Newbie into scanning.. need answers!

[liionel]

hello hello. i'm about to purchase my first film scanner and i have the canon 4400F in mind.

firstly i'd like to ask a few questions.

1.) whats the diff btwn scanning slides and negs?
2.) to scan the film i've to insert the film into this bracket and place it in the scanner, what happens if i dont use the bracket? can i like throw in a piece of 120mm film and scan it successfully?
3.) any other scanners to recommend? budgetwise, maximum of $170?

[liionel]

any help please...

[Rangefinder_fan]

1). Slide and negative scanning is the same process, you just need to adjust the setting to either 'Neg' or 'Positive'.
2). You can place the negs or slides directly onto the flatbed, but you will likely not get a very sharp image since the scanner maker prob calibrated the scanner to focus at a certain height above the scanner. Also run the risk of newton rings on highlight areas.
3). You get what you pay for. Flatbeds are typically a compromised design, due to the glass surface. Some are very good, like the Epson V700 or V750, but their prices are also pretty high. If you are only scanning 35mm, you may want to consider getting a used film scanner like the dimage range. Those would typically give you a superior output.

Of course, scanning is a science, or art, in itself, so results may vary greatly.

[liionel]

hey thanks for the comprehensive reply! any scanners you recommend for both 35/120mm? besides the 8800f.. :/

[Yoricko]

Sorry to hijack but I plan to get the Epson V300 (Cost about 150), which has a Dmax of 3.2, 16bit grayscale scanning (I shoot B&W) and 4800DPI, also able to mount 6 negs or 4 slides.

Or do you suggest to invest in an Epson V700 (Cost about 750), which has a Dmax of 4.0, 16bit grayscale scanning and 6400DPI, also able to mount negs, slides and med formats.

Or the upcoming Canoscan LiDe 700F (Estimated about 250?), which has a Dmax of (?), 16bit grayscale, 9600DPI, but only able to mount ONE negative at a time.

I plan to scan and print occasionally at a moderate size, like maybe A4-A5 size. I shoot 35mm black&white.
Do I really need 16-bit Grayscale scanning?

I feel that the Epson V700 is overkill, and Canoscan 700F a bit , if not, terribly troublesome with loading 1 negative at a time.
But Canoscan 700F is an upcoming model, and has 9600x9600 DPI.

Suggestions?

[flowerpot]

Originally Posted by Yoricko Or the upcoming Canoscan LiDe 700F (Estimated about 250?), which has a Dmax of (?), 16bit grayscale, 9600DPI, but only able to mount ONE negative at a time. Suggestions?

only 1 ?? not i strip ah...

[Yoricko]

Most probably its one 35mm film, not strip.

http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/co...&modelid=18125

http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/co...&modelid=15561

Comparing from the illustrations, LiDe 700F can only load "1" 35mm film whereas the 8800F can load "12" 35mm films.

[liionel]

35mm Film — Make your old photos look brand new again with the special film scanning guide frame and Film Adapter Unit by scanning one film strip at a time at a maximum 9600 color.

[Yoricko]

Originally Posted by liionel 35mm Film — Make your old photos look brand new again with the special film scanning guide frame and Film Adapter Unit by scanning one film strip at a time at a maximum 9600 color.

Thanks for pointing out!

[liionel]

so back on topic, has anyone tried scanning 120mm on a 4400? or even sprocket scanning .. ?