Dedicated 35mm scanner options for $300

 
I've got a Nikon Coolscan V ED which I love. I've been using it for about 5 years now, and bought it used for just around $300. Never had any real issues with it, even though it's slow and getting the software to work (drivers, etc.) can be a little bit of a pain, but as stated above, VueScan drivers can often fix the problem on Windows pretty easily.

noctilux lawn couple by slantface, on Flickr

noctilux wedding lawn by slantface, on Flickr

ryan by slantface, on Flickr

alley-dark by slantface, on Flickr
 
yeknom02 said:
I'd like to be able to work that way, but since the image is so small, I can't make informed decisions on a light table. ......
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My 70 year old eyes need a quality 4X loupe but I do see much more information in the actual neg that is ever possible in a batch scan.
 
I've been using my minolta dual scan IV for years and it is great. Reasonably priced and nice scans. I think they are a bit cheaper build then there coolscan counterparts but pretty much equal in image quality.

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Lauffray said:
Brilliant. Do any of the earlier (read: cheaper) Nikons have a motorized advance ?
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I have two Nikon LS-2000 scanners. One came with the SA-20 adapter. It will scan a strip of up to 6 frames of film (color neg., b&w neg., or unmounted slide). It does it rather automatically as well, sucks it in, scans it, spits it out. The drawback you'd find with this or any other scanner of this era is that it has an SCSI connection (pronounced Scuzzy if you try to phone anyone about it) rather than a USB or Firewire connection. It was some hurdles to go over to get an SCSI card that worked on Win7-64 and the scanner. As a word of caution, if you're looking at an older scanner and thinking of using Vuescan go to the Vuescan page and look at both the connection it uses, and whether or not you'll need to download the drivers from the manufacturers site. http://www.hamrick.com/vuescan/vuescan.htm#supported If the text reads "If you're using Windows and you've installed a (manufacturers) driver, VueScan's built-in drivers won't conflict with this. If you haven't installed a Windows driver for this scanner, VueScan will automatically install a driver." then you are golden.

Also keep in mind that you'll need to purchase the PRO version to scan film. https://www.hamrick.com/reg.html This is a recent change. Vuescan used to let you scan film with the standard license until about a week ago. Maybe if you can find an older version (not too hard, it's linked to from the Vuescan site) you can buy the license and just use the older version.
 
Let me also add one more thing. The Nikon scanners scan differently than just about any other scanner. They don't just emit a continuous light through the film. They have Red, Green, Blue and in most of them InfraRed LEDs that alternate shining through the film to be read on the sensor. It does this in the same pass, so you don't need multiple passes of the scan head to do it. The benefit to this is that you won't need a second pass for the IR clean like most other scanners. You'll also get cleaner colors (in theory at least).

The Minolta Scan Elite scanner(s) and Multi-Pro also scan the IR channel in the same pass. There may be one other but I think that's it.

Other scanners, while being fine scanners, will take longer to scan things. I have both an LS-2000 and a Canon FS4000US and they both have their positives. I use both at the same time opening different instances of Vuescan to do so.
 
wakarimasen said:
Is there anywhere in Europe which still services the Minolta scanners now?
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Because they can be had so cheaply I'd expect it to be uneconomical to have one repaired. I bought mine for not much more than what I'd expect to pay for return postage, insured first class.
 
GarageBoy said:
Thanks - do I give anything up going for a Dual Scan III or IV (what's the difference btw?) vs. a Pacific Imaging 7200?
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The III doesn't have Digital ICE for dust removal but as I only shoot B+W that doesn't matter to me. Both seem about the same price used here in the UK and if I'm honest I preferred the look of the III with its green buttons hehe
 
GarageBoy said:
Dual Scan III or IV (what's the difference btw?)
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Resolution. Look it up, but the III is 2800 dpi, I beleive, and the IV is 3200 dpi? And as I remember the test reports, both deliver 'true' resolution, very close to specification. Unlike, say, an Epson V700 which doesn't come near to its claimed 6400 dpi.

I used a v700 for 35mm for a while, and when I got a used Dual Scan IV, Iwas pretty impressed- actual film grain.
 
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