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Hasselblad Film Scanners Discontinued?

Personally I just looked at the DT solution and said, ok how can a mere mortal learn from this?

The result I came up with:

A decent copy stand.
A high CRI LED panel from Kaiser.
Different film holder solutions that range from wet capable to full roll transportable.
A great capture camera and a great macro lens.

Now I started with a D810 which did well, but I really wanted something slightly better. I have two solutions now. The first is my Hy6 Mod 2 with the 80/2.8 Xenotar on a bellows focusing rig, with a Leaf Aptus back. This makes some really nice scans! But it's also a ton of work.

The 2nd which I've just started playing with is the Pentax K-1 II and the 100/2.8 Macro. The K-1 has a fantastic Pixel Shift (aka multishot) implementation so I've been able to get non-bayer interpolated scans. I'm doing all of this at low ISO but still I see less noise and more detail, especially after sharpening.

My results are easily within Flextight capability to my eye. Especially when you consider stitching techniques to add resolutions.

Color negative conversion has seen an industry game changer recently with the release of Negative Lab Pro. Seriously if you shoot C41 check this program out.

To bring things back down to earth a bit too. Lets be honest better is better and I appreciate that. But gallery shows have been made with scans from Nikon Coolscans or Minolta CCD line scanners...even old Microtek flatbeds. I scan thousands of rolls of film every year nearly every day of the week. You can make beautiful scans with a wide variety of equipment choices if you use them effectively. Drum scans are better than Coolscans unless a particular image does not require the benefits the drum scan brings to the table! It's an art and and science.

To bring it back to the OP. I am not surprised the Flextight/X scanners are discontinued. They're well past a decade old in design and IMO it was shameful that Hasselblad never updated them or lowered the price to reflect the changing times. Digital ICE might have been a good addition too!

I wouldn't worry too much about this. Camera scanning gets better every year while Flextights only get older.
 

darr

Well-known member
Personally I just looked at the DT solution and said, ok how can a mere mortal learn from this?

The result I came up with:

A decent copy stand.
A high CRI LED panel from Kaiser.
Different film holder solutions that range from wet capable to full roll transportable.
A great capture camera and a great macro lens.
Yes! I use:
ALPA TC + SK 120 macro lens + Hassy CFV50c back
Beseler CS Digital/Photo-Video Copy Stand
Film holders from my Microtek Aritian scanner and a 4x5" film holder from a Beseler 4x5 enlarger
LED lightbox

Granted my LED lightbox is no match to the LED panel you mention, but it works for me.
The largest prints I have sold are printed on 17x22" paper and then framed. I have sold quite a few with no complaints.

I have owned a few film scanners over the many years I have been in this game, and what I am using today fits with the technology of the day.
I would not invest in a Hasselblad scanner or the like. Invest in items found in Speedpraphic's checklist. My 2 cents!

Darr
 

JoelM

Well-known member
I use a strip of AN glass, 2.25" wide and about 8" long, to lay on the film to keep it flat. Anti static brushes help to keep dust out as well.

Joel
 
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