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A modern 35mm film scanner for home

soke.engineering

41–50 of 198 posts

Re: A modern 35mm film scanner for home

#42

Why does film attract so much dust?

No expert but I'd guess "thin shiny material being rubbed against things -> STATIC AHOY -> clingy dust".

yeah static mostly. You can get a pizeoelectric antistatic gun to neutralize it. You can also get antistatic brushes that use alpha emissions from polonium 210 to do this.

Re: A modern 35mm film scanner for home

#44

I'm glad this exists but at ~1k EUR I would be interested if it could scan 120 medium format negatives...but the fact that it does not is an absolute deal breaker for me. It seems like they are considering it. I hope they do figure that out sooner than later.

Medium is the problem. There’s nothing.

Epson stopped making their flatbeds that do film, reportedly because they can’t get the CCDs anymore. That may be a rumor.

The result is they go for 2x MSRP on eBay for models that are many years old. Because that’s all that exists.

Without that, you can buy the kind of scanner meant for a photo lab ($$$$$), DIY it with a DSLR ($$$ if you don’t have one), or pay your a lab a lot per roll and hope they do a good job.

I’m not saying it’s a giant market but it certainly seems to me like there’s enough of one that it could support a small product.

You can get brand new Plustek OpticFilm scanners for 35mm and smaller starting around $300, and there are plenty of other options above that. Plus the DIY.

I’m sure 35mm is easier to make and certainly a bigger market but it’s also a lot more crowded.

I expect their specs are far better than the $300 one I’ve mentioned, I don’t know enough to know. But medium format people are desperate for anything.

Re: A modern 35mm film scanner for home

#45

Hmm, does seem pretty expensive but sounds interesting. I've got an old Canon FS4000 for 35mm, which works ok for me. I'm curious what people recommend for 4x5 film. Is there such a thing as a cheap drum scanner.

The Epson scanners are supposed to be nice but they stopped making them and they’ve shot way up in price second hand.

Re: A modern 35mm film scanner for home

#46
I have 3 Nikon Coolscans and I also repair them…

I would love a new scanner for 21st century but there just no way anyone serious is trading CCD (or PMT if you got the cash) for CMOS.

But I applaud the initiative and will definitely buy it to try but not to keep.

Re: A modern 35mm film scanner for home

#47
post #44

I'm glad this exists but at ~1k EUR I would be interested if it could scan 120 medium format negatives...but the fact that it does not is an absolute deal breaker for me. It seems like they are considering it. I hope they do figure that out sooner than later.

Medium is the problem. There’s nothing. Epson stopped making their flatbeds that do film, reportedly because they can’t get the CCDs anymore. That may be a rumor. The result is they go for 2x MSRP on eBay for models that are many years old. Because that’s all that exists. Without that, you can buy the kind of scanner meant for a photo lab ($$$$$), DIY it with a DSLR ($$$ if you don’t have one), or pay your a lab a lo…

Not that they're cheap, but you can get Imacon scanners for much less than they retailed for. I inherited a Flextight Precision II and it still does a great job.

Re: A modern 35mm film scanner for home

#48
post #31

Film doesn't really make sense anymore outside the realm of luxury-budget art. And if so, why 35mm? Why not medium format / Hasselblads, or large format? Why not actually go for the format sizes where there's a reasonable argument that film can produce a better end result compared to DSLRs?

35mm wins by a mile on price per shot. And for web scans (where most photos end up), it's got more than enough resolution.

35mm film and 120 film are a similar cost per roll, but with 35mm you get 36 exposures vs 8-16 exposures on 120 film (6x12 and 6x4, with square 6x6 in the middle at 12 exposures). And if you shoot half-frame, the cost/shot really goes in the 35mm direction.

That said, I have a handful of of 35mm cameras (all fixed lens vintage rangefinder) and a post-war Zeiss Super Ikonta IV (6x6 120 format). The Olympus 35DC is my favorite of the bunch - it's automatic except focus - really sharp and fast lens - just a pleasure to use. And a Polaroid Go 2 because it's just dumb fun (way overpriced for the quality, and sensible people buy Instax cameras instead, but the Polaroid form-factor was just too much for me to pass up).

I shoot film because it makes me slow down and think a bit. With my mirrorless cameras, I'm too prone to spray and pray and sorting through hundreds of shots can kill the fun for me. That, and the film look is nostalgic for me - sometimes I just want rough snapshots - feels more like a memory vs the crystal clear high res digital output.

Re: A modern 35mm film scanner for home

#50
post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I almost missed the price. Wow you're right that's a lot! And the final retail price is 1599 euros. I have a good Plustek that cost me $300 or $400. Automated transport and unantiquated software sounds nice, but those features are not worth an extra $600-1,100 to me. Am I missing something or is this supposed to be in another tier of image quality?

It's actually a lower DPI and no IR sensor.

Honestly I feel like anything beyond 5 megapixels per frame is pushing beyond reasonable expectations with 35mm. This is certainly the case with any kind of available light or high speed work in silver-halide process, the area where I figure most people are going to be using this device. Lab-work in C41 and E6 is definitely possible at home but must account for single digit percentage of the home analogue market.
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