Good photo scanner and slide scanner

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pioneer31

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I want to buy TWO scanners - one that is optimised for photographs (prints) and the other for colour slides.

Could anyone suggest some good models?

I can go upto £500 for a slide scanner and about £300 for prints
 
I don't know if you'll get a good dedicated film scanner for £500, but you can get a very good combined film/flatbed from Epson for £340~ have a look for the V700 or V750.
 
Steep said:
I don't know if you'll get a good dedicated film scanner for £500, but you can get a very good combined film/flatbed from Epson for £340~ have a look for the V700 or V750.
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Tend to agree. I've got the Canon MP970 for both and it's awesome (includes CD/DVD printing).
 
You are able to get a Nikon Coolscan V for around your budget of £500 which is a dedicated film/slide scanner.
 
Do you think these combos will be as good as a dedicated machine? Some sources say yes, some say no, hence the question.
 
pioneer31 said:
Do you think these combos will be as good as a dedicated machine? Some sources say yes, some say no, hence the question.
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That is always going to be a subjective answer and you are likely to get a variety of differing views.

If I want to scan slides or 35mm negatives [colour or B&W] I will use the Coolscan V. If if is for other size negatives they would be done on my HP GT450 flatbed scanner which is a combined flatbed/film scanner. I picked this particular model because I was primarily looking for a flatbed scanner but had the ability to scan non 35mm negatives.

If I compare a slide or 35mm negative, which I have scanned on the Coolscan and also the GT450, I prefer the quality from the Coolscan.
 
Ive got a boxed Nikon coolscan 3 for sale if that any use?
 
erding said:
That is always going to be a subjective answer and you are likely to get a variety of differing views.

If I want to scan slides or 35mm negatives [colour or B&W] I will use the Coolscan V. If if is for other size negatives they would be done on my HP GT450 flatbed scanner which is a combined flatbed/film scanner. I picked this particular model because I was primarily looking for a flatbed scanner but had the ability to scan non 35mm negatives.

If I compare a slide or 35mm negative, which I have scanned on the Coolscan and also the GT450, I prefer the quality from the Coolscan.
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Is there a difference in scanning speed? I read somewhere that flatbeds are slow. I have 2000 slides to scan :eek:

Also, isn't a dedicated 35mm scanner 'easier' to use - ie no mounting slides in holders etc?
 
It really depends on the resolution you use. I scan 35 mm film at 3200x3200 resolution, else I'd have to enlarge it, but it takes a few minutes to scan just four frames. This way, I get a 12 MP photo. Then again, I use an Epson 3490 Photo and it's very snappy for scanning documents, it's just a little slow for negatives.
It scans prints quite nicely.
 
pioneer31 said:
Is there a difference in scanning speed? I read somewhere that flatbeds are slow. I have 2000 slides to scan :eek:

Also, isn't a dedicated 35mm scanner 'easier' to use - ie no mounting slides in holders etc?
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Scanning slides in a dedicated film/slide scanner is very easy and much quicker than using a flat bed scanner as the slide is held in a fixed position in the scanner so once the inital alignment is done this is replicated on all subsequent scans. Scan times are dependant upon scan resolution and if you set the scan s/w to remove any blemishes from the slide - eg. dust or scratch marks.

If you only had a few to scan I would suggest a flatbed scanner as it can be used for other types of scans in the future. For a larger number - I had a similar number of slides/negatives to your 2k - I would suggest using getting a dedicated slide/negative scanner, do your scanning, and then sell the scanner after the project is completed.
 
erding said:
Scanning slides in a dedicated film/slide scanner is very easy and much quicker than using a flat bed scanner as the slide is held in a fixed position in the scanner so once the inital alignment is done this is replicated on all subsequent scans. Scan times are dependant upon scan resolution and if you set the scan s/w to remove any blemishes from the slide - eg. dust or scratch marks.

If you only had a few to scan I would suggest a flatbed scanner as it can be used for other types of scans in the future. For a larger number - I had a similar number of slides/negatives to your 2k - I would suggest using getting a dedicated slide/negative scanner, do your scanning, and then sell the scanner after the project is completed.
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I'm thinking along the same lines. I would then buy a good flatbed afterwards for keeps (general purpose and 110 film, prints etc - they are lower quality)

Do you know what I could sell a 2nd hand Nikon V for?
 
pioneer31 said:
I'm thinking along the same lines. I would then buy a good flatbed afterwards for keeps (general purpose and 110 film, prints etc - they are lower quality)

Do you know what I could sell a 2nd hand Nikon V for?
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Between several photo forums this year, I have seen the Nikon V between £300 and £360.
 
I'm planning to view my slides on a DVD player plugged into a large LCD screen TV. Does anyone know if this will highlight the differences between the CoolScan and Epson V700 or would it still be too close to call?
 
Do you notice any difference when you view your existing images on your monitor and your current TV screen?
 
pioneer31 said:
I haven't done a comparison as yet.
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You may want to try that. Computer monitors generally are configured to work on higher resolutions than TV screens. Therefore if you notice any deterioration in image quality between your monitor and TV that deterioration will be amplified if scanned lower quality images are used for the viewing
 
pioneer31 said:
I'm planning to view my slides on a DVD player plugged into a large LCD screen TV. Does anyone know if this will highlight the differences between the CoolScan and Epson V700 or would it still be too close to call?
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With that sort of end use, a 1/2 reasonable flatbed with a proper film adaptor will give you plenty of quality from prints, negs or slides.
 
The general consensus seems to be that I'm not going to notice the difference between a CoolScan and the V700.

From what I've read the differences between the V700 and V750 are neglible, except for the software bundle
 
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