So who is this scanner for? In my opinion this is a great scanner for photographers that do a lot of work in the darkroom and want to share limited digital files or for photographers just getting started who do want quality scans but don’t want to sink a bunch of money into a flatbed or the more versatile OpticFilm 120. It won’t scan prints, and actually as I mentioned, it won’t scan anything other than 35mm. No extra film holders to store while not in use, a smaller footprint on your desk, and overall less fuss than something like a flatbed. It’s hard to say exactly who this scanner is for, and a lot of people will probably see the lack of versatility as a shortcoming, but for the dedicated 35mm photographer it’s really pretty great.

The OpticFilm 8200i Ai is a dedicated 35mm film scanner that’s capable of scanning both cut strips of film and mounted slides. Through the course of my career I’ve had access to a number of scanners, and I’ve recently came across an interesting one thanks to the folks at Plustek. Since the beginning I’ve always utilized a hybrid workflow - shooting film for the capture, and digitizing it for prints and the web. I know that now, and admitting it has made my life a lot easier. Specifically, I like shooting black and white photography in 35mm, and I have a soft spot for half frame as well. But, one thing that has always stuck is 35mm. I’ve also talked myself into more medium format cameras than I care to admit as well. I tried to force large format photography on myself and didn’t really enjoy it. In my heart I knew who I was and what I really wanted to be doing, but I felt like I had to really explore other formats for some reason. For a long time I bounced between formats, cameras, and styles. One of the biggest revelations I’ve had as a photographer has to do with my choice of tools. Life is funny for a number of reasons, and if you’ve ever taken the time to think back on your past you can probably identify quite a few revelations you’ve made.

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