Minolta Elite 5400 problem..any ideas

[brainwood]

My trusty Minolta Scan Elite 5400 has developed a habit of intermittently producing a line across the scan. Often if I reboot the line disappears but then reappears several scans later.

the line is faint but running vertically down the right hand side of the frame. It shows up stronger on lighter tones but this is the only scan of the fault I kept. I have scanned a blank frame the line appears as a dark band . I'm using silverfast se plus but the fault is there using the minolta software as well.

A company in Germany called Runtime Contract have offered to have a look at it but indicate it could take a while and I would be without a scanner and I'm not sure if I should risk a lengthy and possibly costly repair or give up on it and buy a plustek 7600. Would I be disappointed with the plustek ?? or maybe I should keep going with the Minolta until it finally gives up the ghost as it's still useable if I keep rebooting.

Any thoughts??

Chris

 

[brainwood]

bump...any thoughts ?

 

[pacco]

I am not familiar with the Minolta, but I have to take my Nikon apart every now and then to clean the mirror, which when dirty looks exactly like that. It could also be dirt on the sensor.

This was also my first thought. However, brainwood wrote that the line disappears after rebooting.

 

[brainwood]

I had wondered about dirt as well but the fact that it comes and goes with a reboot suggests something more serious to me. Really not sure whats going on as its not software specific iether.

Can anyone recommend a repairer in the UK

I have tried Johnsons Photopia who gave me an address in Germany but it would be good to hear if there is anyone any closer.

Chris