Is there a good low cost scanner for under $100

[pudentaineLf]

Hi all!

I'm a with large format photography, retired and on a very tight income in a very expensive city. I don't mean to be tight but does anyone out there have any opinions or suggestions on a low cost scanner that can handle 4 x 5 negatives, I already do a lot of 120...or am I in the position where it is more prudent for me to print my stuff and scan it on my 4 in 1. I currently have a HP Deskjet 2050. That may be the worst thing out there to use but that's why I mentioned it because I'll never learn with out asking what sometimes might be dumb questions.

I was looking at the epson V600 & came across a Canon CanoScan 9000F Color Image Scanner, I also came across the "Imagelab FS9T Film and Slide Scanner" it was more in my price range at $69. but it might be a piece of junk, it says 9 mega pixel resolution and I thought that was enough for a 4 x 5 but maybe I'm wrong.

Any ideas or suggestions? I also thought about buying used, I saw a epson V750 for sale at $139. Used my a little old lady and only on Sunday's...you know the story, lol!!

Thanks, Thomas

[pudentaineLf]

Sorry....that was an epson v600, v750 I wish!! What about a Canon CanoScan LiDE110 Color Image Scanner?

[David R Munson]

For what it's worth, I have been scanning 4x5 negatives with the V600 with good results. I scan in two pieces then use Photomerge in Photoshop to stitch the files together. Not an ideal way of working, certainly, but it is doable and the results are good enough to justify the time involved.

[Nathan Potter]

If you already had a DSLR with a reasonable macro lens you could just copy the 4X5 using backlightling - even just tape the film to a window if necessary.

For instance a nominally 12 MP sensor might be about 3000 X 4000 pixel height and width. Focused on a piece of 4X5 film you'd get 4000 pixel in the 5 inch direction which would be 5 inches (126 mm.) divided by 4000 = 0.032 mm (32µm) pixel size referenced to the 4X5 film surface. 32 µm would be roughly equivalent to a resolvable linewidth or equal to 30 LP/mm. That's doable with a modest lens so you should get some decent replication.

Calculate a lower MP camera accordingly.

Nate Potter, Austin TX.

[Light Guru]

Hi all!

I'm a with large format photography, retired and on a very tight income in a very expensive city. I don't mean to be tight but does anyone out there have any opinions or suggestions on a low cost scanner that can handle 4 x 5 negatives, I already do a lot of 120...or am I in the position where it is more prudent for me to print my stuff and scan it on my 4 in 1. I currently have a HP Deskjet 2050. That may be the worst thing out there to use but that's why I mentioned it because I'll never learn with out asking what sometimes might be dumb questions.

I was looking at the epson V600 & came across a Canon CanoScan 9000F Color Image Scanner, I also came across the "Imagelab FS9T Film and Slide Scanner" it was more in my price range at $69. but it might be a piece of junk, it says 9 mega pixel resolution and I thought that was enough for a 4 x 5 but maybe I'm wrong.

Any ideas or suggestions? I also thought about buying used, I saw a epson V750 for sale at $139. Used my a little old lady and only on Sunday's...you know the story, lol!!

Thanks, Thomas


Sorry....that was an epson v600, v750 I wish!! What about a Canon CanoScan LiDE110 Color Image Scanner?

NONE of the scanners you have listed except for the v750 will even hold a 4x5 peace of film.

You listed.

Imagelab FS9T 9 - takes 35mm film or slides only
CanoScan LiDE110 - cannot scan film at all
Epson v600 - max film size is 120
CanoScan 9000F - max film size is 120

The cheapest scanner out there that will do 4x5 film is the HP Scanjet G4050. However the HP scanning software is junk so you will definitively want to also purchase ViewScan.

[Peter Gomena]

If you have a lot of film to scan, save your money and buy a decent scanner. You can find a good, lightly used one if you look around. There are a lot of outdated but useable scanners out there that people abandoned because the software became outdated. New versions of SilverFast and others such as VueScan often are available to run old scanners.

[Jim Jones]

My old Epson 2450 wasn't as good for 4x5 negatives as my V700, but it was good enough. Perhaps you can find a used one in good condition with the negative carriers. Ought to be cheap, too.

[bobwysiwyg]

My old Epson 2450 wasn't as good for 4x5 negatives as my V700, but it was good enough. Perhaps you can find a used one in good condition with the negative carriers. Ought to be cheap, too.

+1 on this suggestion. This what I use if I need a negative scan.

[petetsai]

Bam, 10 bucks good enough?

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/for/3702039213.html

[pudentaineLf]

Thanks, getting a 14mp, pentax k-01 in the mail any day now and that's nice to know


If you already had a DSLR with a reasonable macro lens you could just copy the 4X5 using backlightling - even just tape the film to a window if necessary.

For instance a nominally 12 MP sensor might be about 3000 X 4000 pixel height and width. Focused on a piece of 4X5 film you'd get 4000 pixel in the 5 inch direction which would be 5 inches (126 mm.) divided by 4000 = 0.032 mm (32µm) pixel size referenced to the 4X5 film surface. 32 µm would be roughly equivalent to a resolvable linewidth or equal to 30 LP/mm. That's doable with a modest lens so you should get some decent replication.

Calculate a lower MP camera accordingly.

Nate Potter, Austin TX.

[pudentaineLf]

yea, thats what I was thinking but i jsut hadn't worked it out yet thanks for saving me some mental processing time, great suggestions.
Any ideas on what models, brands...what am I looking for exactly in a film negative scanner. just over a certain dpi or what...?


If you have a lot of film to scan, save your money and buy a decent scanner. You can find a good, lightly used one if you look around. There are a lot of outdated but useable scanners out there that people abandoned because the software became outdated. New versions of SilverFast and others such as VueScan often are available to run old scanners.

[pudentaineLf]

How about good out of date scanners that I could use viewscan or silverfast with as Peter Gomena suggested? anybody have any suggestions on that idea? I like it not only because it's fugile but it's also kind of green...



Hi all!

I'm a with large format photography, retired and on a very tight income in a very expensive city. I don't mean to be tight but does anyone out there have any opinions or suggestions on a low cost scanner that can handle 4 x 5 negatives, I already do a lot of 120...or am I in the position where it is more prudent for me to print my stuff and scan it on my 4 in 1. I currently have a HP Deskjet 2050. That may be the worst thing out there to use but that's why I mentioned it because I'll never learn with out asking what sometimes might be dumb questions.

I was looking at the epson V600 & came across a Canon CanoScan 9000F Color Image Scanner, I also came across the "Imagelab FS9T Film and Slide Scanner" it was more in my price range at $69. but it might be a piece of junk, it says 9 mega pixel resolution and I thought that was enough for a 4 x 5 but maybe I'm wrong.

Any ideas or suggestions? I also thought about buying used, I saw a epson V750 for sale at $139. Used my a little old lady and only on Sunday's...you know the story, lol!!

Thanks, Thomas

[bobwysiwyg]

I use Vuescan with my Epson 2450. No problems at all.

[Jim Jones]

If you buy a used scanner, make sure it has the required negative holder or be prepared to improvise one. The carrier shown on the Craig's List was only for roll film.

[Jon Shiu]

The Epson 3200 scanner is very good as well as the 4180. Should be available used for $50-100.

Jon

[pudentaineLf]

I wanted to thank you "petetsai". I picked up my printer from this gentleman the night before last. It was in great condition , had all it's cables, wires and other accessories, and all for $10. Thanks for the help, the guy was very surprised by the story that got me there. I thought it was pretty cool so I told him.




Bam, 10 bucks good enough?

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/for/3702039213.html

[petetsai]

Glad I could be of help, I actually just sent my Photographer friend out to buy a scanner on CL down in LA. His current scanner couldn't do 8x10 negatives so I told him that I just bought a 4990, I found him one locally for $160 and off he went to buy it!

[Jon Shiu]

The Epson 3200 scanner is very good as well as the 4180. Should be available used for $50-100.

Jon

oops meant Epson 4870.

Jon

[Kirk Fry]

I have been using an Epson Perfection 3200. Works fine for 4X5. Max resolution is about 1600-2400 dpi. 16"X20" prints from scans are fine. The only problem I have had is that Epson scanning software only works on Xp. I have a dedicated old Xp box that runs the scanning. With old scanners see it work before money changes hands. Silver Fast works on Win7 very slowly.