astrobeast
member
Reged: 09/26/09
Posts: 14
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Hi all, new to CN. Looking to get back into AP and still intrigued by film so want to give it shot before deciding whether to venture into CCD stuff.
So have enjoyed reading the forum and the informative posts, but am a bit surprised by the lack of much scanner discussion. So am looking for advice / recommendations on make and models. Criteria: 1) low to modest price (am experimenting here) and 2) have a lot of family slides that I would like to scan so a unit that facilitates rapid slide changes would be useful, but not essential.
I guess while I have your attention, a second question. I note references to push processing - is this something that is available commercially, or are users doing this themselves with processing kits?
Thanks in advance,
Rick
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tommyhawk13
professor emeritus
Reged: 09/28/07
Posts: 696
Loc: Jacksonville, Fl
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I'm using a refurbished Epson 2450 Photo (flatbed) that I got off of ebay for around $150, IIRC. There are several models that come with transparency holders for 35mm film, slides, medium format film, and 4x5.
I bought mine several years ago, long before getting into astronomy, but it seems to be working fine. If you get a flatbed, be prepared to clean glass often.
Push processing is available at some labs. There is at least one member here who processes his own film, and pushes it with great results.
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Meade Starfinder 8,Meade SN-8 OTA, Orion Atlas, and a handfull of film cameras
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Rick Thurmond
member
Reged: 10/30/06
Posts: 25
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For 35mm slides and film, I like the Nikon Coolscan V. It seems to focus well.
For larger film sizes (120 and 4x5) I use an Epson 3200 flatbed, but I don't think it focuses well. When I have something I want a really good scan of, I send it to a lab that does a drum scan. I've had scans done by several companies that didn't come out right, either very noisy or poor color. It's good to shop around until you find a service that is really good. http://www.rickthurmond.com/astrophotos/large-15.html was drum scanned. I find astrophotos on transparency film very demanding to scan.
I recently took a trip through the southwest and put my 4x5 and 120 scans at www.rickthurmond.com/reddirtonfilm
You can see the soft focus on some of them.
Rick
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Nightfly
sage
Reged: 06/20/07
Posts: 441
Loc: Sullivan, Maine
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I use an Epson 4490 with very good results. Its not the best scanner, but it is an excellent scanner for less than $200.00! I have scanned thousands of slides/negs with it and I am very happy with it considering the cost. I use it to scan 35mm and 120 formats. It has enough controls to allow somewhat advanced adjustments.
Epson offers several scanners in the $100.00 to $700.00 range, get what you can afford.
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M111
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 06/28/06
Posts: 790
Loc: Western MA
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Another happy Epson user here. I have the V700 which will do 35mm, 120 and 4x5. Silverfast scanning software is also very useful. I think a 'lite' version is bundled with all Epsons. You can do stuff like multi-exposure scans to reduce noise.
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Brendan
WO ZS80FD 10th-Anniversary
Meade SN-6
Meade 2080 F/6.3 SCT
Meade LXD-75
Vixen Polaris
A bunch of cameras and lenses
Burnham's Celestial Handbook
Gallery
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Rick Thurmond
member
Reged: 10/30/06
Posts: 25
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That's good news. Maybe there is just a problem with my scanner. I'll try putting a resolution target in there at an angle to see if any of it is in focus.
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Nebhunter
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 10/04/03
Posts: 1259
Loc: Frostbite Falls
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I have the Microtek I800. I have tried EVERYTHING with it - and it just gags on E200 transparencies. It is IT8 calibrated, every possible combination of settings in Silverfast, or stock software - and the same deal.
Funny tri-coloured stars - red on one side, white in the middle, blue on other side. Also in areas of dense star fields I get a compression type line that runs across the image, and stretches the stars into the trough, and they get the tri-colours as well.
On negative film - B&W - just a fantastic scanner and that includes reflective also. I may keep this scanner for reflective work, but from what I've seen the Epson line is the one to get - other than an Imacon if money was no object.
Your focus problem - could it be a calibration thing? Have you tried raising the target a hair up off the glass to see if focus improves?
Igor
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The StarGeezer
Those who trade liberty for security have neither. ~John Adams
TEC 140 (Katyusha) & F/F - Equinox 80 - Losmandy G11/Gemini - ST-4 guider. PENTAX 67ii - 400(EDif) & siblings. I shoot FILM.
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Nebhunter
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 10/04/03
Posts: 1259
Loc: Frostbite Falls
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I love the Silverfast software. I hate my scanner I800 - see reply to Rick. I wish I had got the V700. Epson seems to have this down, and evolved the line to make it better and better. I mean Jim's 4490 is a great low priced scanner. I can't image what yours would do on the same film scan? The only thing I would like to see is the V750 do a wet scan on a B&W negative.
I've been reading up on guys trying the wet scan on colour transparencies with mixed results, mostly very little if any improvement, so not worth the money.
I've been tempted to try it - buy the kit - in the hopes that it would solve the problem with E200 on my scanner. I'm just hesitant to spend good money - as the kit is not cheap - and have no improvement. Mind you, if it did the job on B&W then that would be OK in itself. I love B&W & Fuji Acros.
Igor
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The StarGeezer
Those who trade liberty for security have neither. ~John Adams
TEC 140 (Katyusha) & F/F - Equinox 80 - Losmandy G11/Gemini - ST-4 guider. PENTAX 67ii - 400(EDif) & siblings. I shoot FILM.
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M111
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 06/28/06
Posts: 790
Loc: Western MA
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I had a focus problem when I used the Epson scanning software. For normal daylight slides I would use the 'scan with film holder' and everything worked fine, but many astro slides are too dark to be auto-detected in the film holder mode so you have to use 'scan with film area guide' mode which basically allows you to select the frame manually. Problem is, in this mode the scanner focuses at the glass so film in plastic holders is outside sharpest focus. Switching to Silverfast solved this problem completely.
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Brendan
WO ZS80FD 10th-Anniversary
Meade SN-6
Meade 2080 F/6.3 SCT
Meade LXD-75
Vixen Polaris
A bunch of cameras and lenses
Burnham's Celestial Handbook
Gallery
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Rick Thurmond
member
Reged: 10/30/06
Posts: 25
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I use Silverfast to run my Epson 3200. I scanned a Stouffer 1-T resolution target both on the glass and in the holder. Results are at http://www.rickthurmond.com/1T%20Epson%203200.tif Left image is on glass, right in holder. This is the 500 lpi end of the target. I'd like to see similar targets scanned by other scanners for comparison. If anyone has this or a similar resolution target, scan'em and post'em. I got mine at www.stouffer.net
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Rick Thurmond
member
Reged: 10/30/06
Posts: 25
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I cut a piece from my Stouffer 1T Resolution guide and put it into a 35mm slide frame and scanned it with my Nikon Coolscan V ED. The native resolution of this scanner is 4000 dpi, but I scanned at 3200 to match my previous Epson scans, so probably interpolation softened the image a little. Result is at
http://www.rickthurmond.com/1T%20Nikon%20Coolscan%20V%20ED%20at%203200.tif
It is much sharper than my Epson scan, and there is no color fringing. This may be the difference between a film scanner and a flatbed scanner. I'd like to see similar test results from other scanners.
Rick
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astrobeast
member
Reged: 09/26/09
Posts: 14
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Thanks for the informative posts, sorry to have taken so long to respond.
The scan from the previous post looks very good indeed. I am aware that there are scanners designed strickly for film, as opposed to the flatbed types that will do printed material. Is it a general consensus that these do a better job for slides? As this is what they are designed for I would assume so.
Rick
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