Help with Coolscan 8000/9000

[mackigator]

I need your advice:

A local in my town is selling a Nikon Coolscan 8000 for cheap, with the footnote that it is "broken." I'd love to buy this and scan my medium format negatives, but not if this entails a very expensive repair (I currently own the Coolscan 5000 and love it).


I haven't seen the scanner yet, but in my email exchange, the seller describes the problem like this:

"All I can tell you is that the slide holder will not engage with the gears so that the holder will slide into the slot to scan."

Anyone encountered this problem or something similar? Ever sent a scanner in to Nikon for repair? Cost? Advice?

Thanks!

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

It'll likely cost $250 to repair. I used to work in a camera shop in Santa Fe and we had a couple scannera come in to be sent to Nikon for repair, and the quotes were generally around $250-$350. Keep in mind that the 8000 sells for $1000 or so used in working condition, so I would not pay over $500 for one broken under any circumstance, and if it is missing any of the film holders keep in mind that these are alomst IMPOSSIBLE to get. It took Nikon nearly A YEAR to send one the store I worked at special ordered for a customer...Nikon USA keeps nothing in stock for these, all has to be sent from Japan. Check online stores like BandH, no one has carriers in stock for this scanner.

 

[RF-Addict]

Could it be that the carriers are just worn out and that the problem is not even with the scanner? Does the 8000 use the same carriers as the 5000? If so you could just take one of yours along to test it out. Christopher is right though - I waited 6 months for one of my carriers for the 9000. The scanners themselves are ALWAYS sold out as well. Nikon has a strange idea of customer service - at least with scanners. I'm convinced they could sell many more of them if they were only available!

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

RF-Addict, The carriers for the 8000 and 9000 are the same but the 5000 uses smaller carriers since its a 35mm only scanner and the 8000 is a medium format scanner. I agree on Nikon's customer service...they act like they don't want to sell the things! A good example is the fact that they charge $300 extra for a glass carrier for the 8000/9000 scanners, yet the scanners are incapable of good medium format scans without that carrier (warning to the OP, the included carriers SUCK. So poorly engineered that they are incapable of holding film flat, ever, no matter how flat it is to begin with).

 

[RF-Addict]

Yep, you are right. The glass carrier was the one I waited 6 months for. The cost of that carrier is in no raltionship to what it is worth - these should not cost more than $100 - max. but what can we do? Short of buying a drum scanner, the Nikon 8000/9000 are the best 35mm and MF scanners around.

 

[mackigator]

The scanner is offered at $200. the only problem appears to be the carrier being picked up by the gears - I hope to learn more tomorrow, including what carriers and parts are still with the scanner.

 

[petercs]

... Check online stores like BandH, no one has carriers in stock for this scanner.

There is a shop specialized in scanners near my home: www.scandig.com. They usually have every Nikon scanner accessory on stock and currently seem to have all 8000/9000 holders as well. They reviewed a lot af film scanners, but that's only on their german version of the homepage. Their pricing is Euro, this may add to the already high accessory prices. But at least you do nozt have to wait for months.
Peter

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

$200 is cheap, but before you buy make sure it has the parts/accessories and call Nikon and ask about repair cost. He may well have found out it costs $1000 to fix it! Unlikely that costly, but you know what I mean...even at $200 it will be too expensive if the repair cost is high and it don't have the film holders. That website that Peter gave us is asking 99 Euros each for the holders....that's about $130 I think! EACH. Don't worry about the instructions and software, Nikon has them on the web for free download. But make sure it has the slide holder, 35mm holder, and 120 holder..those three came with it, as well as a 6 foot firewire cable.

 

[gdi]

You do not have to buy the Nikon glass carrier - simply have some anti reflective glass cut for the original holder, to replace the plastic top section. It works as well as either glass holder. Cost maybe $10...

Also, Nikon service is slow - mine has been with them for over 2 months they are waiting for parts...