I will amend this part at a later date, since I am away from Hong Kong at the moment. Unfortunately, I don't quite remember my setting - other than it was the optimal setting on the scanner. In order to optimize the scan, I opted to digitize the negative as a TIFF image file. Of course, I really don't know if that is the case.
That is what the software appear to have indicated after the scan. If so, it's possible that the scanner was able to optimize the digitization for Kodak film. But since I didn't get an error message, I figured why not.Īlso worth noting, the scanner was able to read the DX encoding on the film. In order to optimize the scan, I opted to digitize the negative as a TIFF image file, at 16 bits, and saved at 6000 dpi (which I really doubt it can). In order to optimize the scan, I opted to digitize the negative as a TIFF image file, at 64 bits, 7200 dpi, and using the Kodak 800 film profile, which was the closest to the Kodak Portra 400 film I was using. The process of digitization is performed automatically. For a roll of 36 exposures, separated into three batch scans, the entire process will take over an hour and a half. It can only scan two negative strips of six frames on each batch scans. That being said, it cannot digitize an entire roll of film. Once you have your Coolscan running, the operation can be finicky - though not as much as the Pakon.
However, I suspect there might be reduced optimization in rendering. Alternatively, it also works on newer operating systems with VueScan. The scanner works best on Windows XP or on a Mac installed with an operating system older than OS X Leopard (I think), since Nikon stopped supporting the accompanying Nikon Scan 4 software on subsequent OS updates. But when you do, scanning a roll of 36 exposures takes less than 4 minutes.
The entire process of setting up the Pakon and getting it to work can be very challenging. There is a learning curve to fully figure out how to use the Pakon. The patches will allow you to scan positives and black and white negatives on TLXClientDemo, the software bundled with the scanner. After you get the Pakon running on XP, you will need to add some patches to it, which can be downloaded online. So getting it to work requires an older computer that has it installed - which can take some effort to locate. I don't have access to a Hasselblad/Imacon Flextight scanner, which I assume is the current gold standard of film scanners. However, I strongly doubt that this is the case. It is possible that I haven't gained the learning curve to fully demonstrate its performance fully. Worth noting that my experience with the Plustek 8100 is very limited. I believe VueScan (the software I'm using with the Plustek Scanner) may have issues of reduced optimization, from my experience with the software in running the Nikon Coolscan 9000. I wasn’t about to purchase another license, seeing that I already had one.
I couldn't get Silverfast (the software that came with the Plustek Scanner) to work on Mac OS 10.13. Nikon Coolscan 9000 + Nikon Scan 4.0 (Windows XP)
Nikon ES-2 on the Nikon D850 at ISO 64 + Nikon AF-S Micro 60mm f/2.8G In other words, I have to make a mountain of this molehill.Ĭanon EF-M + Canon EF 50mm f/1.4, Canon EF 28mm f/1.8, Kodak Portra 400 But long story short, I kind of have to stretch this last ditch bunt into an inside the park home run. Initially, I didn’t think I was going to do a very comprehensive review of the Nikon ES-2. However, desperate times call for desperate measure. With only ten usable frames from six rolls of film, I really didn't have much to work-on for a blog post worth viewing. It is a film camera that I've been searching for quite some time. But rather unexpectedly, the mother of all goof-ups made quick work of my bucket list intent. Because of an unfortunate fault in the camera's shutter travel, over 90% of my attempted documentations were completely ruined. As such, I decided to conduct a review on the Canon EF-M.
Still, I wanted to write something about film this week. For me, any review of the ES-2 without the rumored lens would seem incomplete.
After all, I was still waiting for the rumored update to the Nikon AF-S Micro 60mm f/2.8G ED, which was supposedly designed to fully resolve detail on the Nikon D850's 46 megapixel sensor. However, I felt a review would've been too premature at this time. After waiting for what felt like an eternity, Nikon finally shipped out the Nikon ES-2 Film Digitizing Adapter Set.