Newbie question: batch scanner or not?

[mjgillen]

Hello Total newbie here so please be kind.

I have several hundred Kodachrome slides and a couple of thousand color negatives I would like to scan. Not necessarily looking for the cheapest solution, just one that will work well for my home use. I am looking at getting the Plustek OpticFilm 7200 Film Scanner and I see that it can handle up to four slides at a time. I read the manual however it does not clearly state that this does "batch" processing. Does it? Also, I read somewhere that it’s not so much the scanner as it is the software and this unit comes with the SilverFast software and I understand that it really good.
If this one does not do “batch”, what scanners do and how much price difference is there? Is there another “newbie” post that covers all this? I didn’t see a FAQ.
Also, would I be wasting my money because I would have to check each scan anyway so there is no good reason to have it batch process? Or do they work really well?

Thanks in advance,
Michael

[LSI_Morales]

Dear Michael,

I am looking at getting the Plustek OpticFilm 7200 Film Scanner and I see that it can handle up to four slides at a time. I read the manual however it does not clearly state that this does "batch" processing. Does it?

No, this scanner is not capable of doing batch scan. To be able to batch scan with a film scanner, the scanner has to have an internal mechanism that moves the film forward and backwards (or changes slides). That is not the case with this scanner nor any other Plustek Film scanner.

Also, I read somewhere that it’s not so much the scanner as it is the software and this unit comes with the SilverFast software and I understand that it really good.

Of course our software is very good. However the scanner decision is also very important.
When it comes to scanning, you really get what you pay for.

If this one does not do “batch”, what scanners do and how much price difference is there?

If I were you, I would think of getting a Nikon film scanner. The price difference is huge but also the difference in quality is that big. I am talking of up to 10x the price of the Plustek for a Nikon 5000 with all scanning accessories and SilverFast, but there are many used models which cost far less, and after finishing your scanning job, you might also sell the scanner to another user (as it happens with those fine pieces of equipment).

Also, would I be wasting my money because I would have to check each scan anyway so there is no good reason to have it batch process? Or do they work really well?

You might also scan your pictures as raw files in 48 or 64 bits TIFF depth and process them later using SilverFast HDR. The advantage of this process is that you will generate unmodified raw files (think of this as digital negatives) of your pictures and have them archived for any future extra processing.

Cheers