Because they are flatbeds, the Epson models can scan photographic prints and documents, as well as transparencies. If anyone is interested I’d just like to pass on what I’ve found out since opening the box.Ī key difference between both Epson models and the 8200i Ai is that the Epson models are flatbeds, suitable for general-purpose scanning, while the 8200i Ai is a dedicated film scanner. I’m not putting this review up claiming anything like the standards that ScanDig or Imaging Resource have produced in the past. Surely over all of the internet, there is someone who has reviewed this film scanner? Apparently not hence this article.
I had looked for an independent review, but didn’t find one. To cut to the chase, I decided the specifications justified the price and I put in the order. The price was £299, which sounded reasonable. Sadly, this dumped me into a rather depressing category of film shooter I was shooting too much film to justify the cost of having a lab do it, but I needed a scanner that was going to scan both 35mm and medium format film (and here’s the important part) do so at lab quality.Īn internet search to look for the US supplier I’d found previously showed that the Opticfilm 135i now seemed to be available in the UK, although I’d have to buy through my least favourite supplier (I’m a fan of the stuff that my taxes buy, so tend to be suspicious of organizations that are outrageously successful in avoiding paying their whack). It worked fine for sharing images on Instagram, or just simply digitally archiving old photos, but as my shooting volume and printing requirements increased, it became clear that I was going to need a more professional-level scanner. When I returned to shooting film a few years ago, I picked up an Epson v550. But if you’re the type of shooter that’s interested in more than just sharing photos on social media or the web, then a consistent and reliable scanner is of paramount importance. It’s time consuming, and confers the same level of enjoyment as things like yard work, dusting the house, or attempting to converse with your drunk uncle at a holiday gathering at least for me, anyway.
By the time I’d tested the Plustek OpticFilm 120 scanner, I’d tried plenty of scanners and was pretty worn out.