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High end slide scanner

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  1. #1

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    High end slide scanner

    Does anyone know where to get a good quality bulk slide scanner in Hong Kong?

    Something like either of these (the second looks like a rebadged Braun):

    http://www.braun-phototechnik.de/en/...Scan-6000.html

    http://www.scanace.com/product/ps_5000.html

    I've checked camera stores- good slide scanners have gone the way of hens' teeth and only seem to be available overseas.


  2. #2

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    Thanks, the above model of scanner is the only type generally available in Hong Kong. They can be found in the major computer centres and the ones I have seen go for around 900. Probably okay for getting your old slides into web-viewable form, but according to any convincing sources I've found on scanners, not suitable for any higher quality requirements such as printing.

    The only scanner that might be considered suitable for transparencies I've found available in HK is the Canon CanoScan 9000F, which has to be special-ordered. This is a high-res flatbed scanner that can scan four 35mm slides at a time via an adaptor (or other combinations of other formats) so it's not suitable for large batch jobs. It also only scans with an effective resolution of 1700dpi vs the 9600dpi that the name implies. (http://www.filmscanner.info/en/CanonCanoScan9000F.html) which again is okay for screen display, but probably not for printing.

    Info for anyone also looking to archive slides in the future:

    The best-regarded consumer 35mm film scanner is either the Nikon coolscan V or 5000 (there's a difference which I cannot remember) mated with an autofeeder which cost as much as the scanner. It went out of production years ago and they sell on the secondhand market (you can find them on ebay) for multiples of their original value.

    The only currently available bulk scanners still in production are the Reflecta Digidia 6000, Braun Multimag 6000 and Pacific Image PowerSlide 5000. These are all the same scanner, rebadged by different companies. These are capable of taking 100-slide carousels which take 6-7 hours to run batch jobs on at full resolution and generate RAW files over 200MB per 35mm slide at the highest resolution settings, so you need a fair bit of storage space. They are capable of IT-8 colour calibration which is important unless you intend to spend hours retouching colours by hand in Photoshop. These scanners are not available in Hong Kong- the photo stores to not even know that such products exist. They can be ordered from the US or Taiwan.

    I'm probably going to put mine up on the secondhand ads section in a couple of months after I've finished my scanning.

    Last edited by jgl; 29-11-2012 at 10:13 AM.

  3. #3

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    I have that (or its clone, or what that was cloned from) and it is not high end.

    (I mean the Groupon one, btw.)

    jgl likes this.

  4. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by jgl:

    Info for anyone also looking to archive slides in the future:

    The best-regarded consumer 35mm film scanner is either the Nikon coolscan V or 5000 (there's a difference which I cannot remember) mated with an autofeeder which cost as much as the scanner. It went out of production years ago . . .

    . . .

    I'm probably going to put mine up on the secondhand ads section in a couple of months after I've finished my scanning.

    When shopping for some of these discontinued models, make sure you know what sort of ports they have. When I was shopping for these some years back, many of the older ones had only SCSI ports. The Nikon Coolscan V ED, as mentioned does have USB.

    Also to consider, these things have a finite amount of usefulness - once you're done with your slides, there's no reason to have the scanner around . . . might want to get some buddies in on a purchase so you can all scan you slides and split the cost.

  5. #5

    Cannon 9000F

    This scanner is not really much use for scanning slides. While it is claimed it can scan to 9000 dpi, in reality is true optical resolution is only around 1700. This is OK if you are just planning to turn your slide into a typical photograph, but pretty useless if you wish to blow the slide up or crop someone out of a group picture. See http://www.filmscanner.info/en/Canon...#Bildqualitaet. For archival purposes, that is to capture almost all the detail held on your slide you need to be able to do at leas 4000dpi (true optical resolution not quoted manufactures number). I bought this scanner thinking it would really do 9000dpi as claimed but was shocked at the reality when I actually did my slide scans. Still this scanner is OK for scanning photographs.


  6. #6

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    In which case I'd suggest that this implies that the problem was much earlier in the process chain than the scanning stage.

    If you have crappy source material (either shot poorly or stored poorly), then obviously an expensive scanner is not going to help. Just like how an expensive sound system is not going to improve the sound of a scratched up 1980s audio tape.

    On the other hand, as a fair number of my shots were taken tripod mounted, with prime lenses, on ISO 50 film, and I have several thousand photos to process, a cheap and manual scanner isn't really going to cut the mustard.

    Lastly, "vast sums of dosh" is a relative term here. The scanners that I am talking about are only expensive compared to the toy scanners. They are vastly cheaper than professional level scanners, which start at 15K USD for an entry level Hassleblad, and then to multiples of that for real drum scanners. The scanners I refer to in my earlier posts cost less than a good amateur DSLR body.

    Last edited by jgl; 02-01-2013 at 03:29 PM.

  7. #7

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    I sold my Nikon Coolscan iv a few years back. That was a good scanner.


  8. #8

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    An update to an old thread in case anyone else has a similar project: I have stumbled across a HK-based bulk scanning service.

    http://www.goodtimephotoservices.com/en/index.html

    I have never used them and know nothing about them besides what is on their website. But they seem to be inline with pricing and objectives with some of the overseas services.

    If you're a geek and you have several thousand slides to scan, it probably still makes more sense to go the DIY route with your own scanner, but for anyone else who can't be arsed with the tech or only has a couple of hundred images to scan, this service could be worth considering.

    Last edited by jgl; 21-08-2013 at 10:58 AM.

  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by jgl:
    An update to an old thread in case anyone else has a similar project: I have stumbled across a HK-based bulk scanning service.

    http://www.goodtimephotoservices.com/en/index.html

    I have never used them and know nothing about them besides what is on their website. But they seem to be inline with pricing and objectives with some of the overseas services.

    If you're a geek and you have several thousand slides to scan, it probably still makes more sense to go the DIY route with your own scanner, but for anyone else who can't be arsed with the tech or only has a couple of hundred images to scan, this service could be worth considering.
    Great Find!

  10. #10

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    On another note, anyone knows a store or distributor in HK which sells high-end PlusTec OpticFilm scanners? I'm looking for Plustek OpticFilm 120...which go for about $2,000USD in the US.


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