twillsol Loc: St. Louis, MO

My friend is interested in purchasing a photo scanner. He is looking at the Epson V600 that cost $219.00. Does any one have any experience with this scanner or can you recommend a different one that you know is a good photo scanner? Thank You
Will

PixelStan77 Loc: Vermont/Chicago

Your friend will more than pleased with the Epson V600.

domcomm Loc: Denver, CO

I agree. Mine has done an excellent job!

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

I've had great success with my V600. But, I've been even happier after editing the scanned files. I did a lot of research and found the following parameters that worked best for my needs, giving a resolution for medium-level editing in Lightroom. These won't make a lot of sense until someone has the equipment and gets started. Just print or cut-n-paste and email for use later.

Background: equipment - Epson V600

I scanned about 1200 35mm negatives covering roughly 1984 to 2005. It was mostly just a mass-scanning operation and I did next to nothing to any of the resulting JPEGs until a few weeks ago when I started working on images from the late 80s college years as my university approached an NCAA bid (March 2020).

The Good

Refer to the parameters below and whether any are helpful to your operation. My scanning settings were based on analysis of the pixel size of the EOS XTi I was shooting at the time. I scanned to JPEGs at 3888x2592 for a file I just grabbed to check the details, a 10MP resolution. The pixel resolution is the key item. The example file I grabbed also stored as 6.7MB.

I imported the images into Lightroom where I can add keywords and work on the JPEGs with modern & powerful digital editing tools to the same level of detail as an image that would have come from a circa 2006 DSLR.

The Bad

The single most annoying issue in the scanned files is the funky sharpening / image correction that is applied to images. As mentioned above, it's been 8-years between the mass-scan and now editing the results. I must have made an initial evaluation of the scanned files and wasn't very happy and deferred the problem. Although I made notes of my scanning settings, I don't have a specific memory of why I didn't edit the images.

I believe the 'funky' corrections is a result of using EPSON's Digital ICE that also made the scan 4-minutes per negative. With this ICE technology turned off, the scans averaged about 1-minute per negative and I was using the 4- to 6-negative scanning guide for 35mm negatives.

Another complaint is the JPEG files receive date-stamps from the scanning date. I've used two approaches to addressing the dates. In LR I can update the file's shooting date to an approximate date of the original image. It's not important to me to know the exact date, but I do want them to sort within the catalog to something representative of the actual shooting date rather than the 2012 (or 2020) scanning date. I also have a commercial tool 'EXIF Date Changer' that lets me batch-change the JPEG files in a more sophisticated manner than within LR.

The Process

I'm not sure that I was using Lightroom back in 2012. Today, editing these scanned JPEGs in LR is quick process with a number of automations performed via LR Develop presets. I used the 'color restoration' = low and use LR to correct the color saturation and WB, much the same as I'd edit DSLR images.

For dust, use a Giotto Rocket Air and microfiber cloths to clean the negatives as best as possible before scanning. Also, pay close attention to the scanning guide and the alignment marks on the negatives so you get them facing the correct direction. Upside down is easy to fix later, but reversed images (lettering) is a bigger problem.

Check your scanner manual / software manual for the application of the settings below, including if there is 'professional mode' and / or a profile set-up you can use to default the settings rather than having to recreate for every scan.

Professional settings

film type - color negative
image type = 48-bit color
expand for fast scanning
resolution - 2400 dpi
doc size - 36 w 24 h mm
target - custom T50_35mm (w 3888 x h 2592 pixels) <- I picked this name for the Canon T50 that created nearly all the 35mm negatives
unsharp mask = y (1st suggestion below references setting this to N as the pictures will be grainy otherwise - need to test)
grain reduction = y
color restoration = y (low)
backligh correction = n
Dust removal = y / high

average scan processing 1 - minute / negative

when DIGITAL ICE = Y instead of dust removal = scan is 4 mins per negative

For each image preview - click exposure correction for each negative to be converted

SCANNING tips (apologies if any of these links are out of date, these are my notes from 2012)

http://www.reidmorrison.com/home-users/digitizing-film (tips on Epson v600)
http://x-equals.com/blog/film-to-digital-scanning-essentials-101-part-1-of-2/ (step by step for Epson on professional, recommends still other settings include some different ICE options)
http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/tech/scanning.php (pretty technical)
http://www.imaging-resource.com/SCAN/V600/V600.HTM (good write-up)

DWU2 Loc: Phoenix Arizona area

I have it and like it a lot.

rmcgarry331

I have a V550 which works well for scanning, prints, slides and negatives. The V600 is a newer model than my 550, but it works mostly the same way. Important note, the Epson scanning software does not work on Mac OSX 10.15, so Epson provides a license for SilverFast SE. You will need the scanner's serial number to download and activate the software.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Great for prints, good for film. To get any better results will cost much more.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Epson Scan 2 works on MacOS 10.15.x. It does not enable Digital ICE features, because ICE is obsolete 32-bit code, and Epson did not want to fund Applied Science Fiction’s rewrite of it. But everything else works, with fewer controls. SilverFast SE is great, after the learning curve.

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

I just got one a couple days ago. Works great. Just scanning prints now. I did my slides with an old scanner that doesn’t have a driver for Win 10.

RonMe Loc: San Antonio

I'm sure the V600 is a fine scanner based on the reports here and elsewhere. After going through the same decision making process a year or so ago, I ended up purchasing the Epson V850 for various reasons to include reported faster workflow and included SilverFast 8 SE Plus software. I realize the V850 is in a totally different realm price-wise than the V600, but there are additional features that may or may not be important based on the task at hand. After doing a quick price check for the V600 and the V850 at B&H, make sure you are clear about what software is included as it appears that SilverFast software may no longer included. I've used various other scanning software to include Epson and VuesScan. In the end I settled on SilverFast AI Studio 8.8, which I am finally getting somewhat proficient at using. Please note that it is a plus if SilverFast software is included with the purchase of the scanner as the software is somewhat expensive. See attached screen shot. Please note there is currently a free license special offer by Epson shown on SilverFast's web site.

I hope this information is helpful.

Attached file:
(Download)

dvbird

I mass-scanned about 1000 slides shot by my grandfather spanning a 50-year period. I didn't pay close attention to the results until I no longer use the scanner or the slides, and then found that the dust removal routine removed many many pupils and left a skin-colored patch where the eyes should have been. Often only one eye at a time ona subject was affected. It still makes me sick thinking about it since these are the only remaining images I have of my mother from that period.

RonMe Loc: San Antonio

I've been scanning photographs from a World War II scrap book and discovered early on that you can easily remove important details with SilverFast software. There is an eraser function in the version I have that allows dust and scratch removals in some areas while erasing the effect from important parts of the photo such as faces and other details that you wish to preserve. As it turns out I would have traveled down the same path that you did if I'd started scanning slides and negatives first. I dodged that bullet!

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

I have an old old Epson 2580 flatbed scanner that I somehow got working on Win10. The scanner itself works fine but the glass plate has a few smudges and scratches on it. I haven't really used it for anything important (mostly documents) but it still works, probably 15-20 years after I got it. The smudges are under the glass and would require removing it to clean them off. Haven't tried to take it apart that far. The scratches would require replacement of the glass but the scanner is old enough that parts are not available.

The V600 looks like a good one from the specifications so if I need to scan something important I might consider one of them. Epson appears to build things that last (from my sample of one).

Ednsb Loc: Santa Barbara

have scanned over 3K of photos this summer with one.. I am pleased.. Next is the 8K of slides and negatives...

Tom Moore Loc: Ojai, CA

I have a V500 which does a good job, though I am currently scanning some slides with and Epson 4990. It's also a wonderful scanner, probably behind the curve by a few generations, but still gives very good results.
I would emphasize that any of the flatbeds that do a good job with film have a scanning light source in the lid, as opposed to the earlier solution of a stationary diffused light source. The scanning light source is dramatically superior to the stationary version.
Most of my film scanning has been with negatives. I was surprised to see that the film "holder" for slides merely positions the slide, but the slide iteself rests directly on the glass, emulsion side up, as with negatives. Do I have this right?