Epson scanner 4990 vs the V700 and V750

[Jerzy Pawlowski]

I just found about Reflecta by accident on the Polish language analog photo forum Korex. Someone there gives price around 1,500 Euros - no idea what is the base for this info.
Also there is a link to Plustek but I can read only 120 what may indicate medium format. May be someone is able to read this site: http://dc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/n...11_426498.html .

[dave_whatever]

I own a 4990 and have used a borrowed V700 on several occasions. If I look at the scans I have from both of them there's not a lot of obvious difference. Both have a useable resolution that'll give you very good scans from 4x5, good scans from 6x7 and 645, and scans of 35mm that are fine for web use or small prints. Both will struggle with dark or underexposed slides or very dense negatives. Both come with film holders that aren't great so be prepared to buy na aftermarkign holder or knock up something yourself out of a glass sheet. You can't work miracles with these things but given the cost and the flexibility they are great machines.

What I've found is that getting issues sorted like holding the film flat, colour calibration,, and getting yoru workflow nailed will give you far more tangible gains in quality than the differences between models. Infact the borrowed V700 i used has banding in the shadows that my 4990 doesn't have. Bearing in mind you can get some pretty good deals on 4990s second hand from dealers with a warranty (I think I paid about 150 quid for mine a year ago) I would be tempted to go down that route and put the cash you'll save towards a few commercial imacon or drum scans of your smaller formats or dark slides that need special treatment.

[Heroique]

On the v700, don't you have to select 3200 or higher, in order to activate the higher-resolution lens?

Good question, I thought you only had to select “film w/film holder” to activate the 750’s SHR lens, but my test may have used the 750’s other lens. Either way, I suspect the 750 works like the 700.

I feel like I’m writing a play & stitching together dialogue :

My answer to your question is this.

When you scan an 8x10 negative you must select Film Area Guide, and when you do the lower resolution lens is automatically selected by the software.

When you scan a 4x5 or 5x7 negative, you can select Film Holder, which automatically engages the higher resolution [SHR] lens. It covers a smaller area and has a wider aperture.

Assuming you have adjusted both lenses for optimum plane of focus you will get higher effective resolution with the higher resolution lens. I believe Epson calls it the Super High Resolution lens, a somewhat hyperbolic description, but the SHR lens does in fact give higher resolution than your regular “High Resolution Lens.”

Sandy King

[Kimberly Anderson]

I have been scanning negatives on a V750 for 3 years doing this EXACT same set-up. It is perfect, fast, but does introduce some dust so you'll want to be careful.

I went ahead and masked off the edges of my glass and added some little tabs so I could lift it up off of the scanning glass w/out smudging or scratching it.

It's the simplest, cheapest, easiest and best solution. Rarely do all of those things align.

Ken,

This is anecdotal.

Utilizing the wet mount tray that came with my Epson V750 scanner:

HP-5+ negatives are placed directly on the the tray glass. Emulsion side contacting the glass. The negative is held flat with a piece of anti-Newton Ring glass, textured surface contacting the shiny base side of the film.

Eliminates Newton Rings, and has the same result as wet mounting, without the hassle or the mess to clean up.

Tell the scanner it is scanning a B&W negative in a film holder (above the scanner's glass).

I have used this method to scan HP-5+ film in medium format (120), 4x5, and 5x7.

After comparing the sharpness utilizing the Epson plastic film holders and also mounting the negative directly on the scanner glass. This method proved to be the sharpest.

Note: If you are using film that has a shiny surface on both the emulsion and the base side, this method does not eliminate Newton Rings.

[routlaw]

Excellent news !

If it's reasonably priced, has genuine resolution of 3200 spi, and a good DMAX, they should sell a lot of them !!

If they want someone to write a review, I'll be happy to volunteer

I won't throw away my MF negatives yet !

The specs say a 3.6 dmax, nothing outstanding but on the other hand this is a spec often advertised as a bit ambitious by many vendors/manufacturer's. Never heard of the company but if its coming from Germany I can only imagine what the cost will be by the time its across the pond here.

Rob

[David Luttmann]

No Ken, if you select film in 4x5 and smaller, it automatically engages the high rez lens. I think it's the $0.99 glass lens as opposed to the $0.49 plastic lens.

[bitu]

With 200, I personally will go for a brand new hp G4050 with several rolls of films.

[renes]

My tests weren’t rigorously scientific, but I found my 4990’s best plane of focus, which is unique from model to model, to be about 2mm above the glass. However, there seemed to be enough DOF for me to say: 2mm ... plus/minus .25mm. (I'd like to hear more about this DOF “tolerance” from others.)

Most 4990 and BetterScanning film holder users claim they get sharpest images when film holder is risen about 2mm above the glass. I have made test with my GT-X800 (japanese 4990 version) and got the sharpest images at 1 full turn = .8mm, so at less than 1mm high. Why I get so different results? Futher more, I compared scans to these made with original Epson film scanner and they are equally sharp, no differents.

[Tony Evans]

Michael,
Thank you for the Gem Singer post. I would like to try and effect this on my V700. Do you know the height of the top surface of the wet mount tray glass? Does the tray glass sit flush on the scanner glass or is it raised?
Many thanks.
Tony

[Gem Singer]

Tony,

It is raised slightly above the surface of the scanner glass.

Placing a negative on the top surface of the wet mount tray brings it to the same height above the glass as if it was in a plastic film holder.

This seems to be the proper height above the glass to obtain ideal focus for my V750, when I tell the scanner that the negative is mounted in a film holder.

From what I understand, this ideal focal plane varies among individual scanners.