Luminous Landscape Forum
Raw & Post Processing, Printing => Digital Image Processing => Topic started by: hencha on October 05, 2005, 03:59:21 pm
-
hello...am new to this game, but decided to ask anyway from those with more expertise than me. Need to buy a scanner, as i still use film.
I have done much reading and checking around, and have pretty much "decided" on MICROTEK Artixscan 120TF (need both 35 and medium format).
I am looking for feedback on this possible choice, as to the general reliability / construction quality of this brand and specific model. Other
suggestions would also be welcome.. tks, hencha
-
I have no specific experience with the scanner you mention. However, I do own a Nikon Coolsca 8000ED purchased from a camera store's eBay auction a year ago (demonstrator model, with warranty.) I use it, like you, for 35mm and 120 scanning of all types of film. It has DigitalICE "stuff" remover (I rarely use it as 95% of what i shoot is traditional B&W film). It has been superb with a few caveats:
1. The NikonScan software it comes with has its quirks, and takes some learning to get the most out of it. I still like it better than VueScan. (Everyone seems to sing the praises of VueScan, and I own it, but its user interface and workflow are awkward and needlessly complex for my taste.)
2. For 120 film you should count on buying the anti-newton-ring glass film holder; the junky glassless holders work fine for 35mm but simply won't hold 120 film flat enough to scan sharply.
Haven't priced these lately but i imagine they are out there in great numbers and probably for less than the $1400 I paid, as its newer and faster brother the 9000ED is out there at around $1900-2000.
You can follow my signature link to my online portfolio; any shot there made from film (all but a couple) was scanned with this scanner from MF film mostly. Give you an idea what this scanner can do.
Hope this helps. Nice to have someone to talk to here about film matters. We analog LL'ers are lonelier than the Maytag repairman.
-
I have no specific experience with the scanner you mention. However, I do own a Nikon Coolsca 8000ED purchased from a camera store's eBay auction a year ago (demonstrator model, with warranty.) I use it, like you, for 35mm and 120 scanning of all types of film. It has DigitalICE "stuff" remover (I rarely use it as 95% of what i shoot is traditional B&W film). It has been superb with a few caveats:
1. The NikonScan software it comes with has its quirks, and takes some learning to get the most out of it. I still like it better than VueScan. (Everyone seems to sing the praises of VueScan, and I own it, but its user interface and workflow are awkward and needlessly complex for my taste.)
2. For 120 film you should count on buying the anti-newton-ring glass film holder; the junky glassless holders work fine for 35mm but simply won't hold 120 film flat enough to scan sharply.
Haven't priced these lately but i imagine they are out there in great numbers and probably for less than the $1400 I paid, as its newer and faster brother the 9000ED is out there at around $1900-2000.
You can follow my signature link to my online portfolio; any shot there made from film (all but a couple) was scanned with this scanner from MF film mostly. Give you an idea what this scanner can do.
Hope this helps. Nice to have someone to talk to here about film matters. We analog LL'ers are lonelier than the Maytag repairman.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=50879\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
I own a Nikon CoolScan4000 and love it! The Nikon lens and ICE technology is great. My slides from the mid-late 1960's came out very good! I bought from Cameta Camera as a Nikon Demo and it was 50% less than MSRP and I got a warranty.
Dan
-
I own a Nikon Coolscan 9000 and scan both 35mm and medium format color negative film - have not scanned many color positives. Results from this scanner are excellent - much better than the flatbed scanner I owned for a short time. Digital ICE4 works great on both color negatives and positives - even Kodachrome. I almost never find any dust spots that need fixing.
You need a glass carrier to get edge to edge sharp scans from medium format film. I have the Nikon FH-869G and it solves the focus problem but I get newton rings on some images. I constructed a glass carrier using the FH-869S and anti-newton glass for both top and bottom glass and I never get newton rings now - scans look as sharp as with the Nikon glass carrier.
I use Nikon Scan 4.0.2 software (comes with the scanner) for all scans. I tried Vuescan, but like Nikon Scan better. I do a lot of batch scanning for both medium format and 35mm using Nikon Scan in the standalone mode and make final edits using Photoshop CS.