[Colbyt]

Most of you seemed to prefer this topic in this forum so that is what I went with.

I prefer not to spend a lot for something I am going to use hard and then most likely never need again. I just want to convert 30 years of casual photos to digital format. Since I have every negative I ever shot, I think that might yield the best results.

I am looking for a reasonably priced scanner that can handle 35mm, 126, 110 a some older 120 or 620 size negatives. If it does both prints and negatives that would be better. I have vastly more 35mm than anything else. I could scan the 110, 126, 120's from the prints if need be as those are just snapshot quality.

Cannon and Epson seem to be the major players. I currently have a flatbed Cannon so there might less OS conflict with another Cannon.

Names and model numbers appreciated.

I can have the 35mm's scanned locally for about 12 cents per but that is at a fairly low resolution, probably enough, but not real high.

[Joe]

Canon CanoScan 9000F about $180.00 US

[Colbyt]

Looked very hard at that model this morning. I can't quite figure out what makes it better than the 8800F. Neither include a rack for the 110 negatives.

I guess the 126, ( or was it really 127?), would work in the 120 holder. Right now one of those two Canons are looking like the best choice.

[boriscleto]

If you do get a Canon you will probably want to invest in some decent software as well. VueScan is much better than the Canon software.

VueScan 9 Scanning Software for Windows 7, Mac OS X (Snow Leopard) and Linux

I haven't scanned any 110 size negative with my 8400F, but I have scanned 110 size slides. Odd size slide were the main reason I bought VueScan. The Canon software doesn't let you select a square area.

[Colbyt]

That certainly looks like interesting software. But they sure don't put much effort into the sales page. Telling me more about what it does would motivate me to buy. Is there at least an included doc file?

The Canon software doesn't let you select a square area.

I take from what you said that you can select where and how to cut multiple images scanned at once? Can you load a tray full of photos and save them as separate files if you know how to select the block size?

I am convinced that I can build a neg holder for the 110 a lot cheaper than the third party seller is selling it for. $75 bucks for a strip of plastic is way over the top in my mind.

[boriscleto]

That certainly looks like interesting software. But they sure don't put much effort into the sales page. Telling me more about what it does would motivate me to buy. Is there at least an included doc file?



I take from what you said that you can select where and how to cut multiple images scanned at once? Can you load a tray full of photos and save them as separate files if you know how to select the block size?

I am convinced that I can build a neg holder for the 110 a lot cheaper than the third party seller is selling it for. $75 bucks for a strip of plastic is way over the top in my mind.

Take a look through the User's Guide.

VueScan User's Guide

[stevebrot]

I guess the 126, ( or was it really 127?), would work in the 120 holder. Right now one of those two Canons are looking like the best choice.

126? Do you mean roll film or Instamatic cartridge? Likewise for 110?

126 cartridge is the same width as 35mm film, so the 35mm negative holders may work.

110 cartridge is the same width as 16mm film, so a 16mm negative holder may work.

127 is narrower than 120 and may require a custom holder.

620 should be usable with the 120 holder.

Here is the Wikipedia article on film format sizes. You should be able to use it to determine what holders will work with which films:

Film format - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In regards to batch scanning...it all depends on the software, the scanner, and the film holders used. Some flatbed scanners are limited to a single film strip per scan due to the size of the light source in the lid. Others have a full width light lid and can do multiple slides/strips per pass with the appropriate software.

If you are considering VueScan, don't be put off by the Web site. It is actually pretty decent software. The user interface is a bit weird, but that is typical of scanner software in general. The good part is that an evaluation copy is free to download.

BTW...if you are intending to scan old family photographs and have access to the prints, you may get better results scanning those. Old negatives are often in fairly poor condition and difficult to scan successfully, particularly if the scanner lacks Digital ICE or similar scratch removal technology.


Steve

[Colbyt]

@Steve I got the old camera down off the shelf. 620 film it says, my ruler says right at 6 CM would fit that old spool nicely. Most likely I have 10 rolls or less of that. I was allowed to use that camera but did not own it then.

The 126 that I refer to is the 1970's cartridge style film. Those negs are in a safety deposit box so I can not measure. Now that you mention it they might be about the same as a 35mm.

The 110 is that tiny little cartridge model that was popular in 80's. Not that disc thing that came later and was really bad. At the time they made square prints from them. They also are in the bank.

I probably have a print for everything. Tis sharing with other family members that I want to do. I am going to go read that manual. If I could scan 6 prints at a time and not have to use PhotoShop to cut them into 6 images files I could do a lot of the old stuff from the prints. B&W is far more permanent than color prints.

Heck I may not need a scanner, I may just some software.

[artobest]

110 film adapters are available for Canon scanners.

Also, the 9000F comes with Silverfast SE bundled. There's very little reason for the OP to invest in Vuescan.

[boriscleto]

110 film adapters are available for Canon scanners.

Also, the 9000F comes with Silverfast SE bundled. There's very little reason for the OP to invest in Vuescan.

Does the bundled Silverfast support IR cleaning? Because Silverfast never supported IR cleaning on Canon scanners in the past.

[Colbyt]

I decided to play with the existing scanner, a cheaper Cannon, before I spent too much time on this.

Us old guys should learn to RTFM. But then they don't provide those anymore. My current scanner has a multi- file option for color prints and will save them a jpeg or tiff. It will even send to PhotoShop as individual files.

The next step is to see how that works with B&W since there is no multi-file gray-scale option.

[reeftool]

Looked very hard at that model this morning. I can't quite figure out what makes it better than the 8800F. Neither include a rack for the 110 negatives.

I guess the 126, ( or was it really 127?), would work in the 120 holder. Right now one of those two Canons are looking like the best choice.

The newer 9000F has 9600x9600 vs 4800x9600 scans. The newer model is likely going to replace the older once stock is sold.

[Aristophanes]

I am in the same position as the OP and have settled on the Epson V600 with Vuescan. I find that online comparisons of scans between the V600 and the Canon favours the Epson's and that the ideal 3rd party software also favours Epson. I chose the V600 because the LED is IMO superior to the CFL of the V700/750 and the price difference is huge. I suspect the replacements for the V700/750 will be LED too.

Neither Vuescan nor Silverfat Ai use Digital ICE on lower-end to mid-range models because the drivers have their own system as substitute. To get Digital ICE one needs to go to an Epson V700/750 or the equivalent Canon. Digital ICE is not used for silver B&W as the infrared scan for ICE cannot penetrate the embedded silver particles as it can with colour emulsions.

Batch scanning is a function of software. Vuescan is 64-bit but Silverfast is not (not on Macs at least). The owner of Vuescan (Hamrick) is the living bible of scanning knowledge.

I am also ordering this:

Film Holder Holders and Products for the Epson V500

I have a majority of 120 film, so a flatbed scanner is very good for this solution. I still shoot MF and 135. For mostly 35mm, I would look at sending it out to ScanCafe or DigMyPics. IF you want high-quality TIFFs the ScanCafe Pro option is not exactly cheap, but I think it is the most future-proof and modifiable option out there.

In regards to batch scanning...it all depends on the software, the scanner, and the film holders used. Some flatbed scanners are limited to a single film strip per scan due to the size of the light source in the lid. Others have a full width light lid and can do multiple slides/strips per pass with the appropriate software.

If you are considering VueScan, don't be put off by the Web site. It is actually pretty decent software. The user interface is a bit weird, but that is typical of scanner software in general. The good part is that an evaluation copy is free to download.

BTW...if you are intending to scan old family photographs and have access to the prints, you may get better results scanning those. Old negatives are often in fairly poor condition and difficult to scan successfully, particularly if the scanner lacks Digital ICE or similar scratch removal technology.


Steve

[GeneV]

I put up with the clunky and unstable Nikon software in order to use Digital ICE, but it is worth it to me. I see no disadvantage to slides or color negs scanned with ICE, and the improvement in dust control is amazing.

[PeterAM]

The Canon 9000f does not come with Silverfast. I got one a couple of days ago; no Silverfast. The Canon web site does not list it as being "in the box". Maybe earlier; not now.

Another reason to consider Vuescan is that it supports many, many scanners, at no added cost.