scanning after the discontinuation of Hasselblad Flextight Scanners

[hacimd]

At the university where I am working, the flextight scanner is our bridge between our wet and digital labs.  Outside of a flatbed scanner, I'm curious how others are continuing on with this process. 

If cost isn't prohibitive (it is for us),  I've talked with colleagues who have begun to invest in Digital Cultural Heritage Scanning Kits. 
https://dtculturalheritage.com/film-scanning-kit/

I'm curious how others are moving forward with scanning, as the flatbed scanning I've done using Silverfast, really doesn't achieve the quality of the flextight.  Any info would be greatly appreciated. 

[Richard.Wills]

Once our Imacon dies, we'll go down a less expensive version of the cultural heritage option, likely use their Kaiser light source, and holders/ stage, but cheap out on the stand (old enlarger chasis) and camera/ lens (thinking a GFX100 + macro, or whatever offers the best bang at the time).

One of the many advantages of the CH option, is you can create fool proof settings for the users, while having full control over options for the admin (at least until they make a better fool).

[Paul_Roark]

When I switched computers, I lost the ability to connect to my Nikon 8000's SCSI interface.  Although I'd like to get the Nikon back in business, I found that a Sony a7rii with a Canon L series 100mm macro could match the Nikon's quality in digitizing my medium format B&W negatives.  I use only the center 2/3 of the lens's coverage and make 3 images, sliding the negative carrier on a rail to keep all aligned.  Everything is very carefully leveled.  In short, a very good macro and digital full frame camera can match the Nikon 8000's quality -- which is very good.  An enlarger that can be used to do this helps, of course, but I'm sure there are a number of different ways to mechanically setup a copying stand.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com

[Garnick]

I agree with your love of the Nikon Scanners, but there is a way around using your Nikon 8000s.  It took me a while to figure out all of the adjustments, but I'm now again using my Nikon Super Coolscan 4000 Ed with the VueScan software.  It's totally unlike the former Nikon Scan software but it can do the job and bring the Nikon Scanners back to life for a very low price.  I'm sure you have been aware of VueScan and perhaps this is the time to give it a try. -- https://www.hamrick.com/

[nemophoto]

For 35mm, I bought a Plustek Opticfilm. But like Paul, I've started playing with my Canon R5 (and before that my 5Ds) and my Canon 100mm macro to convert, especially since it's faster and I can shoot both medium format film as well as 35mm and even 4x5. I participated in a Kickstarted project for a magnetic film holder (took forever, but finally delivered) called pixl-latr. You use a film lightbox (or other) for your source and you shoot with a camera and can do slide, film strips, etc.

If you have any kind of macros setup, the camera/macro lens is probably one of the best routes to follow.

[red2]

For 35mm, I bought a Plustek Opticfilm. But like Paul, I've started playing with my Canon R5 (and before that my 5Ds) and my Canon 100mm macro to convert, especially since it's faster and I can shoot both medium format film as well as 35mm and even 4x5. I participated in a Kickstarted project for a magnetic film holder (took forever, but finally delivered) called pixl-latr. You use a film lightbox (or other) for your source and you shoot with a camera and can do slide, film strips, etc.

If you have any kind of macros setup, the camera/macro lens is probably one of the best routes to follow.

As an alternative to pixl-latr (which looks interesting) one might consider something called the Essential Film Holder (EFH). Video review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqSvTJ0s5MM
I don't have one yet, but I have ordered one. I've been using a DIY setup for slide scanning with my Canon 5D mk IV and 100 mm macro lens mounted on a Kaiser copy stand with a Kaiser Slimlite Plano light source. Pretty good results with this. I hope to use the EFH when it arrives for unmounted film scanning. But it also will be equipped with a mask for mounted slides.

[digitaldog]

Though still a flatbed it outperforms the Flextight scanners and offers true opticl 5600 DPI across the entire bed, regardless of neg size.

Outperforms? Can you show us two scans, a sample of max resolution from the Imacon and the same from the Creo?

[digitaldog]

the maximum resolution is the same regardless of negative size, unlike the hasselblad scanner where the max resolution depends on the size of the original and the creo eversmart sumprme used a cooled CCD element the produces less noise in the final image

So you believe that the sole attribute of scanning quality is the max resolution?
If one outperforms the other, a scan of each, where the resolution is the same, should show us this no? That's all I'm asking to see.

[felix5616]

check out this link for comparisson ofhasselbladand creo eversmart supreme
https://www.largeformatphotography.info/scan-comparison/

[digitaldog]

First problem:

No sharpening was (knowingly) applied during the scanning process, although it can sometimes be difficult to know what processing is performed by scanner software.

Not a problem with FlexColor/Colorflex if you know the product from the engineering team (or taught it at Imacon University as I did). It's not by unchecking the sharpening checkbox! Its by specifically setting it to a minus value.