Hey all. I know this topic has been debated in various places, but I haven't been able to find anyone who has actually tested the real world performance. I'm looking at picking up either a V800 or a V850 refurb. Epson claims that the V850 has better optics ("the V850 Pro has anti-reflection coatings on the optics, and high-reflection coatings on the mirrors"). But it's unclear to me how much difference this is going to make in the real world. The price difference is about $160, which isn't huge, but is enough to feel like it would be a waste if there's no noticeable difference in the results.

If it matters, I expect the vast majority of my scanning on this to be 4x5 black and white. A lot of the scanner tests I've seen have centered around color transparencies, which I rarely shoot in 4x5 (and I have other ways to get E6 35mm scanned, so 4x5 is all I'd be using this for).

Has anyone here tested this, or are you aware of anyone who has? Is there any other reason I should pony up the $160 for the V850?