Best scanner for thousands of rolls of 35mm B+W negs

[Arathusa]

I have over one thousand rolls of exlusively B+W negs from 1975-1990s... Illford and Kodak... I need to scan the rolls and individual images ... it will be a huge undertaking of course... I cannot afford to outsource this. I assume a flatbed is the way to go but which one? I also need a scanner that allows me to capture the full frame without any crop at all. Some scanners do not allow this. Thanks for any help...

 

[jcdeboever]

Personally, with this volume, I would set up my dslr and my 100mm macro. It would be WAY faster. Of course, you have to have one. Epson v600 or a Canon canoscan 8800f would probably get it done but time consuming. Time is money as they say.

 

[webestang64]

Flatbed would take forever, so would a dedicated little scanner. Go with the DSLR method.

 

[smoke665]

Having scanned more than a few negatives one at a time, I can attest that it's a process that quickly becomes PITA. Unless you're up for dropping $60k or so on a drum scanner, your best bet is likely gang scanning on a flatbed, then cropping individual images in an editing software. Any scanner that has a backlight will work. Epson makes a couple as does Canon.

I have one of these, that for a couple rolls, works great https://www.amazon.com/DIGITNOW-Scanners-Converts-Negatives-Impressive/dp/B08NJ8VS8Y/ref=sr_1_10?_encoding=UTF8&c=ts&dchild=1&keywords=Slide+&+Negative+Scanners&qid=1616684410&s=office-electronics&sr=1-10&ts_id=5728049011 but if you're scanning a lot of negatives, just sliding and clicking takes forever. The one advantage of this is that with screen, it gives you a preview so you can skip the bad ones. I've also used the camera method, which is not all that fast either, especially if your shooting individual rather than gang shots. Actually you can also use a cell phone rather than a camera.

 

[Nevermore1]

Personally, with this volume, I would set up my dslr and my 100mm macro. It would be WAY faster. Of course, you have to have one. Epson v600 or a Canon canoscan 8800f would probably get it done but time consuming. Time is money as they say.

Not the OP but in the same situation with a request from my Dad. How would you do the DSLR method? Use a lightbox and take photos of the negatives?

 

[jcdeboever]

Personally, with this volume, I would set up my dslr and my 100mm macro. It would be WAY faster. Of course, you have to have one. Epson v600 or a Canon canoscan 8800f would probably get it done but time consuming. Time is money as they say.

Not the OP but in the same situation with a request from my Dad. How would you do the DSLR method? Use a lightbox and take photos of the negatives?

yes a lightbox or window.
Scanning Film Negatives with a DSLR » Shoot It With Film

 

[Rickbb]

I spent over a year researching and asking and procrastinating over how to "scan" all my slides and BnW negs from the last 4 1/2 decades. I almost bought a dedicated table top scanner several times.

When I finally realized that my DSLR, (even one as old as mine), was still 10 times higher resolution than a flat bed and the same as the dedicated table top film scanner, and I could get a new, really decent macro lens and slide/film holder for less than the table top. Well, I now use the DSLR and my new macro lens to "scan" with. And I have a nice new lens to use for other stuff as well.

And if I can catch my wife looking the other way long enough I'll get a newer, higher rez body to use for even better results.