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09-17-2016, 10:16 PM   #1
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Epson V600 vs V800 vs V850

I've decided to jump back into 35mm film with a PZ-1P, my bathroom darkroom and in need of a new film scanner. Before, I had the advantage of my school's Opticfilm 8100i. SilverFast was fine, but I'll be honest: I hated the workflow. Previewing and scanning one frame at a time, then exporting to my computer, then importing into my Lightroom catalog and then editing in Photoshop was just a bit much.

Apparently these flatbed scanners would let me scan several frames at once and are even smart enough to distinguish the frames from each other most of the time. The V600 is at a great price, but I wasn't impressed by the Opticfilm and I want something with great image quality without stepping into K-1 or Hasselblad scanner ($13k) territory. Thoughts? I'm not great about keeping my negatives flat and dust-free, so tips on workflow in that direction (either mitigating those problems with tech or organisation) would be appreciated.

09-17-2016, 10:33 PM   #2
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I recently bought an Epson V750 Pro which came bundled with Silverfast. I got the upgrade to the top version and I have been very happy. It includes a batch scan facility where you mark your frames, do any adjustments you want and then push the button and walk away. I have been shooting film since 1984 and I'm not stopping until film and chemicals are no longer available.
09-18-2016, 05:15 AM   #3
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I use a V700, processing and scanning a roll of B&W per week, and the scanner is convenient and fine for that use. I just use the Epson scan program as it is simple to use and does what I want. The V700 will do 24 negatives (4 strips of 6) at a time. Sometimes the software glitches and loses communication part-way through, but normally continues after a re-start.
The newer V800 -850 use an LED light source which doesn't need to warm up and should have longer life. The film holders are better also,but only hold 3 strips of 6 at a time.
09-18-2016, 05:24 AM   #4
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While we are at it, how does the V500 compare to those?

09-18-2016, 07:54 AM   #5
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If you are only_scanning 35 mm, you will probably want to invest in a dedicated film scanner. Research the selection at B&H or whatever is your favorite mega seller. Flatbeds do a good job with larger formats and offer versatility but a good dedicated film scanner for 35 mm has a slight edge and start to make sense if you only plan to scan one format.
09-18-2016, 08:12 AM   #6
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agree with doug fisher, on 35mm film, the jpeg scans from a labs fuji frontier sp-3000 is significantly sharper than my linear TIFF scans with my v600 (with anti-newton ring glass). They are about even with 6x7 negatives.
09-18-2016, 09:25 AM   #7
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Have you think about using your DSLR to scan the negatives? I have been scanning B&W film with my K50 and the 100mm macro and the results are very good, even better than the traditional flatbed scanner. You just need a ligth source (like this: Logan Electric 4 x 5" Slim Edge Light Pad 750219 B&H Photo) and your sharper lens.

Read this articles, you will find them very interesting:

Scanning without a Scanner: Digitizing Your Film with a DSLR | explora

How to Scan Film Negatives with a DSLR

09-18-2016, 10:02 AM   #8
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I decided on the V600, but not without a lot of research and some frustration. Here's what I've found:

Film scanners on the market are divided into three categories:

* One-frame-at-a-time film scanners like those sold by Plustek.

Plustek apparently offers great technical support for its hardware, but the software supplied by SilverFast is going to leave you on your own for most things. All of their under $1k scanners worth considering only scan 35mm film and use a manual feed tray. As others in this thread have noted, you're likely to get your best results for 35mm film from these. They are also small and compact, with a handy carrying case.

As you pay more for these models, you get infrared dust removal for chromogenic films (C-41, E-6 and Kodachrome), and fancier versions of SilverFast. If you want the best image quality, get a copy of SilverFast that offers multiple exposures.

The 120 model scans medium format film at a premium. The 135 model supposedly offers an automatic feed tray, but doesn't include SilverFast and has only gotten negative reviews from what I can find.

* Flatbed scanners like those sold by Epson.

Epson's technical support appears to be universally regarded as terrible, so I recommend avoiding it all costs.

That being said, their scanners and software appear to be well-regarded. The V600 is cheap ($200 at B&H or Amazon new; $145 refurbished through Epson) yet still produces decent image quality, if the customer photos on the web are anything to go by. The V800 series produces better image quality and SilverFast bundles at a significant price hike.

The difference between the V800 and V850 comes with an upgraded version of SilverFast (SE vs SE+), an extra set of film trays, so you can queue up another set while the first scans, and a liquid film tray available upon request for free (a paid accessory for the v800).

The v800 series replaced the v700, now available on the used market. The upgrade added faster warm-up times and anti-Newton ring glass to the film holders, which some have said decreases image quality. Recent Q&A on Amazon suggests the v8xxs may no longer ship with the glassed film holders. I've also seen reports that the medium and large format film holders in the new series were measured incorrectly and don't actually fit those sizes of film.

Special purpose scanners like those sold by Hasselblad, and those that used to be sold by Nikon and Fuji.

Hasselblad scanners produce stunning results, but are out of my price range, at least. The Fuji Frontier scanner AtitG mentions appears to go for several thousand dollars used, and the Nikon Coolscans are well regarded, but also quite pricey. It's also worth considering that you're buying a discontinued product, with spotty support for new OSes.

The things that were most influential in my decision were the customer review photos for the V600 on Amazon and B&H paired with stellar reviews; a Reddit thread comparing image quality between the v600 and v800, and my own experiences scanning film with the OpticFilm 8100. If there's interest, I'll share some scans when it arrives.

---------- Post added 09-18-16 at 10:07 AM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by Imerino Quote
Have you think about using your DSLR to scan the negatives? I have been scanning B&W film with my K50 and the 100mm macro and the results are very good, even better than the traditional flatbed scanner. You just need a ligth source (like this: Logan Electric 4 x 5" Slim Edge Light Pad 750219 B&H Photo) and your sharper lens.

Read this articles, you will find them very interesting:

Scanning without a Scanner: Digitizing Your Film with a DSLR | explora

How to Scan Film Negatives with a DSLR
I actually didn't consider that very thoroughly. I saw that Pentax offers some sort of accessory in Japan, but didn't know that it could be done more cheaply without being exceptionally crafty. I've already ordered the scanner, but I'll return it to B&H and give your suggestion a go if I don't like the flatbed's results. Thanks!
09-18-2016, 10:52 AM   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by lithedreamer Quote
Nikon Coolscans are well regarded, but also quite pricey. It's also worth considering that you're buying a discontinued product, with spotty support for new OSes.

I actually didn't consider that very thoroughly. I saw that Pentax offers some sort of accessory in Japan, but didn't know that it could be done more cheaply without being exceptionally crafty. I've already ordered the scanner, but I'll return it to B&H and give your suggestion a go if I don't like the flatbed's results. Thanks!
Unfortunately the Coolscans are still the best when it comes to workflow and results.

DSLR copying has some advantages but unfortunately has substantial disadvantages. It's biggest advantage is speed of scan. However, it doesn't have ICE (IR dust and scratch removal) for all films other than true b&w films and you are on your own when it comes to getting good results when DSLR copying color negatives.

You should look into the Pakon scanner as I have read good things about it but never tried it myself.
09-18-2016, 11:12 AM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by LesDMess Quote
Unfortunately the Coolscans are still the best when it comes to workflow and results.

DSLR copying has some advantages but unfortunately has substantial disadvantages. It's biggest advantage is speed of scan. However, it doesn't have ICE (IR dust and scratch removal) for all films other than true b&w films and you are on your own when it comes to getting good results when DSLR copying color negatives.

You should look into the Pakon scanner as I have read good things about it but never tried it myself.
These are the kind of results I'm looking for in a film scanner, thank you!

---------- Post added 09-18-16 at 11:53 AM ----------

Update: I cancelled my Epson v600 order and bought an F135 Plus off of eBay after watching
video.
09-30-2016, 09:53 PM   #11
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I have a V600, it seems to handle my 645 B&W negatives very well but I have trouble with a few of my 35mm B&W negatives. I send my color stuff off to be dev'd and scanned so I'm not really sure how it does with that. I personally do not like the cheapo holders, I may get new ones in the future. I've been looking at the lomo ones that can do sprocket holes. I had a Konica Minolta 35mm scanner but dealing with the drivers and clunky software made me want to sell it, and while the images from 35mm were slightly better it wasn't worth the extra space it took up. I may look into that pakon F135+ in the future though.
09-30-2016, 10:26 PM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by GateCityRadio Quote
I have a V600, it seems to handle my 645 B&W negatives very well but I have trouble with a few of my 35mm B&W negatives. I send my color stuff off to be dev'd and scanned so I'm not really sure how it does with that. I personally do not like the cheapo holders, I may get new ones in the future. I've been looking at the lomo ones that can do sprocket holes. I had a Konica Minolta 35mm scanner but dealing with the drivers and clunky software made me want to sell it, and while the images from 35mm were slightly better it wasn't worth the extra space it took up. I may look into that pakon F135+ in the future though.
I highly recommend it (ask for an invite to the Facebook group before you buy: there are people selling theirs, plenty of discussions and -best of all- software and tutorials to make your life easier)!

This one took a little more effort than the usual scans, but I was able to pull out a 16-bit TIFF, which makes me pretty happy.
Attached Images
 
10-01-2016, 05:32 AM   #13
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This thread has been really interesting. I'm thinking about getting a scanner, too, to fill the resource void left when I graduated and I now no longer have access to pro level equipment. I just got a medium format camera, so I see lots of 120 scans in my future. We used V700's at school, so I know first hand what they're capable of; I'm just not sure I'm ready to make that kind of financial investment. So the V600 is very tempting, but since I haven't used one I'm a little nervous that it'll be able to meet my expectations.


And then there's the Canon CanoScan 9000F MkII. Less expensive than even the V600, with impressive resolution. I haven't found much 3rd party info on it, though.

QuoteOriginally posted by lithedreamer Quote
I highly recommend it (ask for an invite to the Facebook group before you buy: there are people selling theirs, plenty of discussions and -best of all- software and tutorials to make your life easier)!

This one took a little more effort than the usual scans, but I was able to pull out a 16-bit TIFF, which makes me pretty happy.
Lithedreamer, thanks for sharing your shot. I'm a sucker for double exposures. Those are some very good results out of the V600. Makes me wonder if the investment for a V800 is really necessary.
10-01-2016, 09:43 AM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by turboast4 Quote


Lithedreamer, thanks for sharing your shot. I'm a sucker for double exposures. Those are some very good results out of the V600. Makes me wonder if the investment for a V800 is really necessary.
Sorry for the confusion, I actually pulled that shot out of the Pakon scanner.
10-01-2016, 12:13 PM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by lithedreamer Quote
Sorry for the confusion, I actually pulled that shot out of the Pakon scanner.
Well, impressive image nonetheless.
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