Nikon Coolscan 9000 & Windows 7 & USB-Does this work?

[parasko]

Hi all,

I have a Coolscan 9000 which I haven't used since I bought a new laptop which runs on 64 bit Windows 7 plus only USB ports (no firewire).

Questions:
1. What adaptor/cable/hub can I use to get around the lack of firewire port normally required for this scanner and to use a USB port instead?
2. Even if I find the adaptor above, does this scanner work with Windows 7?

FWIW, I have previously only used the NikonScan software.

Please advise.

 

[rxmd]

1. Depending on your laptop, you need to get a FireWire card either such as this for the PCMCIA/CardBus slot or such as this for the ExpressCard slot; the latter is somewhat more likely on recent laptops. Some laptops support both, in which case the latter is preferable.

2. Using Nikon Scan under 64-bit Windows is possible, but requires some hacks; see http://www.colorneg.com/nikonscan64.html?lang=en for details (originally based on this photo.net thread). It might be easier just to use VueScan instead, which is a good scanning program already in itself and which supports lots of scanners that the manufacturers have long abandoned.

 

[parasko]

Thanks. These slots are what I was looking for. Some follow-up dumb questions for the not so IT minded:
1. How do I know which slot is compatible with my computer?
2. How do these slots connect to the computer? Can they connect externally or do I have to send to an IT technician to install inside the laptop?

 

[rxmd]

These slots are externally accessible. You slide the card into the computer when you use it. No technican needed. Just buy the card, install the drivers, plug in the card and you're set to go. For many of those cards you won't even need an extra driver.

The slots are typically on the left or right side of your laptop, often somewhat near the front of the machine. An ExpressCard slot is either 34 or 54mm wide, about 5mm high, and should have "EC" printed next to it. They often have a "dummy" of an ExpressCard inserted to protect the slot when not in use. A PCMCIA/CardBus slot is 54mm wide, typically a bit higher, and they often are covered by a little "door".

If you tell us what model laptop you have, maybe we can find out what kind of slots it has.

 

[parasko]

If you tell us what model laptop you have, maybe we can find out what kind of slots it has.

It is a Hewlett Packard (Pavillion dv6 x16-96072 model). The only slot is for an SD card. Can I use this slot for this purpose?

 

[rxmd]

OK. What you give as the model number looks a bit strange; normally they look like "dv6-3051sg" or something like that, with a four-digit number and a combination of letters.

You can't use the SD card slot, that one is for memory cards.

Your Pavilion d6 probably does have an ExpressCard slot on the left side above the SD card slot (I can't say for sure because I don't know the exact model). Remember that it may not look like a slot because it has a dummy card inserted.

However, you may not even need that because it should also have an IEEE 1394 interface. IEEE 1394 is the same as FireWire, laptops often include it for plugging in digital video cameras and the like. It's a little anvil-shaped plug that is maybe 5mm wide, should be located on the left side of your computer, and looks somewhat like this:

If you have that kind of slot, all you need is a simple cable with the "small" 4-pin Firewire plug on one side and the "ordinary", large, 6-pin plug on the other side and you're set.

 

[parasko]

Thanks for trying but it doesn't have a port like this. It only has 3 x USB, 1 x SATA, 1 x HDMI, 1 x ethernet and 1 x SD card.

What about a different strategy. Is there an adaptor which converts a 4pin firewire into a USB?

 

[sevo]

It is a Hewlett Packard (Pavillion dv6 x16-96072 model). The only slot is for an SD card. Can I use this slot for this purpose?

HP does not know that model. Some Pavillion dv6 x16 models have a EC slot - the most recent does not seem to have it. If yours is one of these, you bought a very restricted consumer computer. That is, there is nothing you can do about it but to get rid of one or the other and purchase a expresscard/firewire capable computer or USB capable scanner instead.

 

[rxmd]

Thanks for trying but it doesn't have a port like this. It only has 3 x USB, 1 x SATA, 1 x HDMI, 1 x ethernet and 1 x SD card.

What about a different strategy. Is there an adaptor which converts a 4pin firewire into a USB?

No, there isn't. If you do have neither 1394 nor an ExpressCard slot you're basically hosed.

However, it seems very improbable to me that you should have neither.

Please give us the precise model number so that we can see if we can work it out. (As a last resort you could also upload a picture of the left and right sides of the laptop somewhere so that we can take a look.)

 

[Jamie123]

What about a different strategy. Is there an adaptor which converts a 4pin firewire into a USB?

No, there's no such thing. Sorry to give you the bad news!

What you could do is get a cheap desktop machine or notebook that has a firewire slot, put XP on it and use it as a dedicated scanning machine.

 

[Jamie123]

Is this the computer you have? http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/08/hp-pavilion-dv6-hdx-16-and-more-see-updates-rumors/

What's that above the SD card slot?

 

[rxmd]

Is this the computer you have? http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/08/hp-pavilion-dv6-hdx-16-and-more-see-updates-rumors/

What's that above the SD card slot?

Well if it's that computer, it should also have 1394 left of the SD card slot, but it differs from the original poster's specification in the number of ports, so I doubt that.

We're not going to get any further until he tells us the full model number. However, as Sevo has already pointed out it might well be possible that it's a low-end machine that has neither. In that case there is no other option than getting either a different scanner, or a dedicated computer with 1394 or an ExpressCard slot. (A netbook with an ExpressCard slot would do it, such as the Lenovo S10.)

 

[parasko]

Thanks for everyone's help. The laptop model is: HP Pavillion DV6-3131TX.

It looks as though this computer is a very restricted consumer computer as it does not have any of the solutions indicated above. This is very disappointing as this is actually not a bad laptop in terms of specs (except for lack of firewire) but when I purchased I really thought some type of Firewire-USB conversion adaptor existed...I obviously misread this somewhere...damn!!!!:bang:

 

[Jamie123]

Looks like your notebook might have an eSata port (specs for a similar notebook says one of the USBs is also an eSata port). I think there are firewire to eSata adapters you can get. Not sure, though.

 

[parasko]

You are correct Jamie. The laptop does have an eSata port. Does anyone know if firewire-to-eSata adaptors exist?

Looks like your notebook might have an eSata port (specs for a similar notebook says one of the USBs is also an eSata port). I think there are firewire to eSata adapters you can get. Not sure, though.

 

[rxmd]

You are correct Jamie. The laptop does have an eSata port. Does anyone know if firewire-to-eSata adaptors exist?

Those exist, but it's not what you want. After all, you have an eSATA port and want to connect a FireWire device, so what you need is an eSATA-to-FireWire adapter, not the other way round. (People are often a bit imprecise with what gets adapted to what.)

When googling, you usually find references to this product, which is an adapter for connecting eSATA drives to USB and/or FireWire; it has a FireWire output port, too, but it will function only when the device is connected upstream via FireWire as well. (It says so right on the site, but the people recommending it usually don't bother to read.) So it won't help you either.

In other words, you're basically hosed. You'll have to get a better laptop, a different scanner, or a dedicated old computer with a FireWire interface.

 

[snappy]

Thanks for this information. I was also wondering how I could connect a firewire device to my laptop, which currently has no firewire ports. I have a firepod, which I have not been able to use since I got my new laptop, it is good to know that all I need is an expansion card. I will need this firewire port in order to upload video from my camera for a project I am working on. Speaking of which, I am wondering if anyone is familiar with Cantaloupe TV? I have been refereed to this site by a colleague, and I am wondering just how useful this could be for me.If you know anything about this site let me know. Thank you.

 

[kiemchacsu]

Hello everybody,

Revising an old thread.
I currently purchase a Nikon Coolscan 4000, which comes with IEEE 1394 interface.
My PC doesnot have this, I google and found this product converts 6 pin IEEE 1394 to USB.
Has anyone tried it sucessfully to connect Nikon Scanner to PC
Or, I have to buy an extra PCI 1394 card for my PC
Thank you.

 

[Hern]

I bought a PCI-E card for Firewire, does 400 and 800 with no fuss.

 

[sevo]

found this product converts 6 pin IEEE 1394 to USB.
Has anyone tried it sucessfully to connect Nikon Scanner to PC
Or, I have to buy an extra PCI 1394 card for my PC

Well, comments on Amazon and ebay are very broadly negative, with 60-90% one-star feedback - in an era of fake feedback, it is quite hard to get a rating as bad as that. I doubt that it will work at all, except maybe with some odd devices that aren't properly IEEE 1394 compliant - just for a start, the power specs of USB2 and Firewire are not reconcilable (the latter is variable voltage, with up to seven times the voltage and nine times the power).

Given that (doubtlessly working and reliable) PCI-E Firewire cards are almost as cheap, there is no point in buying a plug adapter.