Diff between Epson 700 and 750-M

[77seriesiii]

Ok, dont want to beat a dead horse but my scanner of 8 years died and we cant get a drum scanner yet. We are looking at the Epson 700 and 750-M. we shoot MF, 4x5, wholeplate, 8x10 and collodion. I am also looking at one of the scanner additions either betterscan back or scan science.

So two questions:

Is there a difference btwn the 700 and 750-M?

Which is better betterscan or scan science?

Thanks

Erick

[David de Gruyl]

If betterscan is betterscanning.com, they work great. The MF film holder is very adjustable and the ANR glass helps scanning. I have no information on the other one.

I believe that the difference between the 700 and 750 is a wet mount holder, Silverfast AI (not a demo: full license for that scanner) and a color profiling software / Color target that I can't remember the name of.

I seem to remember them being very close in price this time last year.

All things considered, it is a fine scanner for MF and larger. The best I can say for 35mm is that it scans. The film holders are not great (generally), but 4x5 works very well. You probably want to replace the MF holder.

[rdenney]

I believe that the difference between the 700 and 750 is a wet mount holder, Silverfast AI (not a demo: full license for that scanner) and a color profiling software / Color target that I can't remember the name of.

(There is also talk that the 750 has an anti-reflective coating on something or other.)

The color software that it comes with is Xrite (Monaco) EZ-Color, and it includes a 5x7 reflective and a 4x5 transparency IT8 target. I don't know who makes the transparency target, but the results seem to be pretty good for use with Fuji films. It doesn't come with a 35mm target, which is a shame (I still had to buy a target from Wolf Faust for use in my Nikon film scanner). The software wanted to profile my monitors, and I had to slap it upside the head to keep it from doing so (I already have a Gretag MacBeth system for that). If you don't have IT8 targets already, and if you want to establish a color-managed workflow, then the marginal price of the 750 might be a cheap way to get them.

Rick "who bought the 750 as a refurb direct from Epson" Denney

[77seriesiii]

I have both reflective and transparency 4x5 targets that came w/ the dead scanner so that really isnt an issue.

Are both set up for wet mounting or only the 750?

The calibration software is a nice touch and I do have an older sensor from Monaco.

./e

[sanking]

Aside from the films holders suppled, and the software, there is one small hardware difference between the V700 and V750. The glass in front of the sensor of the V750 has an anti-reflection coating (like modern lenses), the glass of the V700 is plain and does not have this coating.

In theory the anti-reflection glass might reduce bloom on the V750 but I don't know of any tests that actually makes a comparison.

Bear in mind that whether you choose the V700 or V750 both have two separate lens assemblies, and both are fixed focus. In order to optimize results from these scanners you will need to adjust the height of the film holders above the glass to find the plane of best focus.

Sandy King

[77seriesiii]

Sandy,

thank you for information. I thought I had read the glass was different in the two systems but couldn't find it again so I thought I had dreamed it up.

In your opinion, bearing in mind I will probably be getting a betterscan wet mount solution for MF and 4x5, which would be the better scanner to get, 700 or the 750? I will be shooting 90% B&W and shifting into alternative areas (collodion, cyanotype, vandyke, etc.) and my wife, the professional, will be shooting predominantly MF in the 6x6, 6x7 and 6x9 formats. she who must be obeyed has also been grumbling about a drum/high end scanner but am just beginning the search and understanding what is good, what is reliable, parts availability and most importantly what I can afford.

I have read the method posted by Jeremy, scan elevation on the cheap, not sure the wife would buy into that, worth asking though.

A lot going on in that statement but if anyone wants to answer some aspect or all, I am in receive mode.

Thanks

Erick

[rdenney]

...and my wife, the professional, will be shooting predominantly MF in the 6x6, 6x7 and 6x9 formats. she who must be obeyed has also been grumbling about a drum/high end scanner but am just beginning the search and understanding what is good, what is reliable, parts availability and most importantly what I can afford....

I have a V750 but I find it marginal for scanning 6x9 and smaller, depending on my expected print size. For roll film, a good compromise between a flatbed like the Epson and a drum scanner is a film scanner, such as the Nikon 8000 or 9000. The 8000 is a bit older now (like all film scanners) but it sells in the $1000-1200 range and they work very well, with about twice the effective linear resolution of the flatbed and better tonal gradation. The 9000 is the newer model, and still much more expensive, but it is really only a marginal improvement over the 8000, mostly in speed. Both use the same film holders and accessories. The 8000 interfaces to a computer using a Firewire cable, which is still commonly and cheaply available, unlike the SCSI connection used on some earlier film scanners.

I have not tried the 750 using a wet mount (though mine came with a wet-mount kit sans fluids), so that may close the gap between it and the film scanner. But I have found it most useful to have the Nikon film scanner for medium format and the Epson for 4x5, with both serving about the same ultimate print size. Getting both is, of course, more than double the Epson alone, but it's still quite a bit cheaper than a used drum scanner.

Rick "noting that 8000's still sell today for what I paid for mine five years ago" Denney

[77seriesiii]

Rick

Thank you for that idea and we have been kicking it around as well. It will take us a bit of time to figure out what type of scanner to get (film, flatbed, drum). by a bit of time I think this weekend before the negatives hit critical mass and explod. If we get the flatbed as an interim fix we are going to try the wet mount, variable height for all of the film sizes we use and then make another decision.

Going to go over to the high end scanner group on yahoo and do some more lurking.

Erick

[sanking]

In your opinion, bearing in mind I will probably be getting a betterscan wet mount solution for MF and 4x5, which would be the better scanner to get, 700 or the 750? I will be shooting 90% B&W and shifting into alternative areas (collodion, cyanotype, vandyke, etc.) and my wife, the professional, will be shooting predominantly MF in the 6x6, 6x7 and 6x9 formats. she who must be obeyed has also been grumbling about a drum/high end scanner but am just beginning the search and understanding what is good, what is reliable, parts availability and most importantly what I can afford.

Erick

Erick,

I would suggest that you buy a V700 and learn to use it. Epson had these for sale recently refurbished for about $400. This will get you in the game for a lot of money, and if you don't print too large it should give acceptable results even with MF. After you learn more about scanning you can determine if the extra expense, size and complications of a drum/high end flatbed suit your needs.

Sandy King

[77seriesiii]

Sandy, or anyone used seen both...

Thank you for the advice. In your mind does the anti-reflective and better mirror material found on the 750 warrant the added price?

./e