anyone scanning negatives on the cheap?

[randomlinh]

I've gotten myself back into film.. who knows for how long, but I was looking into scanning the negatives myself. I did a test run w/ ritz, and after they lost the first cd they made me, and the fact it's just a 1.8MP scan, I started looking into my own stuff.

Now, 1.8MP isn't bad, I'm just shooting for ~8x10 possible reprints, and mostly online anyway. But I am impatient... and given they lost my first cd they made, I'd like to try to keep it in house.

This forum seemed a bit more appropriate than the peripherals form I think given the specifics I'm looking for. But my price range obviously limits me to flatbeds w/ adapters. And another caveat... needs to work in leopard.

 

[corkyg]

I have done both color and B&W negs using an Epson Perfection Photo flatbed. It will do 35mm and also medium format negs. My 2450 is a few years old, and has been succeeded by newer models.

These are the current ones at Huevonuevo:

Scan

 

[randomlinh]

Yeah, I was looking at a 4490 ($110 refurb on epson) or the V350, or V200. I'm more curious on how it compares to what ritz did I guess. The software tho is atrocious I've read tho.. ha. The V700 is supposedly great though.. but well.. way out of my price range.

Another option is the 8800F from canon, anyone have any opinions on that?

 

[corkyg]

I don't use the bundled scnaware from Epson - I use VueScan.

Vue

If you want high res negs suitable for full page enlargement, go for a 48 bit scanner.

 

[randomlinh]

Yeah, I totally forgot about Vuescan. I think I might opt for the 4490. Altho, a friend of mine did some decent work with a 500D and his 70-200... heh. at least, it looked pretty good at 100%.

 

[Jawo]

On a related note...I have 1000's of family pictures from the past 30 years that are slowly aging in a variety of photo albums (sticky pages with plastic cover). I have many of the negatives as well. What would be the best way to digitalize the pictures....use a 35mm or photo scanner? which gives the best quality?

Thanks a bunch!

 

[OREOSpeedwagon]

Originally posted by: randomlinh
Yeah, I was looking at a 4490 ($110 refurb on epson) or the V350, or V200. I'm more curious on how it compares to what ritz did I guess. The software tho is atrocious I've read tho.. ha. The V700 is supposedly great though.. but well.. way out of my price range.

Another option is the 8800F from canon, anyone have any opinions on that?

My university's library has a bunch of 4490s and film holders for scanning but no Epson software... is it possible to scan negatives with Photoshop instead? I'll post them later this week so you can check out the quality, if I can figure out how to scan them...

 

[randomlinh]

Originally posted by: OREOSpeedwagon

Originally posted by: randomlinh
Yeah, I was looking at a 4490 ($110 refurb on epson) or the V350, or V200. I'm more curious on how it compares to what ritz did I guess. The software tho is atrocious I've read tho.. ha. The V700 is supposedly great though.. but well.. way out of my price range.

Another option is the 8800F from canon, anyone have any opinions on that?

My university's library has a bunch of 4490s and film holders for scanning but no Epson software... is it possible to scan negatives with Photoshop instead? I'll post them later this week so you can check out the quality, if I can figure out how to scan them...

should be able to just scan it and invert it.. at least that was my impression... or do I have this wrong?

 

[AmpedSilence]

I have the 4490, and i like it; but seriously the software does pretty much such.

 

[AmpedSilence]

Originally posted by: randomlinh

Originally posted by: OREOSpeedwagon

Originally posted by: randomlinh
Yeah, I was looking at a 4490 ($110 refurb on epson) or the V350, or V200. I'm more curious on how it compares to what ritz did I guess. The software tho is atrocious I've read tho.. ha. The V700 is supposedly great though.. but well.. way out of my price range.

Another option is the 8800F from canon, anyone have any opinions on that?

My university's library has a bunch of 4490s and film holders for scanning but no Epson software... is it possible to scan negatives with Photoshop instead? I'll post them later this week so you can check out the quality, if I can figure out how to scan them...

should be able to just scan it and invert it.. at least that was my impression... or do I have this wrong?

No, you can't just invert it. You have to do a color mask (orangish color) before inverting.

 

[gsellis]

There is an HP that holds a sheets that looks really good. I have an old Photosmart scanner (the parent to the S20). The Vuescan I saw could only do single slides or single frames. I think the Epson could do batches too. But the HP looked like a good scanner. I think TigerDirect carried them, but not Newegg

 

[randomlinh]

Originally posted by: AmpedSilence
No, you can't just invert it. You have to do a color mask (orangish color) before inverting.

yeah, among more things I'm sure, heh. I should have said "photoshop can just replace whatever the software does."

 

[spikespiegal]

Hate to tell you guys this, but I've used most of the Epsons, and while they do a decent job with LF and MF film they are dismal for 35mm.

Epson inflates their optical resolution by an order of 2X for marketing reasons, which results in mushy scans and can't be fixed with USM in Photoshop. Even the cheapest Nikon scanners make the V series look really bad in side by side comparisons. A true, 4000dpi scan from a Nikon blows away the Epson's, and once you actually work with a true, 4000dpi scan from 100 speed slide film you'll give the Epson away.

If you don't mind 'mushy' 8x10's where the film grain looks like it was printed via an out of focus mini-lab, then you won't mind the Epson. For web shots the Epsons will do fine.

If you plan shooting 35mm for awhile, then find a used dedicated 35mm scanner.

 

[AmpedSilence]

Originally posted by: spikespiegal
Hate to tell you guys this, but I've used most of the Epsons, and while they do a decent job with LF and MF film they are dismal for 35mm.

Epson inflates their optical resolution by an order of 2X for marketing reasons, which results in mushy scans and can't be fixed with USM in Photoshop. Even the cheapest Nikon scanners make the V series look really bad in side by side comparisons. A true, 4000dpi scan from a Nikon blows away the Epson's, and once you actually work with a true, 4000dpi scan from 100 speed slide film you'll give the Epson away.

If you don't mind 'mushy' 8x10's where the film grain looks like it was printed via an out of focus mini-lab, then you won't mind the Epson. For web shots the Epsons will do fine.

If you plan shooting 35mm for awhile, then find a used dedicated 35mm scanner.

Interesting, didn't know that Epson inflated their optical resolution. Is it possible to "rent" a Nikon scanner? There is no way that i can afford one; I just want to rent it for a month or so.

 

[randomlinh]

Originally posted by: spikespiegal
Hate to tell you guys this, but I've used most of the Epsons, and while they do a decent job with LF and MF film they are dismal for 35mm.

Epson inflates their optical resolution by an order of 2X for marketing reasons, which results in mushy scans and can't be fixed with USM in Photoshop. Even the cheapest Nikon scanners make the V series look really bad in side by side comparisons. A true, 4000dpi scan from a Nikon blows away the Epson's, and once you actually work with a true, 4000dpi scan from 100 speed slide film you'll give the Epson away.

If you don't mind 'mushy' 8x10's where the film grain looks like it was printed via an out of focus mini-lab, then you won't mind the Epson. For web shots the Epsons will do fine.

If you plan shooting 35mm for awhile, then find a used dedicated 35mm scanner.

Is there anything that can be had for under $300 used? and work with OS X... and be USB or firewire...

 

[OREOSpeedwagon]

Well, I'm sitting at the library waiting on my first batch of scans to finish... one thing about the Epson 4490 is that it's sloooow.. unless I'm doing something wrong. It's taking 15 minutes to scan 5 frames, but they look pretty good so far. I'll be sure to post them later today.

 

[OREOSpeedwagon]

Just posted a few of the scans on my Flickr page (link in sig). They turned out alright, the scratches are due to rough handling of the negatives on my part...

 

[randomlinh]

Originally posted by: OREOSpeedwagon
Just posted a few of the scans on my Flickr page (link in sig). They turned out alright, the scratches are due to rough handling of the negatives on my part...

thanks for the samples. are those scaled down? The max size one seemed fairly small.

As for 15 minutes ... ouch. That will hurt. I'm not too sure I could go that route.

 

[OREOSpeedwagon]

Originally posted by: randomlinh

Originally posted by: OREOSpeedwagon
Just posted a few of the scans on my Flickr page (link in sig). They turned out alright, the scratches are due to rough handling of the negatives on my part...

thanks for the samples. are those scaled down? The max size one seemed fairly small.

As for 15 minutes ... ouch. That will hurt. I'm not too sure I could go that route.

Yeah, I scanned them at 4800dpi, which resulted in about 6500x[something].