Film negative/positive scan/viewing advice needed

[Drizzt321]

So, as I begin my journey into film, I'm realizing instead of paying to scan or print every roll (120 film mostly, 6x7), that being able to view the negative/slides either at pick (and then give them to scan), or at home and then bring back to get scanned is probably the more cost effective way. That and I'm considering getting a scanner, but that probably won't happen as I expect I'll be paying $250+ on a quality home scanner. I've been eyeing the V600 which has some good reviews, and that's about $190 at B&H.

However, just looking around on B&H, I'm seeing that a lightbox & loupe will probably cost around $200 or more. So, what would ya'll recommend? Just go ahead and wait until I get paid this month and then go buy a quality scanner like the V600? Should I save for a couple of months and jump to the V700? I'm sure I'm serious about film, however the quantities I'll be doing will be varying.

As a side note, I would like to take it back home to scan some family negatives/photos. Not likely all of them, but at least some. If it (and the software included or other recommended software) can help with that, bonus awesomeness.

EDITS: Fixed V600 price

 

[skullyspice]

I cant comment on the V600 but I have the V700 and it is very nice. I have scanned 8x10 negs, 4x5 negs, and 35mm slides all with good results.
Even with the scanner the lightbox and loupe come in handy. especially with 35mm slides.

 

[Drizzt321]

I cant comment on the V600 but I have the V700 and it is very nice. I have scanned 8x10 negs, 4x5 negs, and 35mm slides all with good results.
Even with the scanner the lightbox and loupe come in handy. especially with 35mm slides.

I have the feeling I'll get a loupe & lightbox eventually, but seeing the price of the V600 makes me really consider it. I'd like to get what I'm shooting (including the Fuji instant develop photos) up online for some friends to see, and maybe do some home prints. High quality and/or large prints, which likely would only be for a few, select frames, I'd send off to a great drum scanning place.

 

[crasher8]

fwiw Epson Refurb sells the V600 for $145

 

[crasher8]

Light table and loupe are indispensable. However before you dive into home scanners you may want to consider setting up account at a lab which has a drum scanner. It might not be too expensive. I know having an account at my local lab with a photography biz license the cost of drum scanning is well worth it and outweighs purchasing a soso scanner for home. get a small table and a loupe to start as you mentioned. have you looked at Nikon film scanners? They blow away the flatbeds.

 

[Drizzt321]

Light table and loupe are indispensable. However before you dive into home scanners you may want to consider setting up account at a lab which has a drum scanner. It might not be too expensive. I know having an account at my local lab with a photography biz license the cost of drum scanning is well worth it and outweighs purchasing a soso scanner for home. get a small table and a loupe to start as you mentioned. have you looked at Nikon film scanners? They blow away the flatbeds.

Can those scanners also scan in the Fuji instant film that I also will be using?

Good idea about calling around for a local lab. There's got to be at least one here in LA that does drum scanning, as long as it's not too crazy expensive.

For a loupe, to cover 6x7 it looks like ~$120 and up, and a smaller lightbox is $40-50. That's going off B&H pricing as of now. That's still pretty much the cost (new) of the V600, and for 120 film it'll about pay for itself within 25 (full) rolls scanned.

Decisions, decisions...

 

[dafrank]

The doctor is in the house .

Having owned and used professionally: three different horribly expensive drum scanners, a Nikon Super Cool Scan 9000 ED, an Epson V750 and several other scanners over the years, I feel pretty confident that I can give you some good advice here.

First, buying an accurate light box and decent loupe is very advisable to pick your winners to scan and winnow out the rest. You don't need the very best loupe and it doesn't need to "see" the whole 6x7cm area at once. Buy a cheap large round glass magnifying lens with handle to examine the whole image at once - maybe a 3x or 4X model - for composition and exposure. To examine it for critical sharpness, you need a quality loupe, but it needn't cover the whole image; you can move it around to check critical sharpness. A good quality 6X to 10X loupe meant to cover 35mm, used, should be pretty reasonable, much cheaper than one made to cover 6x7. Next, the box. Definitely try to find an old, even fairly beat up, box of good quality, a true 5000K photo lightbox, such as a Graphic Lite or Acculight, or even an old MacBeth (Gretag/Xrite), and you don't need one bigger than about 12"x12" either. Just clean the heck out of the plastic diffuser (discard and replace if it is visibly yellow) and replace the special fluorescent lamp(s) if it has been used for a very long time as is. Don't try to save money by buying what amounts to a tracing table instead. You can also find some very good deals on newer, but still used, ultra thin profile (LED lit) 5000K lightboxes built by serious companies like Cabin; these are "good enough."

As to a scanner, either buy a used Nikon 8000 or 9000 Coolscan or an Epson V700/V750; don't waste your time on anything else for 6x7 film. If you want a drum scan, depending on the scanner and operator, they can produce better, sharper and bigger scans. But a good operator with a Nikon 9000 can deliver a scan as good or better than one from a top rated Heidelberg or Crosfield or ICG or Screen drum scanner, made by a mediocre or indifferent operator. So, know your supplier, and when and if a very special scan is necessary for an extremely big enlargement, or from a very difficult, contrasty or poorly exposed original, you can exercise the drum scan option. For literally 90% or more of professional or passionate amateur work, the output from a Nikon 9000 or an Epson V750, made by a truly competent operator, will be more than sufficent.

Good luck in finding your gear. You will find that a good 6x7 scan is a beautiful thing, and learning to make it is not that hard and, eventually, even a lot of fun.

Regards,
David

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

I'd use a inexpensive photo scanner, since you plan to have your picks drum scanned. A inexpensive Epson photo scanner will be plenty good for evaluation. I bought one listed on our local Craigslist for $5 as a backup, since I couldn't pass it up for the price. A V600 is more than enough for reviewing prints. You can use it for other things as well.
You can profile scanner colors, but they will likely be just fine for a review or even for 8 X 10 prints. I use mine for scanning my old photos and negatives that I got when my father passed away. Some of them go back over 100 years, the negatives go back to about 1940. I'm intending to do all of my slides and color negatives, but slow to get going. I'm doubtful that any of them are worthy of anything other than what my scanner can do, they are mostly snapshots. Its the old Polaroids that need it first, Polaroids were popular in the mid 1960's to 1970's and the color one are badly faded already. Many will be barely usable.