Scanjet 4010 Scanner
August 3, 2009 by admin
Filed under HP, Under £150
HP Scanjet 4010 Flatbed Scanner
The Scanjet 4010 or G4010 as it is also known is not a purpose built negative scanner like some of the other models we have featured on this site. It does however manage negative slides and being a standard flatbed scanner it also has the added advantage of being able to scan a variety of negatives regardless of the size and type. It also has the added bonus of being a very good flatbed scanner, perfect if you are looking for something that will complete a number of different tasks.
Priced around the £120 mark it places itself in a market with some tough competition although this is not a problem as HP have done a very good job in producing a quality scanner. The HP comes complete with a Transparent Materials Adapter (TMA) which is located on the underside of the lid and is capable of holding five 35mm slides or six negatives depending on what style you have although if you do have older versions or larger slide based negatives then the scanner should still handle these without the use of the TMA.
The only slight downfall about the Scanjet (and this is more common with the flatbed scanners) is the pre bundled software that comes with it. Trying to use the scanner to copy negatives onto your PC is far from easy and as we have suggested in the past the best option would be to opt for some negative scanning software with more control.
Overall though if you are looking for a good all round scanner with the ability to scan a variety of negative formats then you could do a lot worse than the Scanjet 4010 Flatbed Scanner from HP. Capable of 4,800 x 9,600dpi it’s no slouch in the quality department.
The Zennox Slide Scanner is available from Amazon.
Epson Perfection 4490 Photo and Film Scanner
April 30, 2009 by admin
Filed under Epson, Under £150
Epson 4490 Film Scanner
The Epson perfection 4490 photo and film scanner is a great all round scanner. It’s multi use features mean it can scan both photo’s and film perfect for those who are looking for a scanner that can perform a multitude of tasks and with a name like Epson it is a brand you can trust. The Epson 4490 fits perfectly into the price range against purpose built scanner such as the Ion and as previously mentioned it is still able to scan other document or photos with ease and at a high quality you would expect from such a well known brand.
Priced around £120 it does put itself into the mid range of the market as far as negative scanners go. The 4490 does come bundled with some good quality software and a technology called Digital ICE which automatically removes surface defects which may appear on your film such as dust, dirt and scratches although it does not stop you using your preferred software should you choose.
With this being a traditional flatbed scanner it does have the advantage of being able to scan different types of slides such as larger lantern slides that would not be scannable with the purose built machines. With some very good reviews on Amazon it’s certainly worth adding to your shortlist and another bonus feature is that it is Apple Mac compatable as many other scanners are not.
Features / Specification:
PlusTek OpticFilm 7200
March 23, 2009 by admin
Filed under Plustek, Under £150
PlusTek OpticFilm 7200 Negatives Scanner
The PlusTex 7200 Negatives Scanner is a dedicated film scanner capable of creating images upto 7200dpi (hence the name) which given the price means you get a decent quality scanner which is capable of high quality images for a very reasonable price.
Plustek OpticFilm 7200 combined with SilverFast SE makes it an ideal film scanner for most users including home users, photographers and small office / workshop users. The software provided is easy to use and has some great features / tools to get the best out of your scans.
Manufacturers Specification:
- Type: Film scanner
CCD image sensor
Document Size: 36.8 x 25.4 mm
35 mm slides
Resolution: 7200 x 7200 dpi
Connection USB 2.0
Transparent: Negatives and slides
Depth: 48 bit/pixel
Speed: Previewing: 10s
Scanning: 48s (with 3600 dpi)
Computer Interface: USB 2.0Compatibility: Windows 98SE, Me, 2000, XP
Pentium II or later
128 MB RAM (256 MB recommended)
160 MB HDD space (300 MB recommended)
USB port
CD driver
Included Software: LaserSoft SilverFast SE 6
NewSoft Presto! PageManager
NewSoft Presto! ImageFolio
NewSoft Presto! Mr. Photo
Adobe Acrobat Reader
QuickScan
Accessories: USB cable (1,5 m), power adapter, carrying bag, film holders
Other Slide viewer located on top of the scanner
High optical resolution and a fast scan speed means that the Plustek easily outperforms other film scanners in the same price range. Pre scans take around 25 seconds to complete with a good quality scan taking around 40 seconds, however should you wish to use the best settings available on this scanner the time will increase. When used with something like Polaroids free dust and scratch remover plugin the results can be improved further.
The PlusTex OpticFilm 7200 is available from Pixmania priced at £129.00 - click here
Ion Film 2 SD Negative Scanner
February 12, 2009 by admin
Filed under Firebox, Ion, Under £150
Film 2 SD Negative Scanner
What makes the Ion Film 2 SD Negative Scanner stand out from the rest in it’s price range is it’s ability to work on it’s own without the need for a computer. Using the built in colour digital screen you have the ability to view your slides once they are scanned and can then store them on the bundled 1GB SD Card.
Priced around the £120 mark the Ion scanner is worth a look for those wanting a basic but perfectly adequate film and slide scanner. With neat little touches such as the ability to flip, mirror and rotate the images the Ion is worth considering for the additional £20-£30 over the likes of the Veho previously reviewed.
The great thing about the SD card included is that you can then use the digital images it produces to display on your computer or through a digital photo frame, with the 1GB of storage the memory is good for at least 500-600 images at 5 megapixels. There is also the ability to upgrade upto 8GB of storage at a later date should you require.
You can of course use the scanner with your computer as a way of processing negatives should you need to.
Features:
The Ion Film 2 SD Scanner is available from Firebox - click here
Zennox Slide Scanner
February 2, 2009 by admin
Filed under Under £100, Zennox
Zennox 35mm Negative USB Slide Scanner
The Zennox negative slide scanner will help inject new life into your old cherished film and slide negatives by transforming them into digital prints quickly and easily. The Zennox is a simple compact negative scanner perfect for desktop use much like the Veho usb negative scanner.
Priced around the £80 mark it also shares a similar price tag to the aforementioned Veho. Ideal for use with 35mm negatives and slide collections, the plug and play operation gives simplicity allowing you to simply connect your PC / Laptop using the supplied USB cable. It’s then a simple case of using the supplied software or opting for some negative scanning software with more control. Although we are yet to try the Zannox from other reviews online the scanner is capable of clear and sharp high resolution images and the pre bundled software features automatic exposure control, fixed focus and colour balance. An ideal starter slide scanner and perfect for those looking to experiment with negative scanning without the adding cost of some of the more expensive units. Featuring a 2.0 USB connection, the film scanner is compatible with PCs using Windows XP or Vista. Measures 16.5 x 9 x 9cm.
The Zennox Slide Scanner is available from Clifford James - click here
Programs to convert 35mm negatives into positives via a scanner?
If you are looking for a program that will convert 35mm negatives into photographs via digital images when scanning them into your computer then the following suggestions may help:
First of all you will need a scanner which has a backlight otherwise it will be very difficult to capture the negatives as an image. Standard Microsoft Photo Editor has the ability to change negatives into colour and with a little tweaking you should be able to produce digital images.
HP have some great advice which may help you along the way.
Secondly the two pieces of recommended software to use are: Vuescan and Silverfast. Each have their own advantages and disadvantages and you will probably find you will get on better with one than the other. Give them both a try and see which one suites you best.
If on the other hand you have a purpose built negative scanner it should come with it’s own software capable of converting the images into the correct format.
What is a negative scanner and how much should a decent one cost?
A negative scanner is a piece of equipment which allows you to scan slide negatives and film negatives and turn them into digital images, in a similar process to that of using a traditional scanner.
With prices ranging from around £40 upto many hundreds of pounds you should expect to get quality in comparison with the price. Like many things in life you get what you pay for, however having said that if you are a novice to photography or negative scanning then the lower end of the market may still be more than adequate for your purposes. You could always upgrade at a later date should the quality not be up to your required standards.
Copying 35mm negatives to digital?
What would give the best quality results when converting 35mm negatives to digital?
If time isn’t a problem then you could always do it yourself. However the best option as far as quality is concerned is to use a professional photographic company who specialise in negative scanning and copying. This obviousy would be a more costly route, but may be ideal for small numbers of slides or film which may not warrant the purchase of a negative scanner.
If you truly want the best quality way to get negatives into digital files, dedicated film scanners are specifically designed for the job, and works better than a traditional flatbed scanner that you would use for everyday scanning. The Nikon Coolscan scanners are professional quality devices, yet not that hard to use, ok they may require a bit of learning and tinkering to get the desired results, but they are not beyond the use of an amature or someone learning to convert negatives for the first time.
They used to be very expensive, but not as bad now, try looking at the shop section of this site, available from the top menu bar to get a better idea. As with many things digital, the newer the scanner, the newer the technology and generally the better the scanner, modern versions have Digital ICE, a feature that can automatically retouch out dust, scratches and fingerprints perfect for those with an untrained eye.
If you don’t wish to buy a film scanner just for a small batch of negatives, another option is to send them to a professional person or company as mentioned above, although as said previously the cost may far outweigh the price of a cheap 35mm negative scanner.
Another advantage of working on your own slides and film is that you never need to hand over your precious negatives which often are irreplaceable, and may become lost or damaged at the hands of others.
Whatever scanner you decide to use, good scanning software can make a big difference to how the digital images turn out. Often the software included with a normal flatbed scanner will not have the capabilities to manage conversion of negatives into digital prints. Try using some dedicated software such as Silverfast or VueScan and see which software works best for your needs, the best advice would be to try different software on the same set of slides and see which results you prefer before making a final choice, you could even use different software depending on the type of slide or film negative.
Once you have the digital images on your computer you can then use a photo printing company to get your images printed or store them on one of the many USB Hard Drives available where they can be kept in digital format for future use.
What is the best way to sort hundreds of old large format negatives?
Many purpose built negative scanners only take standard size 35mm film and slides, and anything larger such as 120mm or the larger old glass plates would not be suitable for using with such scanners. There is however a solution.
Take a regular scanner (if you need to purchase one then consider viewing the options available from the negative scanner shop section of our site, then take the followin steps:
- carefully place film side down in the scanner
- place an incandescent lamp over negative without the scanner lid in place
- cover negative, with thin paper or opaque plastic to protect the negative
- scan to photoshop
, and invert in photoshop
- crop, adjust contrast and brightness as necessary
This should then have the same or very similar effect as using a negative film or slide scanner, and may even be an alternative to buying a purpose built scanner altogether providing you have the right equipment and necessary photoshop skills in the first place.
Film Scanning - Convert or backup your microfilm records or 16/35mm roll film to Adobe PDF or TIFF format via our film scanning and archiving service.
Nikon 5000ED
The Nikon Super Coolscan 5000ED 35mm negative scanner is the negative scanner for professionals.
The Nikon 5000ED comes from a brand know for the finest quality of products and one of the largest brands in the photography industry used by professional photographers worldwide.
The Super Coolscan 5000 ED offers film scanning at high speeds and is capable of transferring images in as little as 20 seconds which for negative scanning is almost unheard of. What it also achieves is true optical resolution at 4, 000 dpi, highly accurate color reproduction and representation of detail. The market the Nikon 5000ED targets is the business user such as photo finishers and professional photographers, who given the superb high speed scanning capability and image quality will appreciate the quality and benefits this product has over it’s competitors.
Fast image transfer is capable thanks to the USB interface, the Super Coolscan 5000 ED is an extremely powerful, fast and efficient desktop film scanner.
Features and Details:
- 4,000 dpi true optical resolution
- 16bit A/D converter
- New Scanner Nikkor ED lens
- Amazingly fast 20 second scanning
- Newly developed, high quality 2 line CCD sensor
- New advanced image processing algorithm for colour negative film
- Multi sample scanning
- Quick AF & Quick Preview
- Scan Image Enhancer
- High-speed USB 2.0 interface
- Digital ICE4 Advanced(TM) (Digital ICE Quad Advanced)
- Optional SLIDE FEEDER SF-210 for up to 50 mounted slides
- Optional ROLL FILM ADAPTER SA-30 for up to 40 frames from a film strip
As detailed in the above specification there are also a number of optional extras available to buy for this scanner ranging from the single frame Film Holder FH-3 and Medical Slide Holder FH-G1 to the Slide Feeder SF-210 and Roll Film Adapter SA-30.
If your an amateur or professional photographer looking to scan large amounts of negatives and slides then look no further, this scanner is perfect for you.
The Nikon 5000ED is available from Amazon priced at £1,029.00 - click here