After waiting for a long time for their new Pro 135 MK2 and Pro 120 MK2, I found that the user experience is not so well, at least not good enough to match the money I paid.
The first thing I have to complaint about is their customer service. It’s the worst one I ever seen. I have to call them 20 times just to speak to a representative to discuss why I have to wait more than two months without any updates on their new scanning kit, which they initially claim that it would ship in one month. This was two month ago.
Now, after testing their new 120 Full Boarder Cassette, I found it’s not perfectly flat. Maybe it’s something todo with their 3D printing technology, one of the corner on my cassette is a bit higher. In the macro world, a tiny means a lot: that corner will be out of focus. I asked for a replacement, and they did send one. But the one they send me is not useable. It doesn’t come with the “feet” screws, which is how it attach to the base. I told them about this situation and never got a reply.
Now, I’m also having issue with their 200 dollar-ish 4x5 99CRI light source. The brightness is not even across the panel. I now have no idea who to talk to…
Their kit wasted me around 1500 USD. They produce alright quality, but not perfect. I don’t think it’s worth the money honestly.
If you are thinking to get one of these. Be aware.
I’ve read other posts that suggest that they are having trouble keeping up with orders and that their communication with customers waiting for delivery leaves a lot to be desired. Of course this is through a filter because those that are happy won’t bother to post about it but it does suggest there may possibly be a problem, temporary or otherwise. The CEO, AJ Holmes, is active on the FB Negative Lab Pro forum, maybe you could politely message him there.
That’s tough! Sorry you’ve been dealing with that. I’ve used their equipment for a few years now and while it’s pricy, the quality of the scans I’ve been able to get has been fantastic. That said, I have found that as they have been scaling things up and launching new products, there have been some sore spots. Specifically, I tried to switch to their light source mini and I had two panels that were unevenly lit, causing issues when scanning 120. I ended up sticking with my 99 CRI panel that I’ve owned for two years. It’s not as bright but does an excellent job.
I think they’re just inundated a bit as they grow, launch new products, etc. AJ is great and I have faith a lot of those pain points will be taken care of. Something wildly better would have to come onto the market for me to even think of using a different system.
Someone else reported getting two dud panels in a row, a different model as this was before the Mini was launched. One panel can slip through but it would seem they don’t check them at all even when sending a replacement. At those prices that’s pretty poor.
Yes, that was me. Two in a row, third one worked and still does. I haven’t really noticed If there is any non-uniformity, but any that may be there will be nullified using flat field correction.
My experience with the 120 MK2 Basic carriers echo that of the original post. Nice products but not worth the cost. With the Full boarder cassette being a pain to use and doesn’t keep the film very flat.