Plustek OpticFilm 8100 - 35mm Negative Film & Slide Scanner with 7200 DPI and 48-bit output, Bundle Silverfast SE Plus 8.8, Supports Mac and PC

2023-04-16T04:35:04

Great Unit. Software is a nightmare for a Mac

JOHN A.

2021-12-03T13:45:11

It may be a great scanner, but I was totally frustrated trying to install it, despite my laptops supposedly being compatible. First, the CD software disc wouldn?t load in my IBM Thinkpad, giving several unzip errors and a final ?invalid application ? error Then I tried to download software onto my MacBook Air. After several days of efforts by an excellent support tech from Silverfast, the software still refused to run. My only recourse seems to be the purchase of a newer computer. Perhaps someday I will able to give a more positive review. DR

David R.

2021-08-20T13:35:55

Had problem installing due to my very limited knowledge of computer intricacies. Called and it was installed for me. Had questions, I called and they were answered. The gentlemen I dealt with were professional, friendly. I felt very comfortable dealing with the Plustek people. The unit works better than expected.

Marcel N.

2021-08-17T10:17:59

Looks exactly as pictured. A slight learning curve but if your doing film already you?ll be alright lol. Was skeptical but adorama is the shxt!! Idk what a broke girl would do without them.

ELIZABETH R.

2021-04-02T22:47:03

I'm using this product with a Macintosh computer. There are a few features, eg Intelliscan that require a Windows machine. That being said, the Silverfast SE software works well with clear quick scans. The many function abbreviations took some time to learn. I'm pleased with the quality of the device and the images produced from 35mm slides and negatives

STEPHEN G.

2021-01-12T07:14:44

I purchased this after doing some research online and love it so far! I am an amateur photographer and use this to scan in my 35mm film. I love the software and the photos have turned out so much better than when I get it scanned at the film store. 10/10! Will eventually pay for itself with continued use!

CHELSEA P.

2020-11-27T08:55:09

A great film scanner! Not as sharp as perhaps the old Nikon scanners or my old Epson all-in-one scanner, the Plustek OpticFilm 8100 does a very good job. If your negatives are in good shape to begin with, this will scan them with a lot of detail. My main issue is with the Silverfast 8 software. It is very unreliable and sometimes freezes or quits or causes my MacBook Pro to heat up. The software had to be updated twice with new drivers for it to work. Sometimes it simply does not want to boot up. I'm not sure why Plustek uses this software because it's dated and terrible.

WILLIAM K.

2020-10-06T13:22:24

I have been using this for scanning 35mm Kodachrome 64 slides. For the most part it works great -- actually too well. It lets me know that what I thought was a well focused image is in fact out of focus or has a slight double image... The software has a feature that eliminates the dust and dirt, to a certain extent - some remains and photoshop can clean up the remains pretty easily. The resolution is pretty amazing as well -- on the highest setting the raw image files are over 300 MB -- probably more than is necessary for most images.

ANDREW C.

2020-08-19T13:52:27

My dad has a bunch of slides from photos he took while serving in the Vietnam war. He has a computer and flatbed scanner, so I decided to purchase this model because it does the thing I need it to do very well. I was also relieved that it didn't cost twice or three times the amount, which is something I saw with scanners at competing quality levels. I bought it as a gift for my dad, and when it arrived, he was super happy, and we are looking forward to creating a photo essay from the scanned photos.

JEFFREY G.

2020-02-12T09:06:55

This is a well made device with robust software. I have thousands of slides of family and travel and architectural monuments that can now be digitized and proudly shared. I have been following the software's built-in Work Flow Pilot for great results. I often refer to the quick tutorial links for a better understanding of the color controls. I'm very satisfied with the purchase and looking forward to gaining a greater depth of knowledge.

Dennis G.

2019-10-07T10:46:09

I’ve used a few scanners, and this by far has been the best quality and professional level results scanner I’ve used. Extremely easy to set up and the included silverfast software is fantastic. It’s nice and compact, and even includes a nice carrying case if you do any scanning at a studio and at home. If you are doing home development or scanning, just do yourself a favor and pick one of these up!

Charlie B.

2019-07-01T14:23:10

After previously using three different film scanners (one flat-bed and two drum), most recently an Epson V600, this scanner with the included Silverfast 8.8 software is by far the best. The 7200 DPI output provides not only better clarity and more usable images for scientific publications, but the color out of scanner is more realistic. The rescanned 40-year old Kodachrome slides now pop and look like recent images taken with my Fujifilm x-t3. The included software is easy to use and it takes only a short time to fully understand how to get the best scan for each slide. Where dark areas are always problematic for film scans, this scanner was the best at recovering detail in shadows. Only problem is that because the upgrade in the rescans is so significant, I feel compelled to rescan slides that have already been used in publications.

Jim B.

2018-10-05T09:01:35

This unit seems to be very good for translating film to digital. The software however, is a bit confusing at first; especially for Mac users. After a few short trial runs one should be able to use the Piustek and software quite easily. Compared to other units I have used this one is superior in many ways. The one drawback I feel is having to use plastic frame holders. I would certainly recommend this unit to anyone needing to transpose film to digital. For those of us that know film is much better the Plustek should help bridge that gap. a good quality black and white image shot with a Leica seems to digitize beautifully with the Plustek and SilverFast software.

CHARLES F.

2017-09-01T08:18:13

Easy to use. Great software. Good support from SilverFast.

Jimmie W.

2017-03-04T07:10:57

I was creating a corporate video for a 90th anniversary. The owner of the company found about 300 slides from the late 50's to the mid 70's which were unknown and never seen. We had less than a week to get them into the presentation. I looked at online services and could not get fast enough turnaround. Local businesses were asking insane prices for rush work. So, here I came. The 8100 was a little quirky on install for the Silverlight software. Under pressure I was very frustrated installing. I wanted plug and play. This is plug and play. Except you play with the software not the scanner. I run on windows 10 which could be part of it. Add the high level of corporate security and I think that is a big part. If I were setting up at home and not fighting a deadline, it would be fairly straightforward. As for the 8100. The quality of the images is great. We showed on 12'x9' backprojection in a 28,000 sf room on multiple screens and they were a clear as could be. So clear the fuzz and dirt from years of poor storage showed up even after running through PS and Lightroom. I am extremely pleased with the speed of scanning. You will have to tweak the resolution and get familiar with the software to pull the image quality you need. I used the online resources and comments from reviewers here. Breeze. In summary. A great little unit. Built well. Great images. Fast. Affordable. Portable. Other than the software, she is a dream.

JAN C.

2017-02-04T08:24:03

nice product works well

YI J.

2017-02-02T08:49:01

We opted for the Plustek OptiFilm 8100 for the sheer number of slides and negatives we are digitizing. The scanner does a nice job; once the software was upgraded (the free upgrade), the process has been even better. There are still a few slide that do not scan well, and cannot be recovered. But for the most part, this scanner does an excellent job. The single slide holder is a bit of a liability in terms of speed of processing. At least two should be provided for this particular piece of equipment. (Smaller, slower models - more of a personal size - can get by with a single holder; this unit is faster and the provision of two holders would recognize that.

John S.

2016-08-24T09:39:51

I was scanning slides 10 mins. after opening the package. I researched scanners a long time before selecting this one, for the price and features the Plustek OpticFilm 8100 fit my needs to a tee. I've used the scanner for a couple of weeks now and find more advance features everyday.

JIM U.

2013-08-15T21:00:00

Excellent product, well built, great output quality! I use the product exclusively to digitize color slides that date back to 1968. I have hundreds, they have been well selected from the start, no junk or badly exposed, and kept either in projector trays or in plastic slide covers. After a day of testing various settings with both the IntelliScan setting using SilverFast 8, and the QuickScan, I settled on the latter. My basic settings in the Quickscan Menu are 1200 BPI, 24-Bit Color, show Pre-scan. You will have to check the results and adjust to your own preference. Don't get discouraged by negative reviews/comments, such as "difficult software", "slow scanning", etc. Give it enough time to get comfortable with the system. Like I said, I only use it for to scan slides. The time it takes, after I push the QuickScan button and the finished image appears on my PC monitor is exactly 38 seconds, not bad as far as I'm concerned! And the image looks great, even after I burn it to DVD and show it on my 42" flat screen TV. Just make sure to eliminate as much dust as possible ahead of scanning. I use an antistatic cloth (or camel hair brush) and Dust-Off compressed air, after I clip the slides into the holder. The occasional dust that remains and shows up is no worse than when I used a projector and screen. If you see one that's unacceptable, it doesn't take long to rescan it. No, I don't have any affiliation with Plustek or it's reseller. I like the product and it does a good job for me. Cons: Plustek should include at least one additional slide holder, but I'll buy a set of two at the next opportunity to preload them. Also, I'd like to see a blinking light on the unit that tells me when it's scanning, or even a buzzer when done. No big deal though, I look at the PC screen and it tells me. Actually, I enjoy reliving some nice memories while seeing those old slides on my monitor. Glad I bought it ... would recommend it to anyone willing to take the time to learn how to use it. I really thought it was quite easy.

MAX K.

2013-03-18T21:00:00

Great for giving new life to old slides and makes great output for photo books of past experiences, vacations, family, etc.

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