Which Scanner for APUG

[ronlamarsh]

Don't mean to be an apostate here but I'd like to post some images to APUG but my present scanner is less than adequate can anyone recommend a decent scanner for less than $500? forgot to mention it needs to do black and white well.

[Christopher Walrath]

Very careful with these questions. However, in short, I have a dinky Canoscan flatbed that is more than adequate.

[rthomas]

I've got an Epson V700, and have also used another V700, with great results in both black-and-white and color. I've used this model scanner for everything from scanning prints for restoration to 35mm slides and negatives all the way up to 8x10 and even 7x17 (the method I used for the pano work is outside the scope of APUG entirely). I use Silverfast scanning software. The results are excellent, and in fact I scanned most of John Scarlata's work for his upcoming retrospective show at East Carolina University with this scanner.

There is a very similar model, the V750; the only difference that I am aware of between the two is that the V750 offers a wet mount option... both of these are beyond your stated price point BUT Epson has a new scanner out called the V500, for around $200. I would assume the performance is similar since the resolution (but not the DMax) is the same. The V500 transparency adapter doesn't work with larger than medium format negatives. If you look around you might find a V700 for $500.

PS - I realize this is not really appropriate for APUG... sorry.

[Andy K]

I use a canoscan Lide 600F for scanning prints for upload to APUG. It also has a neg scanning attachment, but to be honest thats crap. But the scanner is dirt cheap and it runs off a USB port, so you don't need an extra power point. If you look in my gallery all uploads for the last two years were scnned on the Canoscan, so you can get an idea of quality.

[BradS]

Aw...Jeeez! We are NOT going to talk about scanners...are we...not here...PLEASE! Take it some place else. There are a hundred thousand other internet fora where this would be appropriate...please....not here.

[David A. Goldfarb]

Questions about scanning for the purpose of posting to the APUG galleries is on topic, so no problem here.

I use a DSLR on a copy stand for this purpose myself, with lights for prints and a lightbox for negs and transparencies. It's straightforward copy work just like with a film camera.

[wilsonneal]

This question has been asked and answered before on APUG. The short answer is that any modern, inexpenive scanner is perfectly adequate for posting images on APUG, especially from prints. I bought an Epson 4490 on Epson.com refurb'd for about $90 and it works for 35mm to 120 film and all flat art to about 9x12". Even the really crappy scanner on my new HP Deskjet All-in-one has enough resolution and dmax for web images. What about your current scanner isn't working for you?

[2F/2F]

Darkroom, backlit copy table (only need backlighting if you want to shoot film, not prints), cheap old low-rez DSLR (such as Canon D30), macro lens or bellows, lens hood, Home Despot work lights, and polarizing filter. It is a very relatively inexpensive and high quality way to go that will never become outdated or break or become drastically surpassed in quality like a scanner. Need better quality some day? Just get a better camera some day. The potential quality really comes down to the quality of the lens you pick. I am a fan of the Canon EF 50mm f/2.5, personally, using it for probably 80 percent of my "for-pay" shooting. If you shoot Nikon, I am sure they have an equivalent that is just as good or better.

[Christopher Walrath]

Wait, David uses a d - ddd - dd - d - d -dddd - d. SEANNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;p

[Brandon D.]

Epson just released the NEW v600:
http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/c...p?oid=63084673

It keeps you well under budget, but you may want to factor in costs for helpful accessories like glass negative carriers or maybe even third party scanning software (i.e., I use Silverfast Ai but it's not cheap).

PS - Or, you could simply choose to appease all of the "anti-scanner" members by mailing every single APUGer framed prints of every image in your portfolio, .