Gabriel M.A.
My Red Dot Glows For You
I understand they stopped making them over 6-7 years ago, but computer equipment is hardly something you'd think that would appreciate in value.
I just happened to look at a Nikon Coolscan 9000 on eB@y a few days ago, just because it came up in a search I was doing, and after doing a double-take, I looked if this was another one of those famously-overpriced sellers. Nope.
Then just for s-and-giggles I searched the Coolscan 5000 today. O.M.G. It's just about the same price! Furthermore, the incredibly hard to get, the roll film adapter (rather, uncut film adapter), used fluctuates between a few hundred dollars more than it used to be new, and three to four times that.
Are these being sought after at a higher premium (relative to the Coolscan 9000) for some reason I'm completely oblivious about? Getting the Nikon software to run on the newest Win and Mac OS versions is a pain to most --and a nuisance to the rest, and Nikon won't support it anymore. What gives?
Maybe this is the time to exchange my Coolscan 5000 + roll adapter (which was virtually impossible to find six years ago new) for a Coolscan 9000! (btw, if you're interested in a swap, I may be interested).
So...any ideas?
I just happened to look at a Nikon Coolscan 9000 on eB@y a few days ago, just because it came up in a search I was doing, and after doing a double-take, I looked if this was another one of those famously-overpriced sellers. Nope.
Then just for s-and-giggles I searched the Coolscan 5000 today. O.M.G. It's just about the same price! Furthermore, the incredibly hard to get, the roll film adapter (rather, uncut film adapter), used fluctuates between a few hundred dollars more than it used to be new, and three to four times that.
Are these being sought after at a higher premium (relative to the Coolscan 9000) for some reason I'm completely oblivious about? Getting the Nikon software to run on the newest Win and Mac OS versions is a pain to most --and a nuisance to the rest, and Nikon won't support it anymore. What gives?
Maybe this is the time to exchange my Coolscan 5000 + roll adapter (which was virtually impossible to find six years ago new) for a Coolscan 9000! (btw, if you're interested in a swap, I may be interested).
So...any ideas?
Particular
a.k.a. CNNY, disassembler
I got my nikon 5000 new just as they discontinued it. I got both the slide feeder and the roll film feeder. I have been noticing these prices for a while as at some point I was considering getting a second scanner. To me these prices also seem crazy, but the reality is there just aren't that many good alternatives. Once they decide they need the nikon, people will pay any price for it.
Godfrey
somewhat colored
The Nikon film scanners are amongst the best around. Prices have been rising since they were discontinued everywhere.
I had a Coolscan IV until a year or some ago when a Coolscan V came available at a modest upgrade cost after selling the IV. I bought a little used Coolscan 9000 this year from a friend who no longer wanted it.
The 9000 is incredibly versatile and almost obviates the Coolscan V, but I have the motorized APS carrier and 35mm carrier for the V that makes it a more efficient scanner in use for those formats, particularly for oddball formats like my square format Robot cameras. Neither is for sale, yet anyway.
G
I had a Coolscan IV until a year or some ago when a Coolscan V came available at a modest upgrade cost after selling the IV. I bought a little used Coolscan 9000 this year from a friend who no longer wanted it.
The 9000 is incredibly versatile and almost obviates the Coolscan V, but I have the motorized APS carrier and 35mm carrier for the V that makes it a more efficient scanner in use for those formats, particularly for oddball formats like my square format Robot cameras. Neither is for sale, yet anyway.
G
Timmyjoe
Veteran
Had a Coolscan 5000 and wanted the ability to do Medium Format, so after waffling for a couple years, I finally bought one at what I thought was a ridiculously expensive price of $2100 brand new a few years ago. It was the last new one they would ever get in stock. Six months later I saw them selling "Mint in Box" for over $4000.
Sold my Coolscan 5000 (something I am now regretting) for the same price I bought it for shortly after purchasing the 9000.
IMHO, the Coolscan 9000 is more like a diffusion enlarger, and the Coolscan 5000 is more like a condenser enlarger, at least when it comes to B&W scans.
Best,
-Tim
Sold my Coolscan 5000 (something I am now regretting) for the same price I bought it for shortly after purchasing the 9000.
IMHO, the Coolscan 9000 is more like a diffusion enlarger, and the Coolscan 5000 is more like a condenser enlarger, at least when it comes to B&W scans.
Best,
-Tim
Gabriel M.A.
My Red Dot Glows For You
I find it odd that the Coolscans 5000 and 9000 have appreciated this much, whereas none of the other consumer scanners that were as or nearly as good have gone up in price like that (for example, the Minolta Multi Pro, which I consider the alternative to the Coolscan 9000)
Gabriel M.A.
My Red Dot Glows For You
It is exactly like that: the Coolscan 9000 has a diffusing light source.
But again, why is the 5000 going for almost the same as the Coolscan -- if I recall correctly, the Coolscan 9000 was around $1000 more, new. Their difference now used is in a handful hundred dollars.
Gabriel M.A.
My Red Dot Glows For You
I suppose so. They are excellent scanners, and cheap considering the next step up (which is a huge step up).
Of course, there will always be some who will say they don't see the difference between that and their Epson or Canon flatbeds...but then again the best of Epson's offerings, which I believe were their first film scanners (like the 2450), do not fetch an equivalent percentage premium. Unless, of course, that's also changed since I last looked.
Particular
a.k.a. CNNY, disassembler
The Nikon 5000 is the only scanner with a good batch scanning workflow.
Timmyjoe
Veteran
Gabriel M.A.
My Red Dot Glows For You
That is very true; followed by the Coolscan 9000. I think I see it now...
KM-25
Well-known
It is rather crazy I would agree. I have actually been tempted at times to sell my 9000 kit and get a nice used Imacon 949 or higher....dreams of an X5 abound.
But since going fully wet printing, I use a scanner far less now so I think I am set. How is that new Plustek 120 holding up?
But since going fully wet printing, I use a scanner far less now so I think I am set. How is that new Plustek 120 holding up?
Godfrey
somewhat colored
I've used Minolta, Polaroid, Konica Minolta, and Canon film scanners in addition to the Nikons over the past 18 years. IMO, the Nikons are the best of this lot: best build quality, best scan quality, most reliable, and most consistent. None of the others are built as well or last as long. I think that's why the Nikons are appreciating while the others are not.
G
majid
Fazal Majid
Supply and demand. Demand is dwindling but stable, supply is now gone forever - the only film scanners you can get now are Epson flatbeds, which are simply not in the same class as a Coolscan, or extremely expensive Imacon Flextights.
The 5000 sells at a premium for its batch scanning capabilities. That said, when the discontinuation was announced, I got a 9000 as a backup in case my 5000 dies - allowing me to scan my limited collection of medium format slides and use Digital ICE4 PRO to scan Kodachrome with ICE on. The 9000 is so much slower it's almost unusable in comparison with the 5000, so most people only have 35mm to scan, I can well understand why the 5000 now sells for the same price as the 9000.
The 5000 sells at a premium for its batch scanning capabilities. That said, when the discontinuation was announced, I got a 9000 as a backup in case my 5000 dies - allowing me to scan my limited collection of medium format slides and use Digital ICE4 PRO to scan Kodachrome with ICE on. The 9000 is so much slower it's almost unusable in comparison with the 5000, so most people only have 35mm to scan, I can well understand why the 5000 now sells for the same price as the 9000.
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
I know someone locally who has two of the 5000 models ... one with the roll feed adapter. She decided she was going to make her fortune scanning negatives and slides a while ago and actually wound up getting very little business no matter where she advertised so they've had very little use.
I asked her a while ago if she was interested in selling them and she said yes, make me an offer! I've never got back to her because I really don't have a clue what they're worth. Any ideas?
I asked her a while ago if she was interested in selling them and she said yes, make me an offer! I've never got back to her because I really don't have a clue what they're worth. Any ideas?
Ronald_H
Don't call me Ron
Even the humble Coolscan V ED is now considerably more expensive used, than it was 7 years ago (when I bought it).
I found this out this week, when a friend asked what a good negative scanner would be and did a quick search...
All good and well, but if my scanner breaks I'm pretty screwed...
I found this out this week, when a friend asked what a good negative scanner would be and did a quick search...
All good and well, but if my scanner breaks I'm pretty screwed...
Godfrey
somewhat colored
Well, if they're selling at close to 9000 prices, I imagine that means about $2500 for a good one. 9000 prices are running $2200-5000 for the past six months, with most within spitting distance of $2500.
My Coolscan V cost me $700 or so a year and some back. That and thereabouts seems to be stable as the going rate on completed auctions
G
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
Thanks Godfrey.
I have a 4000 and it works great for batch scanning.
SA-21 film strip adapter (with the jumper mod) and Vuescan. The roll film adapter goes for more than I paid for the entire scanner, but it's not really necessary when the SA-21 can be modified.
I decided to forego medium format so the 4000 works perfectly for me, scanning in 'raw' with 48 bit. Tremendous color correction capabilities. Getting far better results than with the usual pro lab scans which only supply 8 bit JPEGs. (If you don't like the operator's color corrections it's a useless image.)
Robert Lai
Well-known
Well, both the Coolscan 5000 and the 9000 are very reliable machines, with very good Dmax, and excellent resolution.
I bought my CS 5000 with all of the feeders (including APS), for $600 back in 2006. I had originally bought it through the University for digitizing lecture slides, but when I left acadamia they offered me the entire kit for that price. They felt that nobody else was going to use it.
A couple of years ago, I bought a new in box CS 9000 from a fellow RFFer for $2K.
I've been very happy with them. They work great with Vuescan.
I bought my CS 5000 with all of the feeders (including APS), for $600 back in 2006. I had originally bought it through the University for digitizing lecture slides, but when I left acadamia they offered me the entire kit for that price. They felt that nobody else was going to use it.
A couple of years ago, I bought a new in box CS 9000 from a fellow RFFer for $2K.
I've been very happy with them. They work great with Vuescan.
Robert Lai
Well-known
Regarding batch scanning with the CS5000 - it is great to put a whole stack of mounted slides into the slide feeder and let it run overnight. When I get up in the morning, I have my scans ready to work on.
The 9000 can be slow if you use a lot of multisampling and the multiple exposure modes in Vuescan. At most, I use 2x multisampling to keep the scan times bearable. But, when I have a 6x9cm chrome I want to scan, it's my only option.
The 9000 can be slow if you use a lot of multisampling and the multiple exposure modes in Vuescan. At most, I use 2x multisampling to keep the scan times bearable. But, when I have a 6x9cm chrome I want to scan, it's my only option.