What to replace my V500 with?

Okay bought a 4x5 Graflex..

Anyway, I have a Mamiya RB67 which is fantastic and I love it, and I'll be using it quite a lot, for model shoots etc along with my 30D in place of a polaroid back (till I get one).

But I bought a 4x5 which should be here in a week or two, now I need a scanner to scan LF.

So I do not want lesser scanning resolution than the V500 (as in, I do not want lesser true resolving power) for my 6x7's.

Do I sell and get the V700? Or is the 8800F as good as the V500 in terms of resolution?

I know it can vary with height and I've been using stock holders, and it appears my scanner might be better using a lower height with the special betterscanning holders (increasing height doesnt change the amount of detail, looks the same).

Now I've seen the filmscanner.info putting the 8800F at 1600 dpi.. and have not seen what the V500 resolves, but I suspect it should be more than that, is there any other test using custom/third party holders that are more favorable to the 8800F?


I should mention I live in Australia, I cannot find a 4990, the V500 cost me $400 (and that was a very very good online price at the time) and the V700 can be had here now for $711.

I did once see a coolscan 8000 on keh.com for $1k ages ago, but long gone, every 8000 i see now is a few $ more than the 9000! :S (over $2k).

Also the 8800F is $300.



In short I need a solution for my on-the-way 4x5, but I do not want it to be at the expense of current quality I get out of 6x7.

Any thoughts?


Edit: Should mention I have macro'ed backlit film with my dSLR that significantly outresolves the V500, and on 35mm I did on a dedicated scanner (albeit a Scan Dual II 2820 dpi scanner) and can stitch that but colour negative is a pita with the gel'ing of the light source I have to do to not totally crush the blue spectrum of the histogram.. and then that leaves dust.

It works quite well but is a lengthy process, and takes a lot of post-labour and care, and is not something I want to do often and hence only for "masterpieces" I might happen to be lucky enough to shoot, and altough I may not shoot 4x5 as often as 6x7cm, it is still far too often as I do not want to be doing it just to look at every image I take.

Also I do not get scans back from labs, as I do not use them (theyd take 2 weeks min to send away and cost like $20+ for 1 35mm or 1 120 roll without prints or scans anyway - benefit of living in Australia), I develop all my own b&w and colour film.

I could have sworn that that 8800f does not do 4x5....I use the epson 4490 with pretty bad results (it is a 120 and smaller job). My buddy uses the V700 and can't say enough good things about it, I haven't had the chance to use it but my impression is that it is the finest new 4x5 scanner out there right now for under a K. Just some babble take it for what it is. Good luck.

8800 doesn't do 5x4, in fact none of the recent canon's do - otherwise I would own one!

I use the v700 and I'm not awesomely happy about it, I don't think it's as great as people think, but short of buying a Hasselblad scanner I can't do any better.

I think your best option is to buy the V700, & sell the V500. I'm more than satisfied with my V700. It does take some experience and experimenting to get the best from it, but I don't think you can do better for the money. In fact, a worthwhile addition to the V700 is to get Bruce Fraser's book on sharpening.

Now, if you get lucky, you may find a drum scanner for a reasonable amount. I've seen a couple in going condition sell on our local auction site (TradeMe) for less than the cost of the V700. In fact, there's one there now - pick-up may be a problem though :D

Was under the impression the Canon did 4x5 for some reason.. weird.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Paul H

I think your best option is to buy the V700, & sell the V500. I'm more than satisfied with my V700. It does take some experience and experimenting to get the best from it, but I don't think you can do better for the money. In fact, a worthwhile addition to the V700 is to get Bruce Fraser's book on sharpening.

Now, if you get lucky, you may find a drum scanner for a reasonable amount. I've seen a couple in going condition sell on our local auction site (TradeMe) for less than the cost of the V700. In fact, there's one there now - pick-up may be a problem though :D

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Argh dont tempt me... could arrange freight with a cheap flight to NZ from Bris or Syd.. hrm..