negs and slides. I still have the epson......
I use the 550 for actual print scans. I find it to be amazing.
This was so helpful for me as I have just started shooting film and was looking at the best way to scan the negatives. Can I ask what film you use, particularly that first image (the one that came up on the screen just after you started talking about the Plustek)? The grain in that image was wonderful and something I'd like to be able to achieve.
Ilford HP5 @ 400 developed in D76. Beautiful film!
where is the quality comparison between the two scanners?
Thanks for the review. Uo to what size can you make a nice digital print from the highest res scans on the Plustek?
Can you do a video of getting 35mm film to developing to printing in home with enlarger 8x10 print size and costs involved and which enlarger is good n all??
I want to learn the whole craft from developing to printing own prints mostly family friends and landscape.
Wow.. Thank you !
Sometimes it makes more sense to scan the print instead of the Negative, especially for low-resolution scanners
I was wondering. Do you still use the 4990 and if so do you recommend it? I found a used one and was thinking about purchasing it for scanning 35mm and 120mm film.
Thank you. Can you show us some large format prints obtained from Plustek and 35mm B / W film? Thanks again. Giovanni. Italia
Is that a Shinola! ? Great video by the way
I use a epson v600, quite happy with the results. I get a little above 10 MB per image for jpeg(35mm). If I would scan as a tiff file I get around 80 MB. It took me a little while to figure out those settings though :) Maybe it's possible with your v550 as well..
Keep on doing what you're doing! Great channel!
I since have retired the 550 and bought a nicely used Epson 4990. It's an older scanner but it can scan my 4x5 negs and can scan up to 8x10. But i'll be doing my printing in the darkroom and just using the epson for web scans, etc. I'm glad you were able to get the 500 series to sing! I never seemed to be able to! Thanks for watching! -chris
What settings you using??
Also have the V600. Not bad for $200. It's already paid itself off from not having to pay for scans at the lab
@@dirtywater5336 how much would you charge to scan some 35mm film per frame? I have some old negatives that I found at my mom's house and we have lost the prints to those negatives.
@@dirtywater5336sorry I didn't even ask if you even offer service.
The cleaning and prepping bit of this video will always be relevant, but nowadays for 35mm scans at least using a DSLR seems to be the preferred route with Negative Lab Pro. However even that has it's minuses, the necessity to get your camera set up flat and level with a light box below. Then there's all the colour correction for colour neg films, dust removal (which works well on a scanner equipped with it). Ideally a permanent set up, perhaps with a dedicated secondhand camera would do the job best, but that probably involves some investment and would mean shooting quite a bit of 35mm to justify it. For MF and especially LF the landscape changes so then a flatbed still makes sense. Sort of, because scanning is and always has been a dark art, probably taught to Harry Potter by Severus Snape...
I would be interested to know about the type of sensors and illumination, that these scanners use. It does make a lot of difference to the quality of the scan. Thanks.
Been looking into the Plustek scanners for my 35mm. Have a canon 8800f that I’m happy with the medium format but not my 35mm. Have another old Epson flatbed for 4x5 but the canon beats it at the smaller sizes. LOL
From what I understand, Neg Fix works consistently if you crop so that only the image is scanned. No frame edges.
Hi Chris. I have just found you via Nick Exposed. You seem to be in a similar place to me. I have Just acquired an old 5X4 camera. I have not had opportunity to shoot to yet I have just got a film holder for my dev tank. I just need to stump up the cash for some film. Anyway I had similar issues with my v500 it was ok but just ok so I was looking for a better solution I would love a v800 but out of my budget. So I made a light box with a neg holder for 35mm & 120 and now copy my negs on my digital camera . I am finding the results really good. The copy lens is very important my first attempts with an ok canon zoom lens were no better than the v500 but I now use a 110mm bronica Macro lens and it's great. I know this sounds a bit odd copying film with digital but I think because the modern camera manufactures have taken all the soul out of the image and just give a super crisp result which is just what I need. Its much faster than the v500. I have only watched a couple of your films love what you are doing. Regards Martin
Hi Martin! Thank you for watching and commenting! Yes, this journey has been fun! I also felt the V800 was out of my range so I did some reasearch and ended up buying a Epson 4990. It is the predecessor to the 700/800 series (i think) and will scan up to 8x10 film. I paid under $200 for it on ebay and also bought a 4x5 film holder with ANR glass for about $35. Works great!! -chris
NegaFix really shines if you position your red crop box inside the image - it messes up if it detects any border whatsoever.
Somebody should have told me! Thank you man!!
@@VariTimo same here. I was always lazy and just scan everything in bw and edit later but when it came to color it was just crazy pixels.
I'm using an Epson 2450 to scan slides. Specs say this is a 2400 dpi native scanner. But I don't know how the optics are. Would my money be better spent sending my slides to a scanning house like ScanCafe or DigMyPix? You could scan a lot of slides for say $500. Have you compared what you can do and what they can do? I think they use a Nikon 9000 with ICE. (What do I know about that..zilch). But that's the place I'm in. And scanning slides at 2400 dpi takes an enormously long time. Great video bTW.
I have the Epson Perfection V850 Pro and it scans various size negatives. If I were to use gloves I would use rubber gloves. Cotton gloves shed cotton fibers that could end up in the scan.
I enjoyed your video. Thank you for sharing. Over 10 months... Have you changed your scanning process? If so, What about publishing an update? Thanks!
Hi John! Not for 35mm, I am still using the Plustek for my scans. I upgraded (downgraded) my flatbed scanner to an Epson 4990 for 4x5 scanning. I am still very happy with the Plusteks quality. Thanks for watching!
Hi, I’m also a Plustek 8200i and also V850 user, I have once compared two same image from two scanner. I found that the face of portrait which comes out from Plustek is really visible than the Epson. It has some kind of horizontal distortion on the photo, have you also got this kind of weird problem ?
35mm b&w and my v550 are mortal enemies it seems. I get clumpy (I dont know how to describe it) images that I just don't love. For MF though, I like the look a lot.
@@justinlowery6017 Make sure ICE isn't on for B&W negatives
Ex darkroom bat 🦇 since 1968, gone hybrid for more than 15 years. Presently scanning with a Plustec 8100 or an Epson v750 depending on film size. Recently discovered the beauty of *_"copying"_* my negatives with a digital camera rig; problem here was the conversion to positive, specially for color negs, until I discovered Grain2Pixel, a *free* Photoshop action/app that does the conversion pretty accurately for you in an automated or batch fashion. Now with the help of a copy stand and a homemade *white* (6500K) light source, plus a few old negative carriers from junked darkrooms (Omega or Saunders are pretty standard and easy to find) plus a Fuji X camera rigged by means of adapter with a *_Micro Nikkor Ais 55/2.8_* I've managed a workflow of 1 minute per frame averaged total. Having several thousand archived but uncatalogued frames spanning 1968 to 2008, _year that I finally left wet printing for digital,_ and being an ole geezer whose time is at a premium, I'll make that rig into a permanent machine that will let me to convert some 5 rolls per hour with beautiful automated outcome.
Suggestions for the cloth: KimTech 'Science' Wipes. Nothing else. PEC pads just move the fluids around. Bleah.
eric moss KimTech wipes are magic in sheets.
do you have a side by side comparison bewteen the v550 and the plustek? i have the v550 and im not that pleased with the resolution you get on 35mm
epson flatbeds ate rubbish, so are plusteks. Get any Minolta scanner, and turn off sharpening in the software. The resolution is not a concern, unless you print. And that is something you need a drum scanner for.
What you want from a scanner, is quality optics.
I'm looking into getting the same Plustek as an upgrade from my Epson v700. With my Epson, I don't have to do any cropping and it automatically finds the edges. I saw you had to crop some in post. Is that something you have to do for every image or were those edges just particularly wonky?
Once you set the frame in Silverfast it stays put. You can move it for each frame and I usually have to because I don't always have the frame aligned exactly the same way as the frame prior. It's not too big of a deal. It's a wonderful scanner but if you plan on shooting larger formats I'd consider having both.
What would you suggest for 120 film? Is the Epson V550 good or are there better options?
Thank you you did your homework very well, As I also use the 99 or 91% Isopropyl Alcohol Never use any Isopropyl Alcohol that is 71% or lower just for the cost - as it will leave your film sticky, and will stain. Or if you can fine PEC-12 Film cleaning Solution it is alittle pricey or an 4oz pump spray bottle but very strong, and I remember in using a product called Photowipes but those are now Discontinued so also use PEC PADS in which their 100% Cotton Pads or you can use in what you shown Makeup Pads, But get the ones that are made from Johnson, and Johnson they are alittle heavy duty, and do not fall apart. As I also use a antic static film cleaning cloth from Ilford, Never USE a Lens Cleaning Lintless Cloth if you do it will scratch the film, and any oil residue on the cloth will leave smudges, and marks will appear on the scans. I have a Canoscan 9000F, and the Pacific Image PF3600 film Scanner.
Wish I had the time for that stuff. Gonna see if I can't hire someone to do it for me :p
While the benefits of the Plustek are unmistakable, I find I'm getting quite good results with black & white 35mm on my Epson V850 as well.
You cracked the code! Awesome man!
Hi, thanks for the video !
Would like to ask about the quality of the Epson. If is okay, not the best one but good. Will be my first scan and I want to buy something more flexible. Something that I can use for scan negatives and other kind of documents, like drawings for example. Im in doubt between the Canon Canoscan 9000f mark II and the EPSON V550. I know that you dont have the Canon, but would like to know the quality of the Epson.
Thanks for all
Best regards
Lucca
The scanners quality has been quite good for everything that I do. I found the 35mm scans leaving a little to be desired which is why I got the plustek. Since moving formats up to 4x5 I have since sold the Epson V550 for a Epson 4990. The 4990 is an older unit but can scan negatives up to 8x10. I think if you are scanning negatives for web use, the 550 is fine. I was printing a lot of my 35mm negs at the time and wanted to step up the quality. Hope this helps! -chris
Hey Grain, thank you so much for your reply !!
=D
I was somewhat underwhelmed by the Plustek 8100. Maybe I didn't spend long enough experimenting with it to get the best out of it. Scans did not seem sharp. Of course it depends alot on how good the negative is but still I had higher expectations of it.
I have the Plustek OpticFilm 7400 and so far am not proficient. Online tutorials do not usually show the same menus I have. It came with Silverfast software which is more complicated/sophisticated than I need to just copy old slides. Can the Plustek operate by itself without the Silverfast? Can I use it with PhotoShop, which I am more familiar with? Thanks.
Hi
How compares plustek 8200i to 7500i?
Is the 7500i worth to buy? Or better some other?
I found some old scanner like epson perfection v10 or epson perfection 3490 for like 10 $ on Internet. Would you recommend these type of scanners for scanning negatives for a beginner in analog photography?
Also, cotton gloves directly contradict your point of not reintroducing lint to the negatives. I use those little finger condoms or rubber gloves. they provide a means to grip the negative as well as keeping them free from oils
Great tip, thanks!
Hi, I am looking for scanning plustek or Eason v700 or higher. Any recommendations. Planning to print 17 x24 and higher. Thanks
Since makeup pads are too lint - filled, would makeup wedges be better?
I just bought an Essential Film Holder from Andrew Clifford which does 35mm & 120 for copying with a digital camera.
Hi i'd like to hear your thoughts on scanning 4x5 at home. Have you tried dslr scanning?
I bought an Epson 4990 for 4x5 scanning.
I have used my Epson V600 to scan 4x5 film and wet collodion plates by scanning the full bed and then cropping it to the size of the negative/plate. I have had great results with both!
Can you batch preview? I have a ton of old negatives & the idea of calling them up one at a time is well, I probably only have 20-30 years left!
I have a Epson V550, you can previrw two 35mm film strips (12 negs) or 4 ( think) 6x6 negs & choose. I just select all, press go and make a cup of tea while the scanner does it. I scan all my pics.
@@philipbirch9930 THANKS!
With any of the Plustek Opticfilm scanners can you scan the entire full film frame, or at least get a thin black line around the corners? Or do they automatically crop the scans?
The film holder dont expose any rebate edge but you could easily file then wider as they are plastic.
Does Multi-exposure work for you? There's no different for me.
Good for b+w but color is a whole different beast.
oh man, tell me about it. I scanned a color roll recently and it made me so glad that I gravitated towards B+W.
I have very old photographic films. I can not cut photographic films into short strips for scanning in the scanner. This will be real barbarism. I need a slide scanner for a roll photographic film with a frame size of 24 × 36 mm. I also have photographic films with a frame size of 60 × 60 mm and a photographic plate on glass with a size of 90 × 120 mm. What model of the scanner can I digitize these photos?
Have you compared those two scanners to the same film?
Greetings from Austria! And hopefully this comment isn't coming too late.
I was in a similar situation as you, and in a way I still am. I was also looking at scanners for a very long time, and the only options that ever popped up were Epson scanners, Pakon, and Nikon Coolscan (and obviously Flextight, but that's a whole different league). I recently came across pre-press flatbed scanners. These are probably amongst the best scanners you can buy today, and if you are lucky you could get them for very little money (if you are very lucky, even for free). I am going to talk about the Scitex Eversmart series now, since I got the most experience with those, and if I'm lucky I'm gonna have two soon. So Scitex (along with Fuji, Heidelberg, Screen, and a few more) made high end flatbed scanners (up until 2002 or so) that were made for the press, so they were made to run 24/7/365. The Eversmart series had a quite a few different different scanners. The most basic one was the Scitex Eversmart, which had about 2510ppi, which isn't much, but the Pro version has 3175ppi, and the Supreme even has 5600ppi (not interpolated, so pretty mind blowing). These scanners are equipped with Schneider lenses and use the xy scanning "technique" (in other words stitching). So these beast were no-compromise-scanners, that came with an equally impressive price tag (Eversmart Pro sold for around $34k, the Supreme was around $60k). But like I said before, these scanners can be found for very little money (the ones I'm going to buy soon will cost me around $400). But they come with a few drawbacks, but if you are interested I can tell you more.
Oh, and I really enjoy your channel. I recently subscribed and I'm slowly going through all the videos. Keep up the great content!
Burning Metalfreaka
Interesting suggestion. I had a dig around the internet and didn't really find any for sale. How do you suggest finding one for the price range you cited? I assume, with luck you mean something like a local lab closing, and them selling off their equipment locally for beans on toast to pay off debt or smth.? I reckon this scenario exists, but how would an outsider know about the opportunity..
@@computername Sorry for the late reply. Never got a notification, that you responded to my comment.
Yeah, most of the time it will depend on luck, that is very true. I just saw this local ad for two scanners and the guy offered them for just a 100 Euros (around US$115), so in that regard I was quite lucky. However, I had to order a calibration slide (got it from CPSnet), which was another 120 Euros or so. If you are from the US, try to set up alerts for Craigslist or whatever else you have available. If that isn't an option, you will just have to regularly search those sites.
Unfortunately, most labs/newspapers don't care about selling them off. They have long made a profit with those, and selling those would just be a hassle. Most of the time they don't even have the installation and other important CDs anymore, so you are stuck using an old Mac, and while it's unlikely that they will die on you in the near future, it is certainly always something you have to keep in mind. But of course same goes for the scanner itself. If you have facebook, you can try joining the group 'Eversmart iQsmart Scanner User Group'. People post scanners for sale from time to time, and I'm sure some even know places or people. Another option is trying to call a few local newspapers, if they still got them somewhere in storage. On the other hand, if you are serious about scanning and want a properly set up machine with warranty you can always get in touch with CPSnet in the UK or Genesis-Equipment in the US. They can get very pricey, but if you make money with photography, they can be an option.
If you have any further questions, feel free to ask.
Thanks for the reply, I am from germany but currently in the UK. Saw the offers of CPS, I am just a hobbyist though so that's out of reach. Looking these up online the sample scans are simply breathtaking, you certainly can never have "enough" quality, can't you ;)
I was lucky before with other photographic equipment, sometimes people who clear out a place have no idea about what they're selling, it's just a matter of being in the right spot at the right time. I will use your recommendations to dig deeper!
At least with your tips I know what to look out for, very good information and very helpful! Vielen Dank und Gruß nach Österreich :)
Thank you. I'm going to look this up.
Not long purchased plus tek
The Pakon has exploded. The first one a bought was the faster F135Plus (when it was still very underground and adventurous and took a lot of trial and error but once setup it was like nothing ever) cost me just $200 back in 2014. Then after 2 years the light source died. I sold it several months later (for more than I bought it for even though it wasn't functional) and went back to a Primefilm and flatbed.... and HATED it. Went to find another Pakon and by then the F135Plus was nearly $1000, not even 3 years later (word had spread). I then found a unit that was slower, older standard F135 (non-"Plus") for $400. Bought it and still have it. Just as good as the other one but slower. If you've not used that workflow, it's .... spoiling.
The Primefilms and Epsons are fine, but I sold my Primefilm and only use the Epson for 120. But my lord I hate workflow. I've used Silverfast (several versions), EpsonScan (and that other 3rd party package that is very popular, the name of which I forget). I find Silverfast the best but again, so tedious.
The new software released with the PrimeFilm 135 looks excellent for ease-of-use, even if it suffers in control a bit.... If they roll that in the 120 version (which I cannot seem to find any longer and wonder if its been recently discontinued) I'd pony up for that more expensive (much more) unit.
All in all though, even with prices what they are today and headache they can be to setup for the first time, I have to say again that the Pakons are truly wonderful. If someone can redesign that thing with better quality and updated for modern computer OSs, it'd sell like hotcakes. The F135 and Plus only max at around 2100dpi, but damn if it not a gorgeous looking 2100dpi.... And the workflow is like no other.
Were you using the Plustek? When I use plustek scanning slide at 3600DPI, 2 scans to get more dynamic range, and IR scan to reduce dust/scratches, the scan requires over 10 minutes! All the videos I see about this, I see no reference to the time required. I have 1000 slides to scan, and I am not even doing it at 7200DPI!
I use VueScan Mac.
How do you like it perfect if u can describe in simple words?
Does the Plustek scans 35mm slides?
I have Silverfast as well. The NegaFix can sometimes be tricky. If you're including any of the black border in the frame, the software reads the dark areas and corrects the color cast and WB accordingly. As soon as you put the frame within the black border, the color corrects itself very nicely. This is about the only thing I like about Silverfast. I find the rest of this software very hard to use and it slows down my workflow immensely. The find frames function doesn't really work, I can't figure out how to deselect certain pictures during a batch scan, I have to individually apply the negafix to each frame instead of all ten frames at once. Biggest waste of $50
Great tip! I'll give this a try!
I'm looking to scan my parents old (from 1950's) 35mm slides & 8mm home movies. I am not a photographic expert and am looking for your recommendation on a single scanner of decent quality to allow me to scan about 200 slides and 15 rolls of film to a digital format. none of the photos or movies are in high definition. thank you
What are the benefits of shooting on film?
1) Grain (no digital camera can produce or fake that). If you like grain, you have to go the analog route. No way around it.
2) Virtually infinite resolution
3) Cameras more solid because little to no electronics. Little to no batteries needed neither.
4) More durable because your gear is not prone to advancing technology and obsolescence.
5) Extra options as the film you choose as well as its speed will vastly dictate how your pictures will look.
6) You can't have a direct look at your pictures and you are limited in the amount of shots you can take. This might seem a con rather than a pro but those limits change your workflow dramatically and this approach is very pleasant for some people. I make better photos when I choose carefully when to shoot rather than when I shoot on the fly. You don't see things the same way.
7) Analog cameras are cheaper, everything else remaining equal. And any cheap analog cameras can take beautiful pictures that can compete with high class ones, provided that you take advantage of their flaws (some 10$ cameras with plastic lenses can give incredible results). With digital cameras, the flaws are just flaws.
8) It's just nice to have a hobby that isn't related to IT, for a change.
The Epson V550 looks like it got lost in a dust storm...
2-3mb per 35mm frame? Ive gotten 2-3 Gigabytes per frame at around 3200-4800dpi when i scan for a target size of around 4x6". If you are using an epson scanner, set your Target Size, in epson scan, as the final size you want your digital image to be. Epson lets you choose digital screen resolutions, or common physical printing sizes. Otherwise, the target size is set to a default of "original size" (which essantially just digitizes the film negative to its original size of 1.5" x 1"). If you then blow that default image scan up or zoom into it with photoshop, it will look less clear than an image that has been properly scaled to its intended final viewing size at the same dpi.
He was referring to the amount of information able to be pulled from the negative. DPI and MP have direct correlations to file size mainly. Note that some old digital cameras with "only" 2-3MP can produce nice prints, sometimes larger than 4x6 also.
DPI comes a little closer to describing details pulled from the source, but there remain wild variables. This is why some very old scanners with "low" DPI can produce better scans than a flatbed scanned a bazillion DPI. This is also why most software allows you to scan in at higher DPI than the hardware can accomplish; they have Marketing Departments to satisfy. The extra MP is just the software's guess for extra information it can never extract.
Hi Chris. You mentioned you are using the 8200i scanner. Are you using the 8200i se or the 8200i ai? Do you primarily scan black and whites or do you also scan color? I am looking into getting a scanner soon, my plan is to shoot primarily black and white but would also like to shoot in color every now and then. I was wondering which scanner you would recommend our of the 8200i se or the 8200i ai?
Hi Robert! I have the SE version. I believe the hardware is exactly the same - it is the software that changes. I have found the SE Silverfast to be completely fine for my needs. I shoot BW exclusively - the portra roll was a fun exception. I have scanned some of the frames from the portra roll and everything looks great! And for black and white it is wonderful. I didn't like the preset film setting in the 'NegFix' section of the software and personally choose 'Monochrome' with better results. I hope this helps! -chris
Thank you so much, that helped a lot! - Robert J. Waller
i am using a epson v 700 I think. I am quite okay with the results from my m6 and choose films (Kodak gold, portrait and several ilford monochrome film rolls) but I don't feel too secure if it is the best you can get out of the negative with that scanner. does anybody know something where I can find references in grain and sharpness?
You might be getting less than ideal results when negafix because you need to pull the border in completely past the film border. If any film border is left, negafix won't do a good job.
None of this would have been necessary if Nikon and Minolta still produced the Coolscan and The Scan Elite range of dedicated film scanners ( If you are super rich then get a Flextight X1 and be done with it ). The file size of a 48bit RGB TIFF scan from those scanners was about 240 MB if memory serves me right. No DSLR can match that. The file size of a Nikon D850 ( 45.7 MP semsor ) after raw conversion to TIFF is about 137 MB. There are also other issues with scanning with a DSLR. A DSLR scan looks good only because the Flatbed sucks at scanning 35mm, particularly Epson with those horrible, childish and flexible film holders that can never keep a negative flat. A flatbed is much better at scanning 120 , 5X4 or 8X10 film which a DSLR is not capable of doing properly.
you look like Chris tian bale
Oof. Be VERY careful about using canned air. If it comes out too cold it can damage the negative.
A 3200 dpi scan of 35mm film on your Epson will give you about 13 megapixels.
Don't rub alcohol on your negatives, just buy some pec 12.
I have the v600 and I don’t really like it for 35 at all, the quality of the scans are so shitty
Forget all Your scaners and PHOTOGRAPH negatives and slides with Your dugital camera. It is better easier and faster.
Biggest problem with scanning film is that the best scanners have not been made for years. If you find an older, good one, making in work under post-XP Windows presents further problems, all of which can be solved. Pakons are good quality and fast. They were designed for scanning rolls of film in commercial labs; their resolution is lowish, but adequate. The trick in buying one: make sure you get the dedicated software, without which it's useless. Many are offered without software at "bargain" prices.. The only virtue of the Plustek is that it is new; its reputation is checkered. Consider a used Konica Minolta DiMAGE Scan Dual IV Film Scanner. It yields a true 3200 dip resolution [The Plustek advertizes 7250 dip, but really yields 3250 dip.] A Minolta Dual Scan IV with all parts should go for $175 - $250.
I still secretly want a Pakon but the Plustek is well suited for my needs. But speaking of good older scanners, I just bought a Epson 4990 in good shape for $200 that will work well for my 4x5 scanning for smaller prints and I'll send out for drum scanning for anything larger.
The video title says scanning, but you don’t even show the scanner, let alone how to use it.
You remind me of Tom Cruise
I don't know what it is with all the photography videos where people boost their blacks or superimpose some form of filter or I don't know what but it gives a washed out look that I assume would be similar to having cataracts. Do you find it artsy? Do you like the way it kills the contrast? I can't take what you say seriously with that sort of messed up adjustment. Please leave the blacks alone holy crap, it's like a disease so many of you do it. Maybe it works for pictures but not on video.