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Linhof
25-Feb-2013, 20:03
I had taken a lot of time to search for threads about Espon V700 scanner but still have the following questions.

1. Sharpness of film scanning
This may be the most frequent question on V700. I want to scan 8x10, 4x5, 120 and 135 films that I shot in past 20 years. My purpose is to scan them at max possible resolution before they deteriorate in future. (consider the cost per scan, drum scanning is out of question at the moment.)

8x10 film
I put the film on scanner glass and then put a glass on the film to ensure flatness. Newton ring occurs. I know that an anti newton glass that I am going to buy one to solve this problem. I scan 8x10 film by 2400 dpi with espon software. The detail of the image is not sharp until I downsize the resolution to 800 dpi in Photoshop. Is it the max. resolution of V700 I can get? Then, I scan 120 film by the same operation. I get a file of 769MB from 6x9cm format with 6400dpi. The image at Photoshop is not sharp until I downsize to 1200 dpi but the file becomes 27MB.

My impression is : to scan films which is put on the scanner glass could not yield sharp image above 800 or 1200 dpi.

4x5 film
If I put 4x5 film directly on the scanner glass, may I get sharp image at only 1200 or lower dpi? I use espon film holder and scan at 2400 dpi and then downsize to 1600 or 1200 dpi. The image is sharper. People said that a third party film holder with adjustable height could improve the sharpness. I don't know to what extent it is sharper.

120 and 135 film
Someone suggest to put ANR glass on 120 and 135 film holders to ensure film flatness. How far could it improve sharpness if the scanner focus is not there? The 120 and 135 film holders from espon is not adjustable in height. Should I need to use third party film holder to adjust the heights?


2. Noise
When I scan some old films with V700, there exists noise in the files. I mean films shot over 20 years ago. Had tried to use Photoshop and other noise reduction softwares but the result is far from my satisfaction. I came across the idea of scanning film by DSLR camera by using macro lens so that noise became less apparent because of macro focusing. To me, noise problem is equally important. Do you have any advice?


Thanks a lot.

Jon Shiu
25-Feb-2013, 20:19
The Epson holders are adjustable in height, it is in the manual, under troubleshooting, I think. Also, in Photoshop there is an unsharp mask filter - it's worthwhile to research sharpening and how to do it.

Jon

pasiasty
27-Feb-2013, 00:31
You shouldn't expect such a sharp pictures from a flat-bed scanner as come from a drum or a minilab. On the other hand what I get from my V700 is definitely enough for me.

I scan LF and MF to get 35-40 Mpx. In case of 6x6 it is about 2800 dpi, for 4x5 - 1450 dpi.

In case of 120 films - b&w ones I develop by myself are quite flat, but C-41 I got rolled from a lab, flatness it is a problem. I very seldom use 135, in one case I did film curvature practically spoiled scanning. AN glass would perhaps help.

You can improve sharpness a bit scanning emulsion down (and mirroring the picture then).

There are sophisticated and relatively expensive holders form http://www.betterscanning.com/ - people who have spent $150 usually say the holders improve sharpness much; what else they could say, yet AN inserts (an option from betterscanning) may actually do the job.

StoneNYC
27-Feb-2013, 02:10
I would suggest highly looking at the film height, I can easily scan at 3200dpi an get full crips images, it took me 4 months to figure out the system I use. The ANR glass is invaluable, and you certainly should NOT put the film directly on the glass, the scanners depth of field is VERY shallow, and directly against the glass puts it out of focus, the Epson holders are terrible but at least SLIGHTLY adjustable, I personally bought the betterscanning adjustable holders and found dialing in the perfect height was the way to go and getting ANR glass to keep them flat.

It's worth the time to test and test until you are certain the height is correct for the scanner or you end up with unclear images.

Good luck!

ramon
27-Feb-2013, 04:09
I am not sure if my V700 is so blurry, I am a perfectionist, ... or both !
IMHO, I think Epson V700 is not the right tool to scan 20 years of work.

But its so hard to find an 'useable good scanner'.

The torturous path of looking for, transport, find a place, and operate a reasonably priced professional flatbed scanner (with its attached 20 years old junk MAC computer, software, and dongle) like Screen Cezanne, Creo/Scitex/Kodak Eversmart, Heidelberg Topaz, Fuji Lanovia, etc ... is so difficult, that I understand you try to find a way with EPSON.

Thinking out loud:

I wonder if some of us (disappointed, frustrated, unhappy, or perfectionist users of Epson V700/V750) could form a group to work together in the 'Dissection_Dissasembly_and_Modification' of this scanner to get by ourselves what a useable-quality-modern scanner should be (or we expect it should be), but the manufacturer doesn't want to make. I think that the only weak point of this scanner is the low quality lens inside the carriage assembly (and the holders).

Some people hacked a epson v30 scanner to make a scan back, so why not do the same with a V700?. (See Dario and project ESE at google)

(I don't know yet about the quality of the new Microtek ArtixScan F2 with Autofocus and Silverfast software. Not sure if there is a noticeable improvement over Epson V700/750 or not)

StoneNYC
27-Feb-2013, 10:28
Don't get me started on Silverfast, it baffles me, half the time I can't even get it to scan at all, it's the version8 that's supposed to be better than the prior, it's got to be the LEAST intuitive piece of software I've ever used, utterly useless without taking a course I know people swear by it but literally I can't even get it to scan, the buttons never click and it just gets stuck, I have a new Mac so I don't know what it's issue is but I just use the Epson scan software... Much easier

StoneNYC
27-Feb-2013, 10:29
Oh but I agree I've heard the lens is the weak spot so perhaps talk to betterscanning and see if they would consider looking at selling an optic replacement?