The beauty of taking photos with a film camera lies not just in the surprise element of not being able to preview your shots or even in the distinct organic look and feel of the results you get, but also in the careful process of developing the film and making your own prints. However, you do miss out on some of the conveniences of digital photography—like being able to share your images online.
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If you’re a film photographer, you’ve probably wished to make the process of digitizing them a little easier and more convenient. This is where film scanners come in.
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Film scanners save you from the hassle of having to develop your photos and scanning the resulting prints. They allow you to go straight to scanning the film, so you can save a digital copy of your negatives onto your computer. And with many of today’s printers equipped with the ability to scan films, slides, prints, and even documents all in one, they can pretty much cover all of your scanning needs. Here are a few of the best film scanners you may want to check out.
What are the Best Film Scanners for Photographers in 2020?
Film scanners have a pretty wide price range. In this list, we’ve included film scanners for all budgets, ranging from below $250 to ones above $500, so you can choose the right one for your project and your budget.
Here are our top picks for professional film scanners:
- Epson Perfection V600
- Plustek OpticFilm 8200i AI
- Plustek OpticFilm 8100
- Epson Perfection V850 Pro
- Plustek OpticFilm 8200i SE
- Pacific Image PrimeFilm XAs Automated Super Edition
- Wolverine Data 8-in-1 HD Film to Digital Converter
Epson Perfection V600
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Many film photographers use the Epson Perfection V600 and love it for its flexibility and versatility. You get a solid image quality (supplemented by Epson’s Digital ICE dust and scratch removal technology, which the scanner uses on both film and print scans) and improved compatibility with multiple formats via its holders.
Overall, it’s another great scanner that you can consider if scan quality is more important to you than speed and convenience.
If you want to save $50 without really sacrificing quality, you can get the Epson Perfection V550 (), which is similar to the V600 but only applies its dust and scratch removal feature on film scans.
Key Features
- Optical Resolution: 6400dpi
- Max Resolution: 12800dpi x 12800dpi (Interpolated)
- Scan Formats (Film): 35mm Film, 35mm Slides, Medium Format Film
- Scan Area: 8.5in x 11.7in
- Color Depth: 48-Bit
- Scan Speeds: 21 msec/line (6400 dpi full color & monochrome)
- Optical Density: 3.4 Dmax
- Digital ICE (Dust and Scratch Removal) Technology
- Compatible with Windows and Mac
Plustek OpticFilm 8200i AI
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As we go a little higher in terms of price, we get significantly improved image quality and specs. Take the Plustek OpticFilm 8200i AI, which lies between entry-level and professional, and is one of the best film scanners you’ll find under $500.
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This bread loaf-sized device operates a lot like the other scanners in this list. Scanning at full resolution will obviously take longer (nearly two minutes), but if you’re alright with lower resolutions, scans can take as fast as 36 seconds.
One of the best features of the OpticFilm 8200i AI is its advanced SilverFast Ai Studio 8 scanner software, which helps optimize image quality and improve your workflow. It allows you to preview your scans without having to open other applications, enhance your images with different image tools, and offers easy and convenient options for organizing and sharing your files.
Key Features:
- Optical Resolution: 7200 dpi
- Scan Formats: 35mm Film, 35mm Mounted Slides
- Color Depth: 48-Bit
- Scan Speeds: 36 secs. (3600dpi) / 113 secs. (7200dpi)
- Scan Area: 1.45in x 1.0in
- SilverFast Ai Studio 8 Software
- Integrated Infrared Dust & Scratch Removal
- Compatible with Windows and Mac
Plustek OpticFilm 8100
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Another one of Plustek’s print scanners, the OpticFilm 8100 offers 7200 dpi optical resolution and more accurate color in your images through its light sources. This scanner is portable as well: it’s as small as a loaf of bread, and it doesn’t occupy too much space. Plus, dual one-touch buttons allow the OpticFilm 8100 to smoothly scan your photos so that you can share them on your favorite social networking sites.
The OpticFilm 8100 comes with SilverFast Multi-Exposure software that gives your images a higher dynamic range resulting in more shadow detail and less noise. It even has SilverFast NegaFix, a feature with over 120 profiles for negative film. NegaFix guarantees optimal results every time you convert your negatives into positives, too.
Other features and add-ons bundled with this photo negative scanner include SilverFast’s SE Plus 8 software, two film holders, and a carrying bag.
Key Features
- Optical Resolution: 7200 dpi
- Scan Formats: 35mm Negatives, 35mm Mounted Slides
- Color Depth: 48-Bit
- Scan Speeds: 36 secs. (3600dpi) / 113 secs. (7200dpi)
- Scan Area: 1.45in x 1.0in
- SilverFast SE Plus 8 Software
- Compatible with Windows and Mac
Epson Perfection V850 Pro
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While it comes with a higher price tag, the next Epson film scanner on our list will help you achieve the necessary quality and control for preserving your priceless originals. The V850 Pro scanner gives you excellent results thanks to its 6400 dpi resolution, 4.0 Dmax density, advanced optics, and dual-lens scanning. And just like the V600, this top film scanner features Epson’s Digital ICE technology, which removes surface defects from your film or prints.
The V850 Pro also has a ReadyScan LED light source for greater productivity in scanning your images. ReadyScan allows the device to start scanning after less than a second so that you can produce digital prints faster. A4 scanning takes around 12 seconds, while 35mm negative scanning is almost a minute long (at 4800 dpi).
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You’ll also get clear focus and optimal image quality with this flatbed scanner’s adjustable and sturdy holders for 35mm strips and slides, medium-format prints, and 4 x 5” film.
Key Features
- Optical Resolution: 6400 dpi
- Maximum Resolution: 12800 dpi
- Scan Formats: 35mm Slides, 35mm Strips, Medium Format, 4 x 5” Film
- Scan Area: 8.5in x 11.7in
- Color Depth: 48-Bit
- Scan Speeds: 10.8 ms/line for Full-Color & Monochrome Images
- Optical Density: 4.0 Dmax
- Digital ICE (Dust and Scratch Removal) Technology
- Compatible with Windows and Mac
Plustek OpticFilm 8200i SE
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Just like the 8200i AI and the 8100 scanners, Plustek’s OpticFilm 8200i SE provides film photographers with useful scanning functions. It scans images at 7200 dpi and fixes minimal edge contrast variations using advanced lighting and optical systems for better scans. And if your negatives and slides have some flaws, don’t fret. This film negative scanner features a built-in infrared channel that detects surface defects on your images.
You’ll also find it easy to enhance your precious memories with the OpticFilm 8200i SE. SilverFast software boasts intelligent functions for smoother adjustments and superb results every time. The software has a WorkflowPilot feature to give you a step-by-step guide on all scanning processes. You’ll enjoy smooth scanning as SilverFast features multi-tasking capabilities and 64-bit support.
Key Features:
- Optical Resolution: 7200 dpi
- Scan Formats: 35mm Negatives, 35mm Mounted Slides
- Color Depth: 48-Bit
- Scan Speeds: 36 secs. (3600dpi) / 113 secs. (7200dpi)
- Scan Area: 1.45in x 1.0in
- Built-in Infrared Channel for Defect Removal
- SilverFast SE Plus 8 Software
- Compatible with Windows and Mac
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Pacific Image PrimeFilm XAs Automated Super Edition
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If you need much higher image quality when scanning your 35mm negatives or slides, this next film and slide scanner is for you. Pacific Image’s PrimeFilm XAs Super Edition is an updated version of the original XA scanner with 10,000 dpi resolution and 48-bit color depth. It also scans photos faster and produces crisper images with brighter colors.
Apart from the outstanding optical resolution and image clarity that it offers, the XAs scanner also features white and infrared LED sources. These light sources will instantly eliminate dust and scratches from your scans using Pacific Image’s MagicTouch technology, giving you impressive results.
SilverFast SE software is another notable feature of the XAs. It comes with the Multi-Exposure function that helps the scanner achieve impressively higher dynamic range. Plus, you can adjust the brightness, contrast, and color of your scans with the SE software. Instant cloud sharing to Dropbox is also available, making the scanner’s workflow more intuitive and seamless.
Key Features
- Optical Resolution: 10,000 dpi
- Scan Formats: 35mm Film Strips, 35mm Mounted Slides
- Color Depth: 48-Bit
- Scan Area: 0.96in x 1.44in
- Optical Density: 4.2 Dmax
- Dust & Scratch Removal Technology
- SilverFast SE Software
- Compatible with Windows and Mac
Wolverine Data 8-in-1 HD Film to Digital Converter
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This film scanner might be the most versatile out of all the scanners we’ve featured here: the F2D TITAN not only scans 35mm, 110, 127, 126, and APS films, but also converts 8mm and Super 8 movies into digital frames. What’s more, scanning or converting your negatives, slides, or film reels will only take a push of a button. This feature makes the scanner user-friendly and computer or software use unnecessary.
As for scanning times, the F2D TITAN can surprisingly keep up with the other 35mm film scanners on this list. Three seconds is all this scanner needs to deliver up to 5472 x 3648 pixels of scans, thanks to its 20MP sensor. Scanning is also quick and smooth as the F2D TITAN uses dedicated speed-load adapters and stores JPEG scans on its internal memory or SD/SDHC cards.
The F2D TITAN offers seamless connections to external devices. A mini USB port on the scanner lets you connect it to your PC or Mac, or on your TV via HDMI. You can also power this device using the USB port or the included power adapter.
Key Features
- Maximum Resolution: 5472 x 3648 px
- Scan Formats: 35mm Slides & Negatives, 127 to APS Slides & Negatives, 8mm & Super 8 Films
- Scan Speed: 3 secs.
- Scan Sensor: 20MP
- LED Backlight Source
- 4.3in Color LCD Screen
- USB & HDMI Connectivity
- SD/SDHC Card Slot
- Compatible with Windows and Mac