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Better Scanning

P

Patrick Dixon

Imagineer
Has anyone tried the 'Better Scanning' film holders?

On an Epson 4490, the 120 film holder only allows you to scan two 6x6 frames at a time - which is a pita when there are 3 to each strip. I think the Better Scanning one allows the whole 3 frames to be scanned in one go, which would make for easier and faster scanning - and less film handling ... but does anyone have any hands-on experience?

Advice gratefully received.

Oh, and do you all wear white gloves and wield camel hair brushes when scanning (apart from Annex, obviously)? I'm finding the cat hairs a nuisance (getting rid of the cats is not an option).
 
Yes, i've got one for the 4490 and think it's a good thing. As you say, it allows 3 6*6 frames in one pass which is handy. I got the adjustable version with the glass over the top which again seems to help.

One thing that annoyed me was that 3 6*7 frames didn't fit, so I have hacked a bit off the holder to give enough room for 3 6*7 frames, and this works as well. The holder does become more flimsy though, so maybe it degrades the performance... hard to tell as my scanning isn't that critical.

As for fiddling with negs, I am trying a new technique. I am drying my medium format in black plastic downpipe from wickes which has been cut to length, and has cable ties pocked through one end which the negs hang off. The pipe is just wide enough for a MF film so it touches the plastic at the edges but there is no image there so I think it's ok. The bottom end has a pecpad attached with a rubber band to keep dust out of the tube, and I balance them on top of the radiator to get some heat up the tubes to reduce the drying time.

I brush the negs off before scanning, and use the digital ice setting on my 4490 for colour and just tend to live with a bit of dust for B&W. It's surprising how little dust you sometimes have on negs, other ones which have got dropped etc can be a mess.

Cesare
 
The BetterScanning holders are streets ahead of the Epson ones in terms of construction, though I'm not completelyconvinced there's that much actual difference in terms of improved scanning. But the solid little block of glass certainly keeps the negs flat, though it adds an extra two layers to be kept clean.

I just use a blower, wipe down glass surfaces with a cloth, and use 'light' dust removal setting in Vuescan - never have any real dust problems or visible artifacts.
 
Thanks. I was looking at it mainly on the grounds of easier scanning rather than better scanning, and it's reassuring to hear that it delivers in that respect.

It seems bizarre that Epson hobble their 120 film holder so that it doesn't take a full 120 6x6 strip - unless the V700/V750 have a better 120 holder and they're trying to push people up to those.

Anyway, I'm pleased with the 4490. It seems fairly quick (at 1200dpi) and produces decent scans for web/proof use. I think scanning my 35mm slides is going to be a labour of love though - once I find them all in the loft that is.
 
The V700 holder does take two strips of 3 6x6 but still pretty flimsy.
I have a better scanning holder as well (w/o the AN glass) it can be a bit of a faff getting the negs square in the holder though. For 6x7 you still need to shift the negs to get the 3rd frame
 
Am I understanding that there is an Epson compatible 3rd party neg holder? I don't have too many probs with 120 film but 35mm is an absolute arse to keep flat using the Epson frame.
 
Agreed on 35mm being a PITA - do the betterscanning holders do a better job of keeping
the negs flat?
 
Thanks - about £25 to say goodbye to Newton's Rings then. Steep for a bit of glass and pretty flakey of Epson not consider this in the first place really but if the 'big pile of books' flattening method doesn't work...
 
As I said, for 6*7 shots if you chop a bit of the plastic off either end of the slot that the glass drops into you get a holder which also works for 3 shots. Pete, I presume your 700 template is similar but with two slots for film

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I just cut the plastic away with a stanley knife.

Cesare
 
I use one for 120 with my V700. Mine doesn't have the glass insert. I think it works better than Epson's holder, and it's much better made. Bit expensive though.
 
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