film scanner

[mario_bes]

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Hi guys,
i'd like to know whats the best cost effective scanner for film, as the dedicated film scanners by nikon or minolta are so expensive..

Will the Epson flatbed scanners with film adaptors produce a quality output for hi res/large format printing? Are there other alternatives? thanks..

[Nick Tuason]

We use the Epson 4990 but had to handcarry it from Bangkok since the model was not supported here. We have a review of the new Epson V700 in our Issue 02 and are trying to convince Epson to import at least a few models. I'd buy one for sure.

Back to your question. I would recommend the Epsons from experience. You won't need a 4990 or better to get decent scans. But note that I say decent. Scanning is an art form altogether and I have never been totally satisfied with what we get from the scanner scanning negs as compared to a straight digital capture. I personally feel that flatbeds are really made for reflectives and not transmissives like film negatives. You may want to explore Drum Scanning from Studio 58 if you don't plan to scan much. At least there you are assured of the resolution. If you are not happy with the scan quality, have them do it again.

[mario_bes]

thanks nick, tried nga a negative on an epson 2540 but you're right really didnt like the capture..

Actually its for a negative from mamiya 645 120 film. I agree about the quality of a straight digital capture but for a medium format digital back!! Wow its so expensive for a small studio..Unless theres one for rent here like abroad which is still out of reach

havent tried a drum scan or a nikon film scanner though ive seen the output it looks great naman..
il also look into the Epson V700 as you said..
Would you have the contact details of Studio58?

[randykanapi]

epson used their perfection scanners with built in film scanning capability to scan negatives in various sizes to output jun de leon's and xander angeles' images to 44x60 years back in that huge back to back exhibit in glorietta..

[bongmanayon]

Anyone else here uses the Kodak RFS 3600 Film Scanner?

Bong

[Edwin Hermoso]

Anyone else here uses the Kodak RFS 3600 Film Scanner?

Bong

Hi Bong,

I've always wanted one - even if they say it takes 60 secs (or more) to get a decent scan from a neg. Did you buy yours new? From Digipower, perhaps?

Edwin

[Jo Avila]

I'm not sure, but isn't this the film scanner that DPI uses?

[bongmanayon]

Hi Bong,

I've always wanted one - even if they say it takes 60 secs (or more) to get a decent scan from a neg. Did you buy yours new? From Digipower, perhaps?

Edwin

Better, I got mine from Kodak themselves. They usually have this year end tiangge sale of used/surplus stuff. Got this really cheap (PM me to know the price) without power adapter or manuals. Yes, it takes a long time to scan with this, more than 60 secs. It took me a while to actually use it because it uses a high amp adapter not the kind you buy at True Value or places like those. I found the matching adapter from an old notebook in HMR.

Bong

[bongmanayon]

I'm not sure, but isn't this the film scanner that DPI uses?

I don't think so, although I haven't seen the one DPI has. The 3600 looks like this. My Kodak contact told me that they had trouble selling the RFS 3600 because it was too slow for commercial purposes and that they had a faster model that they push. The only time I ever saw one of the faster model was in Kodak Photo Express (the one in Greenbelt 1) when they were still outside facing GB2.

Kodak was hoping to sell the 3600 to pro photographers but was a little late since a lot of pros shifted to digital thus the surplus.

Bong

[bongmanayon]

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Anyway, I'm curious if anyone else has any experience/tips with this scanner. Although I had mine for quite a while, it has only been recently that I got to put it through its paces (power supply issues etc.). Thus far, all I can say it that its slow but gives a greater than an 8 mega pixel scan. I scan for 8x12 which gives me a file with dimensions of 3596x2401 pixels. I haven't tried scanning it for anything larger.

Its an upgrade for me, since I retired my Nikon Coolscan II which I got when my computer was still on Windows 95. That only gave me something like a 3mp photo.

Bong