Imacon Flextight Photo ??

[bjolester]

Ups!

I was under impression that the place in Denmark was still servicing Flextight II scanners. Huh! I guess I'm keeping my Nikon.

If you look back in this very tread, there is a link to a tread describing a workshop in Copenhagen Denmark that still services old Flextight scanner. Here is the tread:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=140329

 

[brbo]

If you look back in this very tread, there is a link to a tread describing a workshop in Copenhagen Denmark that still services old Flextight scanner. Here is the tread:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=140329

Yes, but if you pay attention you can see that info from the thread you linked is older than that from Rangefinderfreak (Sept. 2014).

 

[bjolester]

Yes, but if you pay attention you can see that info from the thread you linked is older than that from Rangefinderfreak (Sept. 2014).

Uuuuphs, I did not read Rangefinderfreak's entry thoroughly enough. Sorry!

 

[wallace]

The Epson V700 and 750 are limited by their optics.
The real resolution lies around 2300 dpi if the negatives are hold flat.
Enough for medium format but not for 35mm. There are some
affordable new 35 film scanners which will do much better scans than the Epsons.
I was happy with the Epson for printing up to 30x30cm (MF). If I wanted biggers prints,
I had the negs scanned by a professional service (2,80€ for a 4000 dpi MF Nikon 9000scan,
2,90€ for a 35mm strip, 4000 dpi Nikon 5000).

Here's a link to a test of the Epson with resolution test:
http://www.filmscanner.info/en/EpsonPerfectionV700Photo.html


But now I use a digital Pentax KX with old 55mm Macro lens on a Minolta Repro stand and light table. Works great!

Cheers,
Thomas

 

[johannielscom]

This last week I did business with B23's Jimmy Bjaaland in Denmark. They very much are active in servicing FlexTights and today I received my replacement power supply for the scanner. I was told that it was imported from the US so it might not be such a wait and less costly for the US folk to get the power supply.

So do not panic (yet).


meanwhile, my issues are different ones, I posted this to the Imacon User Group on Yahoo Groups tonight:

Hello all,

Two weeks ago I picked up a FlexTight Photo SCSI scanner with issues. They were pointed out to me when I visited the seller. The seller had purchased a FlexTight II and had kept the power supply with that scanner (no issues there) so I purchased a PUP60-32 power unit from a company in Denmark, hoping it would solve the issues, but it didn't.

My kit is:
FlexTight Photo SCSI, brand new PUP60-32
50-pin to 68-pin SCI cable
Adaptec AVA-2904 SCSI card
PowerMac G4 Dual 1Ghz, OSX 10.4.11, 1.5Gb RAM
FlexColor 4.0.4

Everything works as it's supposed to do.

My trouble is:
The scanner shuts down randomly. Sometimes in the middle of a scan, sometimes when standing idle, sometimes when preparing a scan.
When I power it up and do not start using it, so far it has managed once to stay on for 20 minutes. When it use, it never reaches that. Once it shuts down, it needs a few minutes before it will switch on and stay on.

Whenever it does complete a scan (not managed a 3200dpi 6x6 yet due to duration, but did some 1600dpi scans) it looks brilliant. But the intermittent switching-off slows my work down quite a bit.


Anybody had this behaviour, either on a FlexTight Photo SCSI or another model? I'd like to hear suggestions/solutions!

So if anyone can shed a light on this issue, I'd be much obliged... :angel:

 

[Scrambler]

This last week I did business with B23's Jimmy Bjaaland in Denmark. They very much are active in servicing FlexTights and today I received my replacement power supply for the scanner. I was told that it was imported from the US so it might not be such a wait and less costly for the US folk to get the power supply. So do not panic (yet). meanwhile, my issues are different ones, I posted this to the Imacon User Group on Yahoo Groups tonight: So if anyone can shed a light on this issue, I'd be much obliged... :angel:

I know nothing about this scanner, but the behaviour smacks of something overheating. Once the component has cooled you can power up again. Perhaps a heat sink has come loose from its chip?

 

[Athiril]

That also happened to our 949, but we got a warranty package, and some components were replaced iirc, the mainboard also doesn't have either passive or active cooling on the components, I'm also convinced it was overheating components, that and one of the wires to one of the lamps was exposed bare and started sparking, as the tray you open and close would grinding against it with the gear eventually stripping the plastic coating away.


FP4+, 8000 dpi down sampled to 4000 dpi 100% crop showing the warping, this is a direct consequence of the holder/drum design that rolls the film. Probably not of any pictorial consequence.
http://imgur.com/vmzkOrR

 

[brbo]

Thank you, Athiril.

Seeing this and other problems with old Flextights just made the itch go away 😉

 

[johannielscom]

That also happened to our 949, but we got a warranty package, and some components were replaced iirc, the mainboard also doesn't have either passive or active cooling on the components, I'm also convinced it was overheating components, that and one of the wires to one of the lamps was exposed bare and started sparking, as the tray you open and close would grinding against it with the gear eventually stripping the plastic coating away.


FP4+, 8000 dpi down sampled to 4000 dpi 100% crop showing the warping, this is a direct consequence of the holder/drum design that rolls the film. Probably not of any pictorial consequence.
http://imgur.com/vmzkOrR

Thanks for the thoughts on the stripped wires for the door, Athiril. I'll check that out, the scanner's innards aren't that hard to get to.
Also, there indeed is no passive or active cooling on the motherboard but components there hardly get warm at all so it's probably not needed either. Just for fun, I'll try and run the scanner with the top off and a fan pointed at it, see if it does anything for duration until switching off.

The warping: 'Probably not of any pictorial consequence is' summing it up pretty nicely AFAIC 😉 and it's easily corrected too if necessary 😀

 

[Athiril]

It's very easy to get into, from memory it comes off the back of the scanner it opens like a door and you can take the computer section out of the scanner, it's in it's own case.

I did notice that on cold mornings it did work for a little bit then screwed up, another reason why I suspect it's a heat issue, there's no issue now after the repairs, so I think it's a problem that can develop over time.

I'm not sure how you would attempt to correct the warping, as it is inconsistent between every single scan, and on a small level, and sometimes compress and stretch in the same direction in different parts of the scan.

Thank you, Athiril.

Seeing this and other problems with old Flextights just made the itch go away 😉

Apart from the issues, the scan quality is very high. Technically an enlarging lens and flatbed scanner take apart and repurposed could give the same detail.

 

[Merlijn53]

This last week I did business with B23's Jimmy Bjaaland in Denmark. They very much are active in servicing FlexTights and today I received my replacement power supply for the scanner. I was told that it was imported from the US so it might not be such a wait and less costly for the US folk to get the power supply.

So do not panic (yet).


meanwhile, my issues are different ones, I posted this to the Imacon User Group on Yahoo Groups tonight:




So if anyone can shed a light on this issue, I'd be much obliged... :angel:

Could it be a scsi problem?
I had the same issue when I used a scsi to firewire adapter and it was over when Istarted using an Adaptec 2906 card in a G4. You get those cards almost free, so maybe it is worth a try.
Frank

 

[johannielscom]

Could it be a scsi problem?
I had the same issue when I used a scsi to firewire adapter and it was over when Istarted using an Adaptec 2906 card in a G4. You get those cards almost free, so maybe it is worth a try.
Frank

Hm,

I am using an Adaptec card in a G4 and trying to solve the problem by trying a SCSI-FW adapter is hard nowadays since these things are hard to find. Unless you wanna sell me yours? 🙂

 

[Merlijn53]

Hm,

I am using an Adaptec card in a G4 and trying to solve the problem by trying a SCSI-FW adapter is hard nowadays since these things are hard to find. Unless you wanna sell me yours? 🙂

De mijne was gratis bij een computer van €40, maar ze staan voor €30 of minder op ebay. Gewoon onder "adaptec 2906 mac" .Nieuw in verpakking. Misschien werkt het, misschien niet.

Frank

 

[x-ray]

That also happened to our 949, but we got a warranty package, and some components were replaced iirc, the mainboard also doesn't have either passive or active cooling on the components, I'm also convinced it was overheating components, that and one of the wires to one of the lamps was exposed bare and started sparking, as the tray you open and close would grinding against it with the gear eventually stripping the plastic coating away.


FP4+, 8000 dpi down sampled to 4000 dpi 100% crop showing the warping, this is a direct consequence of the holder/drum design that rolls the film. Probably not of any pictorial consequence.
http://imgur.com/vmzkOrR

I'm having overheating problems with my 848. I purchased it as a refurb from Hasselblad a year and a half ago. About six months after buying it, while still under warranty, it started crashing after scanning a while. I talked to the tech at Hasselblad and did all the suggested fixes with no results. Finally I sent it to them, $200 shipping, and they kept it for a week and couldn't find any problem. As soon as I got it back it did the same thing, crashing or scanning black frames after a few hours. If I let it cool it worked fine for a while.

Now it's out of warranty and they think the main board needs replaced at a cost of $2000. I feel it's nothing more than poor cooling and I'm thinking of putting a heat sync on the processor. Might put a small fan to move air through too.

I love the scans and had a 343 once too and loved it but be ware of Hasselblad and very expending repairs.

 

[x-ray]

Don't get me wrong, the Imacon scanners are excellent until you have problems.

You can;t post an image of the scanner crashing but here are few examples when it starts rearranging and distorting images.

 

[johannielscom]

De mijne was gratis bij een computer van €40, maar ze staan voor €30 of minder op ebay. Gewoon onder "adaptec 2906 mac" .Nieuw in verpakking. Misschien werkt het, misschien niet.

Frank

Ik heb al een SCSI-kaart in mijn G4, maar de SCSI-FireWire adapters zijn onvindbaar, daar ging het hier over.

Toch bedankt.

 

[johannielscom]

Been mailing to and fro with Denmark over my scanner issue.

First let me clarify, whenever the scanner does scan, it scans fine. No stuck transport or film holders, no issues whatsoever. Until it shuts down spontaneously.

So far I've had three 'promising' suggestions on the issue:

* Stripped wire close to moving parts, causing sparks to fly and power disrupted
* Wiggling power plug could mean loose contact from power unit to scanner (mine is loose but I have a non-original power unit so it might be that)
* Worn out capacitor in the scanner, causing excessive power consumption and power unit safety kicking in.

IMHO nr.3 is most likely and tomorrow I will be checking for nrs.1 and 2 myself, nr.3 is a job that a friendly and skilled computer repairer in my home town will carry out, since the Denmark company indeed estimates EUR 1800-2200 for a motherboard repair... 😱😱

 

[Athiril]

Let us know how it goes. It'd be good if this issue was simply a case of a $1 component.

 

[x-ray]

I'll post the model and make of the power supply currently used by Hasselblad. Hasselblad thought it might be my problem but I replaced it and it wasn't. Hasselblad USA wants $360 for a new one so I googled the make and model and found an electronics supplier that sold the exact same model for $40. Guess which I bought. It was exactly the same model and manufacture. Power supplies go out from time to time as I understand so someone might benefit from the info.

 

[johannielscom]

My kit is:
FlexTight Photo SCSI, brand new PUP60-32
50-pin to 68-pin SCI cable
Adaptec AVA-2904 SCSI card
PowerMac G4 Dual 1Ghz, OSX 10.4.11, 1.5Gb RAM
FlexColor 4.0.4

My brand new power supply is a Protek PUP60-32S, fits the scanner fine and is the Hasselblad-recommended replacement!

Its probably a capacitor on the motherboard thats drawing too much power, overheating as a result, causing the power supply or scanner to safety-switch off or something.