Like many of our products/services, this all comes down to personal preference! Richard wrote a blog that explores some of the differences—read it here.
If you’re fairly new to film, we recommend starting with the Noritsu scanner, because it:
- is a newer, faster machine
- is less expensive
- can produce larger files
- produces an enhanced pixel structure that lends itself to artificial rez’ing up in Lightroom/Photoshop (for creating large prints)
- provides better control of results for underexposed & overexposed film
We dig deeper into this topic in our blog on the benefits of the Noritsu scanner, as well as other variables that we believe make the Noritsu the right choice.
In addition, black & white film is scanned exclusively on the Noritsu because the Frontier can produce muddy black & white scans. We also recommend that Portra 160 and Ektar 100 be scanned on the Noritsu, as the Frontier can sometimes produce digital artifacting with these films.
If you want to compare the Noritsu and Frontier scanners yourself, we encourage it as part of the process of finding your own preferences! Just let our team know what roll(s) you would like to test on an order, and we can walk with you on this journey.