New scanner models that claim properties of high resolution and high dynamic range for scanning film always raise considerable interest these days, because there is a dearth of choice on the new product market, while the highly-reputed models of the past have become costly legacy items. Hence when Epson provided me the opportunity to review the new model V850 Pro, the controversies sprang to mind regarding how well a flatbed scanner could compare with high quality dedicated film scanners and whether you need to spend a fortune to get very usable results from a scanner. These issues remain topical to a great many people holding large archives of film media they hope one day to digitize – or are doing so already.
Epson V850 Pro (Photo: courtesy of Epson America)
The film media we scan is diverse: 35mm, medium format, negatives, positives, colour, black and white (B&W), and more. As well, people who scan photographic media are concerned about resolution, sharpness, dynamic range, colo...
Read this story and all the best stories on The Luminous Landscape
The author has made this story available to Luminous Landscape members only. Upgrade to get instant access to this story and other benefits available only to members.
Why choose us?
Luminous-Landscape is a membership site. Our website contains over 5300 articles on almost every topic, camera, lens and printer you can imagine. Our membership model is simple, a Dollar-a-Month ($12.00 USD a year). This $12 gains you access to a wealth of information including all our past and future video tutorials on such topics as Lightroom, Capture One, Printing, file management and dozens of interviews and travel videos.
New Articles every few days
All original content found nowhere else on the web
No Pop Up Google Sense ads – Our advertisers are photo related
Download/stream video to any device
NEW videos monthly
Top well-known photographer contributors
Posts from industry leaders
Speciality Photography Workshops
Mobile device scalable
Exclusive video interviews
Special vendor offers for members
Hands On Product reviews
FREE – User Forum. One of the most read user forums on the internet
Access to our community Buy and Sell pages; for members only.
Mark has been making photographs for the past six decades and started adopting a digital workflow in 1999 first with scanning film, then going fully digital in 2004. He has worked with a considerable range of software, equipment and techniques over the years, accumulated substantial experience as an author, educator and communicator in several fields and is a frequent contributor to the Luminous-Landscape website. Mark developed a particular interest in film scanning and authored the ebook “Scanning Workflows with SilverFast 8, SilverFast HDR, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop” available on the SilverFast website. In his “other life” (the one that pays for the photography), Mark is a retiree from the World Bank Group and now a consultant in electric power development.
Be in the Know: Get the Exclusive LuLa Newsletter Sent to Your Inbox!
Get access to exclusive articles, behind-the-scenes content, and become a valued member of our photography team! Subscribe now to elevate your photography experience.