So you love the Frontier? You're not the first. In fact, Richard suspects that the well-known popularity of the Frontier amongst certain photogs is what steers many folks in that direction. Thing is, the top photogs are the ones that make their photos spectacular, and the scanner they choose is only a part of the equation that makes their work successful (and trust Richard, there are some superstar photogs using the Noritsu, too). We repeat, YOUR PHOTOS WILL NOT BE PRO-QUALITY JUST BECAUSE YOU USE THE SAME SCANNER AS A PRO. Same goes for your film stock and camera choices. That's why you've got to...
Noritsu Film Scanner
You'll never really know which scanner is for you until you try them out. Even then, as your style evolves and your photography techniques change, you might need to switch or use different scanners for different subject matter. So always compare the exact same frame(s) in both digital file form AND photographic print form from both scanners before you proclaim your allegiance to a certain machine.
You are bidding on a used Noritsu LS-600 35mm film scanner. It can be used as a stand alone scanner or hooked up to your Noritsu printer with EZ controller. We will provide you will the LS-600 software and twain drivers so you can use it on your PC computer. You will need to have PhotoShop, Picasa or some software like that to use it as a stand alone scanner. Other wise you would need to buy the EZ Controler softeware (we sell it for $1595.00). The scanner in the pictures are not the exact scanner you will receive but it is a good representation of there used condition. Because it is used it does have scuffs & scratched and might be slightly yellowed. The scanner is also covered under 90 day warranty
This article focuses on the LS-600 for two reasons:1. It can be used at home as a standalone scanner with a computer with a USB 2.0 port and Windows 7;2. It is now regularly available on the secondary market for around $900-$1000.
The LS-600 scanner supports 35mm color negative, color positive, and black & white film. You can scan by full roll or by strip of 3 or more frames. The maximum definition of the scanner is 24 million pixels.
To use the scanner, you will need to:1. Install two applications supplied with the scanner: the Twain Driver and the System Program2. Install a photo application that has the capability to import from a TWAIN device
There are three main steps in completing a scan using the LS-600 with Adobe Photoshop:1. Pre-scan: Insert the film (entire roll or strip of 3 or more frames). The scanner will complete a pre-scan as you load the film.2. Scan: In the software, review the photos visible via pre-scan and select the photos you would like to scan. In this step, you can adjust the scan settings (contrast, color, balance, shadows, and highlights) on each photo to save time in post-processing. The scanner will eject the film as it scans.3. Save: Manually save the files that the scanner has automatically opened in Photoshop.
There are three main steps in completing a scan using the LS-600 with XnView or IrFanView:1. Batch Setup: Select Save Directory, define filename structure, select file format.2. Pre-scan: Insert the film (entire roll or strip of 3 or more frames). The scanner will complete a pre-scan as you load the film.3. Scan: In the software, review the photos visible via pre-scan and select the photos you would like to scan. In this step, you can adjust the scan settings (contrast, color, balance, shadows, and highlights on each photo to save time in post-processing. The scanner will eject the film as it scans.
The LS-600 is complex, with many moving parts and sensors. Spare parts are difficult to come by. As a result, it is challenging to repair. Fortunately, the scanner is still in production, so Noritsu offers (expensive) repair services.
Hi David. Thanks for your comment. To scan a single frame, you just need to feed the frame into the scanner the same way you do with a strip of multiple frames. No difference. Obviously, you can not feed mounted slide frames. Is it what you were looking for? P.S. I will update the article this weekend with additional content.
Based on the Operator Manual, the Chroma slider is to make colors more vivid. If the value is increased, the color becomes more vivid. If the value is decreased the color becomes duller. I always keep this slider on the default position.The automatic sharpness is to increase or reduce the sharpness of the scan. I tried different positions for this slider without any significant difference on the sharpness. The best way to improve the sharpness is to adjust the focus of the scanner.
I will recommend to use Windows 7 on a PC or with bootcamp on a Mac. Some people are also using it with Windows in a Virtual Machine but it does not always work perfectly. You can get a cheap laptop with Windows 7 on it to use the scanner.
Do you have any experience with any other film scanners at lower price tiers that can provide similar image quality?Work-speed is not essential to me so I am wondering if I can get similar results with say, a flatbed or something else clunky a fraction of the price.
Ironically, I was looking for something to scan my 125 rolls of APS film, which is why I ended up here. Unfortunately, enough people discovered the LS-600 that they are now rare and at a premium ($2,400+). I would love to find one of these for under $1,000.
I appreciate articles like this, but frankly they just drive up the price by an order of magnitude, same issue in the used camera market. I think pros buy one and a few backups just in case, and I always hate that when I read it. If you want people to really use film, take the risk and release your backups. If yours breaks, just fix it like everyone else. Its not like anyone is making any more of these anytime soon.
I encourage anyone who own multiple multiple backups of these amazing scanners to put them to good use and share them like this rather than let them sit for the one rainy day 5 years from now where you might need it, or charge people ridiculously money to scan 36 frames when there is really is only one good one. Something needs to change in the film market to break down this scanning barrier.
Pakon F-135 / F-135 Plus Add to Wish ListAdd to Compare Pakon F-235 / F-235 Plus Add to Wish ListAdd to Compare Pakon F-335 Add to Wish ListAdd to Compare HS-1800 Film Scanner Add to Wish ListAdd to Compare LS-1100 Film Scanner Add to Wish ListAdd to Compare LS-600 Film Scanner Add to Wish ListAdd to Compare SONY UY-S100 FILM SCANNER Add to Wish ListAdd to Compare SONY UY-S90 FILM SCANNER Add to Wish ListAdd to Compare SONY UY-S77 FILM SCANNER Add to Wish ListAdd to Compare PAKON SPARE PARTS Add to Wish ListAdd to Compare NIKON Super COOL FILM SCAN 9000ED Add to Wish ListAdd to Compare WE REPAIR PAKON SCANNERS Add to Wish ListAdd to Compare Noritsu HS 1800 film scanner Add to Wish ListAdd to Compare NORITSU QSS3502 DUAL Add to Wish ListAdd to Compare /* */
In my own journey to understand how to best portray the colors of our styling surfaces, I dove into a deeper understanding of film and the different scanner options available at my film lab, Photovision. If you only have a couple minutes to read and look at the images, the take-away is that the best way to really understand the scanner differences is to do your own testing because the scanner is just one element of a larger system that is part science and part art form. Other elements include your meter's precision, your metering approach, your camera, your lab preferences and reference images, the scanner operator, and the film stock. So looking at my scanner comparisons and others on the internet will only give you a partial understanding of the differences. So my goal in this article is to (1) give you clarity in the fundamental scanner differences, (2) give you a better understanding of the film system as a whole, and (3) explain why it's important to do your own testing and how exactly to approach that.
As we dig into the details, it may be helpful to know that I, the owner & creative director here at Locust Collection, have also been a wedding photographer for the last 10 years - shooting primarily on film for the last 7. This experience is what inspired me to create our portable styling surface and also gave me an advantage in growing the business as I have taken many of the product images myself on film. All that being said, after talking at length with Stephen at Photovision, my faithful lab for all 7 years of my film journey, I was humbled by how much detailed film knowledge I still had/have to learn. It excites me to share what we discussed, and I hope even the seasoned film photographers will pick up something they didn't yet know that can improve their scans and ultimately their business.
So let's look at the first major difference in scanners alone (remember scanners are just one element of a larger film system). All comparison images in this post are straight scans (with the exception of cropping & straighten) and show Frontier scans on the left and Noritsu scans on the right. They were all taken indoors with Portra 800 and plenty of natural light on a Contax 645. I meter with the bulb out facing where my camera will be.
Right away you can see the first fundamental difference in scanners: The highlights & shadows in the Frontier scanner are clipped while the image scanned on the Noritsu has a higher dynamic range (meaning a better ability to include detail in highlights & shadows). In this example, look at the highlight detail in the white flowers and the shadow detail in the ribbon - Noritsu shows detail in those highs and lows while Frontier does not. Instead the Frontier image comes out with more contrast, a brighter look, and some might consider the colors more idealistic. Neither is "better" - it comes down to your preference.
The above comparison also exemplifies another fundamental difference: Noritsu has more yellow in the greens while Frontier's shadows shift to cyan, which creates a bluer green. Again, neither is technically better - this is a result of the factory calibration of the scanners. Note that if you love everything about the Noritsu except the greens, your film lab cannot make the Noritsu greens more blue - that is a simple hue adjustment on your end in Lightroom or Photoshop. 2ff7e9595c
Comments