Coolscan VI / 6000 anytime soon?

[ffttklackdedeng]

Hi!

I'm currently very short of an upgrade of my Coolscan V to the 5000 version, basically because of the batch scanning capability. However, both scanners are on the market for quite a long time now, and furthermore there are several improvements I could think of (a softer light source, a wider scan area, evtl. a higher resolution) so I'm a bit in doubt whether or not a new version of the Coolscans could pop up soon.

What do you think?

 

[Nachkebia]

The question is if there ever will be newer version of coolscan, they did not support the program itself, last patch was in 2003 🙂

 

[ffttklackdedeng]

The question is if there ever will be newer version of coolscan, they did not support the program itself, last patch was in 2003 🙂

😀 Don't know why but I'm pretty sure there will be one! 🙂 They don't have to sink a lot of money into a new version, and I assume - being the only 'serious' 🙄 ones in the dedicated film scanner market - they should still be selling some and so there will be another one.. You just want to make me nervous, don't you? 😛

 

[varjag]

Dedicated film scanners (at least made by big name companies) will be extinct in next few years.

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

Hi!

I'm currently very short of an upgrade of my Coolscan V to the 5000 version, basically because of the batch scanning capability. However, both scanners are on the market for quite a long time now, and furthermore there are several improvements I could think of (a softer light source, a wider scan area, evtl. a higher resolution) so I'm a bit in doubt whether or not a new version of the Coolscans could pop up soon.

What do you think?

The "bulk" roll film adapter for the Coolscan 5000 is discontinued, and is virtually impossible to find in the American continent. I had found some in stock at British and German web stores, but they command higher prices than the suggested retail price in the U.S.

If you are not going to be scanning massive amounts of film, and spending about 3 minutes per scan at 4000dpi (with ICE, but no GEM or any other filter on), then I highly recommend the Coolscan 9000. It's big, but the scans are beautiful. I just analyzed some high-ISO B&W film scans, and there is a definite difference; the grain is much better, the detail is superb, and the tones are nice. This is only evident when analyzing them at pixel-level. With C-41 (color) films, I cannot see any difference; this may have to do with the fact that I use ICE for C-41 and Positive (slide/E-6) film, but never for "true" B&W

 

[Valder]

I was hoping they would, but I can't speculate on what the heck Nikon is up to with their scanners. Minolta is dead and gone and the way film is declining.....

db

 

[AusDLK]

My suggestion is to watch eBay for a Minolta Elite 5400.

I scanned a 32 year old Kodachrome slide last week at 5400dpi and had an amazing 24x36" (poster size) Lightjet print made.

The quality of the print at such a large size pretty much blew me away. It all started with a very, very good scan.

 

[goo0h]

Dedicated film scanners (at least made by big name companies) will be extinct in next few years.

It's sure looking that way. Seems like the flat beds are taking this field somewhat seriously. I believe HP is or has a new scanner (G4050?) that'll scan all 30 negatives in one batch. Then there's the Microtek M1 that's coming in Feb. Hopefully some site will do an indepth review of these.

 

[amateriat]

My suggestion is to watch eBay for a Minolta Elite 5400.

I scanned a 32 year old Kodachrome slide last week at 5400dpi and had an amazing 24x36" (poster size) Lightjet print made.

The quality of the print at such a large size pretty much blew me away. It all started with a very, very good scan.

Interesting you should mention this. I have a 5400, which I bought just a few months after they were announced, and have been smitten with it ever since. I've long called it the "poor man's Imacon" for 35mm, and I hardly think it an exaggeration. More's the pity that my two favorite companies (Konica, which made my favorite M-mount rangefinder, and Minolta, which made both the last film SLR I actually liked and the best 35mm film scanner that, sadly enough, is likely to be made) decided to throw their lot in together and ultimately made a hash of it (in the great American tradition of corporate mergers – c.f. Penn Central, Hewlett-Packard/Compaq)). After three years of use, I continue to be impressed by the thing. I'm almost tempted to find another one to mothball as a backup...it's that good.


- Barrett

 

[amateriat]

It's sure looking that way. Seems like the flat beds are taking this field somewhat seriously. I believe HP is or has a new scanner (G4050?) that'll scan all 30 negatives in one batch. Then there's the Microtek M1 that's coming in Feb. Hopefully some site will do an indepth review of these.

It's a wait-and-see thing to me, but I'm glad Epson et al are at least trying. the market for "dedicated" scanners of all types is drying up gradually, so a high-performance "do-it-all" flatbed is the smartest bet from a manufacturer's standpoint. How that shakes out from the end-user's standpoint remains to be seen, but I'm guardedly optimistic. In the meantime, my Minolta 5400 handles the heavy, high-res stuff, and my big tabloid UMAX 2100XL handles the digital "contact sheets" and reflective material. It's a good combo for me. There's too much shot-and-processed film in the world to be ignored entirely.


- Barrett

 

[peter_n]

Barrett is your 5400 the first version or the 2nd?

 

[robert blu]

I have same doubts about future of films/slides scanners. But considering that I do not feel ready for "absolutely digital" I decided after Christmav, if some money left from winter holidays (!) I'll buy the 5000 ED nikon. I noticed in Italy is getting very difficult to buy a scanner: only a very few shops have them available. For this reason I'll buy one before they will disappear !
robert

 

[ffttklackdedeng]

Nikon is said to make the scanners in batches, therefore the supply is not continuous, i.e. they become out of stock to become in stock and then out of etc. again.

I don't want one of the Minoltas because what I'm after is the batch scanning capability (with a modified standard SA-21 adapter, see Helmut Stoepfgeshoff's dyi instructions). I'm very optimistic in being able to get around the current Coolscan's grain aliasing issues, so if I don't get surprised by a new version I'm pretty sure to get the 5000 soon.

Of course I wouldn't like to realize shortly after the buy that a newer version appears which might improve on some of the issues relevant to me (like a wider scan area or a higher resolution). And as far as my feelings go the V/5000 should already be on the market for about the lifespan of the IV/4000, so this is the only indication that a new versions would be possible soon.. Thank you for your comments!

 

[robert blu]

It means we are at least two ...with capacity to let a new nikon scanner appear in the market, short after our purchase...
ciao
robert

 

[rodneyAB]

i've been watching for online instock of super coolscan5000 over the past two weeks, showed instock thursday evening, got it, and very quickly out of stock again.
it sits in a wharehouse in oakland after an overnight flight from the eastcoast, waitng for the holiday to be over for a tuesday delivery...
i'm not gonna be concerned if a new model comes out🙄 this one will be good enough😎

 

[AusDLK]

>Barrett is your 5400 the first version or the 2nd?

This is AusDLK answering -- mine is the 1st. And the better of the two.

Made of metal, mine has survived a couple of unfortunate topples with only a minor dent in the front top corner. No affect on scanning.

Well made and a first rate product. A bit slow but now irreplaceable IMHO.