Lab scans vs home scanning - which actually gives better results?

I got my last 5 rolls developed at the lab in downtown Austin and the scans came back flat and lifeless. One month ago I bought a used Epson V600 off Craigslist for $80 and started doing my own scans at home. The colors pop way more and I have full control over the exposure, but damn it takes forever to clean dust off each frame. What's your setup - are you paying for pro scans or dealing with the hassle of doing it yourself?

2 comments

2 Comments

wendy_murphy162d agoMost Upvoted

Read that V600s are actually pretty solid once you dial in your workflow.

beth_butler752d ago

Strong disagree here. Those pro lab scanners cost thousands and the operator knows what they're doing with color profiles and exposure. My lab scans come out with way more dynamic range than anything I've ever gotten from my V600 at home. You're probably just used to looking at flatter presets from the lab because they're giving you a neutral file that actually has data in the shadows and highlights. The dust issue alone with home scanning makes me crazy - I spend 40 minutes cleaning frames instead of $10 for a full res scan.