Boone Loc: Groundhog Town USA

I do my research, and I did for this topic. As some of you know, I am a portrait photographer. That being said; I ask you the following question because..."I DO NOT KNOW"!!! So, please forgive my ignorance of this topic.

I was asked (by a friend, not a client) the "BEST and MOST COST EFFECTIVE WAY" to convert the files I previously mentioned into Digital. (CD, DVD, or Thumb Drive) I said to him...I will check it out for you.

I did check on Amazon and was really surprised at how many there are! Lots! I read a ton of reviews of many of the systems on the market. I then went to You Tube and watched another ton of reviews.

Since this is not my forte, I am asking for any opinions that my fellow friends may have on this topic.

I am looking for: Price...Resolution...etc, and a "Name of the Device"? (If you know)


I thank you for your time in this concern. I know your time is valuable, and I sincerely appreciate you time and expertise.

I hope I asked this question intelligently, and I hope you can reply to this question.

Thank so much, Boone.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

I have had good results with an Epson V600 scanner.

bleirer

I've had it done at a local camera shop,returns jpegs of good quality, plan on paying about a buck per scan.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Well, there are plenty of options!

Scanners...
Digital camera duplicators...
Service bureaus...

You may want a blend of all three.

An EPSON V550, V600, V750, V800, or V850 scanner is GREAT for prints. The V600 and higher are okay to very good for negatives and slides.

If you value sharpness and detail, copying film with a digital camera is a GREAT option. From top to bottom:

Camera set for raw capture
Macro lens
Light baffle
Negative or slide holder
Color correct, photo quality light source
Adobe Lightroom Classic
Negative Lab Pro plug-in

If you have the money, a GOOD service bureau is quite helpful.

Bunko.T Loc: Western Australia.

Like so many others here, the Epsom V series scanners are great.
I've scanned 2-300 126 b&w negs from 100 years old, great negs but my V500 Epsom did a great job.
Choice of high res, adjustable, colour, b&w, 35 mm slides, can't think what they can't do.
These later models would be improved on since the V500 & I don't think expensive, for what they do.

bw79st Loc: New York City

I have used a Canoscan FS4000 film and slide scanner for quite a few years and still find it produces an image much sharper than my Epson V700. You can't find a driver for it but Vuescan software will run it perfectly. I like it so much that when I saw another one on eBay for $100 I snapped it up. Also, with Vuescan you can output a RAW or DNG file if you want.

It loads only four slides but it's the scanning process that can take a long time if you set it for a really high quality scan. Scanning a batch of 36 slides can be tedious but once you set it up you can run it when you go to bed, change the slides in the morning and run it when you take a shower, run it while having breakfast and then dinner. No need to sit there and watch it!

Rich1939 Loc: Pike County Penna.

Personally the timing of this subject couldn't be better!
15 years ago we moved from Arizona to PA for family reasons. During the move some of our "stuff" got lost. Among those items was my negative files. Yesterday while going through my storage unit (AKA garage) I found one 4X5 negative and of course I want to print it. My scanner wont do 4X5s and 1 negative doesn't justify the purchase of a new one. Is there a service anyone could recommend that will accept a mail in for just one negative?

BebuLamar

I use the Konica Minolta Dimage IV film scanner. It works fine for me but I don't think I can recommend it to the OP as it has several issues.
1. I don't think it would scan 126 film. It would scan 35mm which I use and APS but you need an adapter.
2. It won't run with Windows 7 or newer. I have no problem using Windows XP but can't recommend to the OP.
3. It has been discontinued and the used price is as high as new so another reason I can't recommend to the OP.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Either Hamrick VueScan or SilverFast 8 software will run this scanner on modern operating systems. There may be certain features that are not supported, so check both companies' websites for details.

The Internet is our friend... I know Epson does not provide film holders for its scanners for certain sizes of film such as 110 and 126 and APS, but they are available on Amazon from third parties. Perhaps the DiMage is supported by aftermarket holders as well?

DoriguzziPA

If you want a reason to buy a new camera, I believe that the Nikon D850 has built-in conversion for doing color negs. This just added one more reason to 'convince' the wife that I need to spend some bucks.

Old Coot

Old Coot

I realize that this scanner is no longer available new but versions are available on eBay.I am referring to Canoscan 9959f. Charged microformats years and use Cano ,s Tool box scanner software .
You can scan up to 12 slides at a time with definition up to 2400 dpi.
Of course this takes some time, up to 5 min per slide just load the slides and get a cup of coffee. I believe you can also use Vuescan. The scanner also comes with trays for negatives and the most common print sizes up to 8x10.
I have just finished scanning all my own slides 3000+ in about
3 weeks

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

I've been researching this topic for over a month, comparing reviews, technology, and forecasts for new products scheduled to appear soon.

I've decided on the Epson V550, as the best compromise between speed/ease of use in digitizing my images, but there are many other good models available. I chose this one because it can accommodate both 120 and 35mm film negatives, which are my go to film formats these days. I've actually had some images scanned on a friend's unit, and the quality is very good. Note that I'm using this for current photography, not for archiving all of my older negatives, although I will be doing that as well. I'm hoping to find deals between Black Friday and Christmas, as an upgraded model will be out next year. Even without a sale, they go for under $200.

From what I've read, there is one accessory that will make a huge difference in the quality of your results - a film/negative holder to keep the film really flat and aligned while scanning. They're available for most scanners and I haven't read a single bad review from anyone who's used one. The company name is "Batter Scanning" and they cost less than a C-note for most models. You can check them out here:

http://betterscanning.com/

Andy

Boone Loc: Groundhog Town USA

I want to thank you all for replying to my question. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH!!!
I now have some trusted opinions to go on. I will look at all the recommended units and report my findings to my friend. (He is somewhat handicapped, so I am kinda doing his research, which I don't mind)

Again, I THANK YOU ALL!!! Thanks, Boone

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

So you have a lot of answers but I was wondering about why you are converting files to digital. Aren't the files already digital? Or did you just write files instead of photos because you're used to digital files? Or are you converting a file cabinet full of photos?