In my opinion, Imacons are overrated, especially compared to the popular drum scanners from Howtek or ICG. If you're considering providing high end scans, you really don't want to be in the position of having to make excuses for your scans. Inability to pull out deep shadow detail, scan the entire piece of film to the very edges, blooming on high contrast edges and problems with film flatness and focus are all things to consider. A 5-10K used Howtek will outperfom any of the flatbed scanners discussed over at the Large Format forum. People who pay a lot of money for either an Imacon or a high end flatbed often claim their scans are "the same as a drum" or "just like a drum" or some other such nonsense, but when it comes down to it, they're really not. If ALL you're scanning are large prints, then a good flatbed is fine, but for film, well, there is a difference. It all depends on where you want to position yourself in what services you offer. You don't get to be a master scanner overnight either. It takes time to get the most out of whatever hardware/software combination you end up with.
