What is the best alternative to the Betterscanning fluid mount for V700

[John Hartman]

I've sent a handful of messages to Betterscanning over the last few month to no response. Time for me to move on and find another solution. With the highest quality scan I can get out my V700 being the goal: what's the next best negative carrier I can buy for fluid mounting? Should I buy the stock Epson item? I shoot mostly 4x5 and some medium-format. If it's relevant, I shoot almost exclusively Portra 160 and HP5. Currently I'm dry scanning with the stock, glassless Epson 4x5 carrier and using a carrier from Lomography for the medium format negatives. Thank you all for your help.

[grat]

Ask Nick Carver.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfGKd_AEZtY

[Heroique]

Are you committed to fluid mounting?

You might try a second dry mounting process (with anti-glare glass) which might produce better results than your current dry mounting process with Epson’s glassless carrier. And it might even produce results comparable to fluid mounting on a V700 – with much greater ease.

You would simply use a piece of store-bought, anti-glare glass (say 8x10, etched on one side), and use six or eight pieces of artist’s tape to tape your film to the etched surface. This eliminates Newton rings. You’d flip the glass so the film faces the scanner bed. You can use various things to support and adjust the height of the glass above the bed – for example, post-it note pads. The ideal height is different from scanner to scanner, typically in the realm of 2 or 3mm, but conveniently, the scanner lens provides a healthy amount of DOF.

[John Hartman]

Ask Nick Carver.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfGKd_AEZtY

Thanks for reminding me of this video, I watched it quite awhile ago and remembered only that he preferred the betterscanning setup but not the rest of his conclusions. After watching it again I just ordered a 4x5
V850 carrier with the ANR glass insert and I'm confidant that it will be a step up from where I am now but it still feels like I'm leaving some quality on the table

[PatrickMarq]

Well, I had the Betterscanning Holder. But early this year it dropped two floors down and compleet broken :-(
So after a lot of searching / testen I have found that the fluid scanner Holder of Epson is the best way to go.

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detail of the center part
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