Looking for a better MF scanner

[revaaron]

I have the epson v500. my posts here show how angry I am at it. now, it's only scanning in purple!
I've got to bring it to a service center. my best laid plans with it when out the window.
I was going to sell it on ebay and use the money to get something better, but it's not worth selling so I will keep it for a flat bed (I also have a hp 5500c scanner that never lived up to what it said it should).

anyhow, now I'm looking for a MF scanner. Does anyone have any recommendations?  I want have a glass tray to load the film, ICE, auto-focusing, USB, etc... I needs to be able to scan 6x6, 35mm, slides, and those old film (17mm?) that they had in the 80's everywhere. I looked at the Nikon Coolscan V ($599 is a perfect price) but it looks like it doesn't do MF. the 9000 does scan MF, but $2K is a little too much.

ideas?

[tgphoto]

I have the epson v500. my posts here show how angry I am at it. now, it's only scanning in purple!
I've got to bring it to a service center. my best laid plans with it when out the window.
I was going to sell it on ebay and use the money to get something better, but it's not worth selling so I will keep it for a flat bed (I also have a hp 5500c scanner that never lived up to what it said it should).

anyhow, now I'm looking for a MF scanner. Does anyone have any recommendations?  I want have a glass tray to load the film, ICE, auto-focusing, USB, etc... I needs to be able to scan 6x6, 35mm, slides, and those old film (17mm?) that they had in the 80's everywhere. I looked at the Nikon Coolscan V ($599 is a perfect price) but it looks like it doesn't do MF. the 9000 does scan MF, but $2K is a little too much.

ideas?

When did you purchase the scanner?  Can you return it?  It should be covered under a manufacturer's warranty.

As for replacement options, maybe an Epson V750-M Pro, or, if you'd rather not give any more of your money to Epson, have a look at the Microtek ArtixScan M-1?  

One question for you: what do you mean when you say you need a "glass tray to load the film"?  If you meant ANR glass or similar, unfortunately, that's never a supplied accessory, even with the Nikon.  If you meant a fluid mounting station for wet scans, then the Epson comes with that, not sure about the Microtek.  In any event, you should be able to get an aftermarket solution to work with any of the above - Epson, Microtek, or Nikon.

[revaaron]

the scanner is still covered. I bought it 3 months ago.  Problem is that they want me to bring it to a service center. the local service center is over a 3hr round trip.  I wanted to bring it to them to get fixed.  if I got a new unit from them, I could sell it on ebay, but when I look at the prices on ebay, it's not worth selling for $100.

glass tray, meaning anr
http://www.betterscanning.com/scanning/insert.html
something like that so that my slides with some curl to them get flattened out.

[SeanBK]

Used or a new Hasselblad scanner is very good.
   http://www.hasselbladusa.com/products/scanners.aspx
   Check out the movie too.

[revaaron]

if a $2K nikon is too pricey, a $12K HB is out of the question.
at that price I would just get a leaf back

[TMARK]

Microtek Artixscan 120tf.  Its great.  Get the glass holder as well.  The old Polaroid 120 Sprint Scan is fine too.  These scanners are siblings.  Cheaper than the $2k for the Nikon. I got my 120tf three yers ago for $1100 new.  I'm sure you can find a used one for less.  

The Epson V700 is not bad for 6x7 negs and 4x5.  

The Microtek M1 looks promising.

I do think that the Imacon 343/646 series is slightly better than the Nikon 8000/9000, which is slightly better than the Microtek 120tf, which is much better than most of the flatbeds.  The difference bewteen these scanners in terms of IQ is really how flat they hold the film, how fast they operate, and the ease of their software.

Good luck with this.  Scanning is really, really boring and difficult.

[revaaron]

I'm looking to spend around $600. I can get a v750 new off ebay for $526 with cash back.
I've been googling and there aren't too many MF options for scanning.

[revaaron]

Good luck with this.  Scanning is really, really boring and difficult.

you are talking to someone who has already scanned 300 slides, then realized they were backwards and rescanned them.
who scanned 2-3K pictures and hated the quality in the end so is starting again.
who took on the task of scanning another over 3K images from his grandmother.

I'm used to the boring work, but I just want to stop re-scanning them over and over again.

[SeanFS]

I'm just testing an Artixscan as its on offer for about US$250, its good but you do need the glass tray for 120, I'm finding it impossible to get a scan really sharp through the centre. It needs silverfast software as the others I'm trying seem to be clipping highlights. Great colour. I had the older polaroid 35mm model , it was ok too. but a Nikon would be better.
I have an older epson 4990 which is ok and very good for colour neg , not so good for the extra resolution in transparancy film
Imacons are great but expensive even second hand. I wish I could justify the expense, or even find one!
I shoot heaps of 35mm and MF digital, but good film scans are still hard to beat.

Microtek Artixscan 120tf.  Its great.  Get the glass holder as well.  The old Polaroid 120 Sprint Scan is fine too.  These scanners are siblings.  Cheaper than the $2k for the Nikon. I got my 120tf three yers ago for $1100 new.  I'm sure you can find a used one for less.  

The Epson V700 is not bad for 6x7 negs and 4x5.  

The Microtek M1 looks promising.

I do think that the Imacon 343/646 series is slightly better than the Nikon 8000/9000, which is slightly better than the Microtek 120tf, which is much better than most of the flatbeds.  The difference bewteen these scanners in terms of IQ is really how flat they hold the film, how fast they operate, and the ease of their software.

Good luck with this.  Scanning is really, really boring and difficult.

[narikin]

agree with above - easily your best option is a used Nikon 8000 (same as 9000 just a little slower, with identical optics) BUT you *must* get the wet mount tray, if you really want to get the best results. they can be found for a couple of hundred $ secondhand on eBay from time to time. dont be scared of wet mounting - its really easy and makes the biggest difference in the world.

if you get a used 8000, be sure to give it a clean inside - the instructions are online. and check yahoo nikon coolscan group for a lot of info.

good luck.

[TMARK]

Buy a Nikon 9000 and sell it when you're done.  It has ICE, which will save you TONS of time.

RE: ICE.  It works with dye based emulsions only, no silver.  This means it does not work with Tri-X, FP4 or HP5 etc.

[evgeny]

Move to medium format and buy a specialized film scanner.
I scan Contax 645 with Nikon 9000.
You will see A LOT of difference comparing to 35mm.
Images are equal or better than any 22 mega pixels digital back, especially if you scan properly and add a bit of photoshop to these scanned 50 mega pixels.
Enjoy.

[ixpressraf]

A Nikon scanner will never give better results than a 22 Mp back. When you use a leaf eversmart or IQ3 scanner or a good Imacon range scanner then you will get better results. A nikon 9000 or 8000 scanner is a scanner made for the amatuer market an a lot of detail gets lost in the proces. I had both but kikked them out for a creo scitex IQ3 flatbetscanner: the best scanner one can buy for less then 25000 euro.

[revaaron]

Move to medium format and buy a specialized film scanner.
I scan Contax 645 with Nikon 9000.
You will see A LOT of difference comparing to 35mm.
Images are equal or better than any 22 mega pixels digital back, especially if you scan properly and add a bit of photoshop to these scanned 50 mega pixels.
Enjoy.

I already shoot MF... that's what it says in this thread right from the start.  but the scanner needs to be able to scan all the film that I have that was already shot in the decades before that (and some before I was born).

[revaaron]

the worst thing is that Epson wants me to bring the scanner to a repair center.
I live in NH, they want me to bring it to Weymoth.
To get there during that places business hours would be about a 3.5hr to 5hr round trip.
I think I'm going to call and complain.

[John.Murray]

I'll 2nd the Artixscan 120tf - nice results, there is actually a Vista driver for it now that is dead stable - all my frustrations with Silverfast have suddenly gone away . . .

[revaaron]

I have to mail in my scanner.
I'm probably going to lump it and get the AGR insert for my scanner.

[antonyoung]

A Nikon scanner will never give better results than a 22 Mp back. When you use a leaf eversmart or IQ3 scanner or a good Imacon range scanner then you will get better results. A nikon 9000 or 8000 scanner is a scanner made for the amatuer market an a lot of detail gets lost in the proces. I had both but kikked them out for a creo scitex IQ3 flatbetscanner: the best scanner one can buy for less then 25000 euro.

I've been using a Nikon 8000 since 2001 and I can assure you that you're not losing any detail with the glass holder. Here is the link to a side by side I did with a Heidelberg Tango ($65,000 scanner at the time) back when I first got my Nikon. The Tango owner I used to work for sold it shortly thereafter and bought a Nikon himself.

[revaaron]

I'm once again scanning and trying to figure out a better way to scan. I have like a couple hundred strips of 35mm to scan too. my epson v500 is terrible at b/w and it interaction with it is a bit much to get a strip of 120 scanned.  I'm even using the glass insert and mount from betterscanning. I'm seriously thinking about the coolscan 9000 now that I have all those 35mm to shoot.

[evgeny]

I tried to sell my Nikon 9000 scanner on this forum, but strangers (competitors/resellers/nice_people?) ruined my thread.
Anyway, I sold the scanner, that was an easy international deal, as usual.

I used Nikon 5000 and 9000.
The model 5000 is only for 35mm, but faster and has better holders. I believe the 5000 is a newer scanner than 9000.
The model 9000 has a slightly brighter lamps, which results in slightly better scans in my opinion, and its 35mm holder accepts two strips instead of one strip in model 5000.

Today, for the price of a drum scanner you can buy a 22 Mpx digital back.