BetterScanning.com, maker of the well-received "MF Film Holderä" medium format film holder for flatbed scanners, has just released an adjustable height version.
Why adjustable height? The focus of most flatbeds (the Epson Rs, anyway) is supposed to be set at 1mm above the glass for scanning transparencies, but in reality, the true focal point can be off by as much as 250% or more, which means that depending on your scanner, you can get blurry scans with Epson’s crappy stock film holders no matter what you do. "Variable Height Versions allow you to customize the film suspension height to best match your scanner’s particular optics for better focus. It is like adding a focus adjustment function to your scanner."
I had the pleasure of beta testing the dual channel model for Epson 4870 and 4990s, and the difference was substantial. First, it actually holds the film flat, unlike Epson’s holders; second, by following the simple calibration instructions, I discovered that the focus point of my scanner is at 1.8mm, not 1mm, and that my 4990 is capable of better scans with a properly adjusted Better Scanning holder than I was getting with the Epson holder.
I’m travelling right now and will post a detailed review when I get home, but the bottom line is that this is a well designed, well built, fairly priced holder that does what it says, and is sold by a company that stands behind its products. I’m buying the unit I was sent for testing—there’s no way I’m going back to Epson’s junk holder now—and I enthusiastically recommend it.
Check it out at BetterScanning.com