Which scanner???

[Khurram]

I'm interested in getting a scanner.  I've switched to digital, so really i'm just looking for something to archive my slides.  O don't want to spend too much on a scanner, as I will not use it once i've finished scanning the slides i want to archive digitally.

I have been looking for a scanner for some time now, but have not been able to find a fit peformance wise, considering what I'm willing to spend - if the nikon coolscan 9000ED was under $600 CDN i wouldn't have a problem  

I was hoping to find a used Coolscan V,  but wanted to know if anyone has any experience with minolta 5400 Elite II (which i have seen bad reviews for in terms of reliability and the software that the scanner comes for.

Other options are the epson 4490/4990/4950 or the microtec i900 which will allow me to also scan my hasselblad xpan slides.   does anyone know what the difference is between teh 4490 and 4990 - as they are both rated at 4800 x 9600 dpi.

How much of a difference am i going to see scanning velvia with a flatbed such as the epson and microtek vs. the coolscan V???

the last scanner i'm consiering is the Plustek, which i have seen used on ebay at an attractive price and fseem to have the features i'm looking for - but i have not heard anyting about them.

Ideally i'd like to the nikon 5000 or the 9000, but they are way out of the price range i'm looking for.

I would also like to get some advice on buying used scanners - especially on the web (ebay or other photo forum sell boards).

[bob mccarthy]

Look here

http://www.photo-i.co.uk/Reviews/interacti...V700/page_1.htm

Bob

[Khurram]

Look here

http://www.photo-i.co.uk/Reviews/interacti...V700/page_1.htm

Bob
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thanks for the link Bob.  this site was very helpful!!  i'm going to hold off until the Epson V700 gets released to see what the pricing is going to be like.

[b2martin]

I would recommend a film scanner rather than a flatbed if you want the best quality scan.  The Epson scanners are fixed focus versus a film scanner that focuses for each scan.  I have the Nikon 9000 and it does an excellent job.

[Slough]

I would recommend a film scanner rather than a flatbed if you want the best quality scan.  The Epson scanners are fixed focus versus a film scanner that focuses for each scan.  I have the Nikon 9000 and it does an excellent job.
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According to Vincent on Photo-i the new Epson matches a film scanner. Previous reviews have been accurate and reliable IMO.

Leif

[Khurram]

I would love to get a Nikon 9000 - if the scanner and the adaptor needed to scan xpan slides was in the price range i am looking for ($600 CDN range).


The Epson V700 looks like it will be around $550 USD, i'm hoping the canadian pricing won't be much higher.

I don't have much experience in scanning.  WOuld appreciate if someone could recommend some sources (books/websites), that offer guidance on scanning technique and software.   i have scanned a few slides, but really am not sure on how much sharpening should be applied.   I'm also unsure whether sharpeneing should be applied at the time of scanning or later on in photoshop.

[Mark D Segal]

Wayne Fulton's Scantips here:

http://www.scantips.com/

is the best general source I've seen on scanning.


Also, on this website you may wish to consult two articles I wrote on scanning:

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/ndq.shtml

and

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorial...-scanning.shtml

They deal with colour negatives, and my scanner is a Minolta, but there are some general principles you can apply. If you are scanning slides, you have the added advantage of being able to profile the scanner with ICC profiles provided the scanner you select is capable of being profiled.

If you do not wish to buy Silverfast - it is a costly piece of software - Hamrick's Vuescan can give very good results. Many people swear by it. But first try using the scanner manufacturer's software to see how well that works for you.

[BernardLanguillier]

The Epson V700 looks like it will be around $550 USD, i'm hoping the canadian pricing won't be much higher.
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The Epson V700 (called GT-X900 in Japan) has been on sales for a few weeks in Tokyo, and the price is about 400 US$.

I don't know if Epson will market the V750 in Japan or not, people I asked to could not comment.

Regards,
Bernard

[Khurram]

The Epson V700 (called GT-X900 in Japan) has been on sales for a few weeks in Tokyo, and the price is about 400 US$.

I don't know if Epson will market the V750 in Japan or not, people I asked to could not comment.

Regards,
Bernard
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I have seen the V700 on the Adorama and Amazon website ($539 and $550).  i also called vistek and they said they have it in their system, both no price or availability date is known at this point.

[Mark D Segal]

I forgot to respond to your question about sharpening. There are much better sharpening tools available for use with Photoshop than you will find in any scanning software. I would avoid sharpening at scan stage. This makes any subsequent sharpening or de-sharpening trickier or impossible respectively, because you have already baked it into the file you create and once done it cannot be undone unless you rescan, whereas good sharpening technique in Photoshop can be performed in a manner that you can discard it or adjust if if you don't like the printed effect. Non-destructive sharpening is really an important aspect of your workflow. (By "destructive" here I mean it in the usual sense of not modifying pixels in a way that you can't undo the effect after you've saved and closed the file.)