used vs new

[chij]

bought my first scanner yesterday - an epson v600, new, which i can return within 15 days if i change my mind

i'm not crazy pleased with the results but that's probably because i've used better scanners like the nikon coolscan 9000 and a topaz 2

i bought it because the local labs charge quite a lot for fairly low res scans. buying a desktop scanner seemed smarter. i want to scan 120 negs to post online.

reading other threads here, it seems like the epson 4990 is better and i might be happier with it, although i doubt i'll be able to find one. wondering if its a good/bad idea to buy used scanners online. do scanners break down easily. should i just stick with my v600 - it came with a standard 1 yr warranty

[Brian Ellis]

It's also possible that you're not crazy pleased with it because none of the Epson flatbeds are very good with medium format film IMHO. But for posting on line it might be o.k.

[Andrew O'Neill]

Brian,

A friend of mine owns an Epson V750. I was pretty suprised at how nicely it scanned in some of my 6x7 negatives. Now, I've never seen what other scanners could do, but this is fine for alt printing, such as carbon.

[Lachlan 717]

Have a read of this link (http://www.photo-i.co.uk/Reviews/interactive/Epson%20V700/page_1.htm), put the idea into practice on your V600 and then see how your results go.

Even this level of product can benefit from playing round a little. They're not always good to go right out of the box.

[chij]

Have a read of this link (http://www.photo-i.co.uk/Reviews/interactive/Epson%20V700/page_1.htm), put the idea into practice on your V600 and then see how your results go.

Even this level of product can benefit from playing round a little. They're not always good to go right out of the box.

that was a helpful link. what i got from it was:
- apply usm in photoshop not epson scan
- scan at 2400, 3200, 4800, 6400dpi but not in between
- 6400dpi doesn't perform as expected. highest resolution is actually less. i think i read elsewhere its closer to 2400dpi.
- manual says emulsion side up, but emulsion side down gives better image quality
- your own adjustments are better than auto adjust for color accuracy
- don't use epson scan's dust remover. use digital ice
- adjust film height by increasing the height between film holder and document table from 3.0mm to 3.5mm. i might have to invest in a betterscanning.com holder because my holder doesn't have height adjusters. my wallet has filed for divorce from me.

i also found this v600 review helpful:
http://www.imaging-resource.com/SCAN/V600/V600.HTM
that IT8 slide looks neat

[Doug Fisher]

>>adjust film height by increasing the height between film holder and document table from 3.0mm to 3.5mm.<<

For your model, it is supposed to be right at 1 mm but you will find there are variances.

Since you already have the v600 with a full warranty, I would not go to the effort and risk to return it and find a 4990.

My $.02,
Doug
---
www.BetterScanning.com

[Brian Ellis]

Brian,

A friend of mine owns an Epson V750. I was pretty suprised at how nicely it scanned in some of my 6x7 negatives. Now, I've never seen what other scanners could do, but this is fine for alt printing, such as carbon.

How big were the prints you made from the scans? When I tried my 4990 with my 6x7 negatives (b&w) the prints (silver, not alt) were o.k. - not great, just o.k. - at 8x10 or smaller. No good at all (for me) with anything larger.