I got a V500 a few years ago, and it has served me well, even for 35mm film. However, I eventually bought the anti-newton-ring glass inserts from
BetterScanning.com, and that made the film easier to load and scans more consistent. I've tried VueScan and SilverFast, and they both have their advantages, but I've found the Epson software to work well for me. The multi-pass scanning with VueScan and SilverFast can yield some improvement in dynamic range, but I'm generally not that particular, so decided to not purchase the third-party software.
Here is an example, scanned with the Epson software.
Kodak Tri-X at ISO400, Pentax MX, Pentax-M 40mm f2.8 with yellow filter, developed in Rodinal 1+100 semi-stand, Epson V500 with ANR glass insert.
I'm plenty happy with the results.
-Joe-