If you're a film photography enthusiast, owning a film scanner is a must. Here's a look at some of the best film scanners on the market, to help you digitise your film collection.
The first film scanner on my list is the Epson Perfection V600 Photo Scanner. This scanner is capable of scanning both negative and positive film, and produces high-quality results. In comparison to its bigger brothers and sisters, this scanner is relatively affordable and an absolute workhorse for the price.
The V700/800/750/850 scanners offer a modest upgrade in quality over their predecessors. For a slight increase in price, these scanners offer better resolution and colour depth, as well as faster scanning speeds. If you're looking for a minor upgrade in scanning quality, these models are worth considering.
Another great option is the Nikon Coolscan V ED Film Scanner. This scanner is a bit more expensive than the Epson, but it's capable of scanning slides and negatives, and produces excellent results.
For those who want the best of the best, the Plustek OpticFilm 8100 Film Scanner is the way to go. This scanner is capable of producing professional-grade results, and is worth the investment if you're serious about digitising your film collection and blowing these up for large scale prints.
Lastly, you could opt for scanning your film with a DSLR camera. The process is similar to scanning with a scanner, but you need to take more pictures, usually two pictures for each frame of the roll of film. The advantages of this method are that you can use any lens you want, and that you can scan any size of film. The disadvantages are that it is more time consuming, and that you need more equipment including a tripod and light table or tracing table.
There is no right or wrong way to scanning film, only personal preference. Experiment with different equipment and find what works for you. In my own personal experience I've managed to get amazing results from my Epson V600 scanner.
Check out my shop for more examples of the Epson V600 film scan quality and grab yourself a print!
Until we meet again
- Sean