My Nikon Coolscan 500ED - close to the end?

<p>Hi, I was scanning 6 views strips, B&W 16 bits 4000ppi, with the multiple scanning device, everything was fine when I noticed a dark line on all the photos of the last stripe at the same location. See photo A. No such line on the previous stripes scanned during the same session. Photo B shows a magnification, the dark line appears to contain some information.<br /> No visible line on the stripes. When I did the scan again, but this time with the stripe upside down, the line was still there, at the same location of the scan (lower side, i.e. this time superimposed on the sky). <br /> When I switched off the machine for 20', and scanned back the stripes, the line had disappeared. previously, the scanner had been working for about 1 hour, while a total of 4 stripes had been scanned with the same conditions.<br /> I have never seen this phenomenon since I bought this machine in ~2007, and I feel quite nervous since here in France Nikon is not servicing it any more.<br /> Is this just an insignificant blip, or the beginning of the end? Thank you in advance for your comments.</p><div></div>

<p>Sorry, here are the photos.</p>

<p>Last attempt</p>

<p>Mr Photonet, the photos have been uploaded, can you help me?</p><div></div>

<p>Nikon is not servicing any of their scanners anywhere for quite sometime now. So yes, once it dies, it dies.<br>

However, provided the lines are not in the original film, continue to watch to see if they reappear on other pictures and under what circumstances. I cannot say what could have caused it , whether it is an obstruction or the scanner is malfunctioning. you have to see if it is constant or reappears under certain circumstances. </p>

<p>Try some other service facilities (in other countries if necessary); Nikon generally supports equipment at least for ten years after the product is discontinued. Anything less would be very irresponsible of them. Perhaps the local Nikon subsidiary are simply unmotivated.</p>

<p>They do are "very irresponsible", at leat in France. I have already looked in Germany for a simple routine servicing with negative results. If an European on this forum knows a Nikon shop that takes care of this kind of electronics, I will grant him my perpetual gratitude.</p>

The stripes disappeared when you gave the scanning a break. Did they return after that?<br>I agree with Luis. Could be something else, something on the holder, for instance, that was removed when you packed things up to have a break. Not necessarily the scanner itself.<br>I would only start worrying about the scanner if and when the lines reappear, and are not traceable to another cause.

<p>"Did they return after that". I have not yet tried that, I will know tomorrow with a large batch of scans to do. I dont see how the holder could make that artefact, in that case I would expect a black line, whereas the line above is just dark, with some détails in it.</p>

<p>I think there's chance that this was dust or dirt stuck in the scanner head or some where in the optical path.<br>

Here's a link to a site that tells how to open up a CS-5000 for cleaning. <br />http://www.pearsonimaging.com/articles/howto/ls5000cleaning.html</p>

<p>He mentions that the mirror can collect dust and it's best to store the unit on the side with a cover. I keep mine vertical but it lives under a cover when not in use. </p>

 

<p>Lines such as this are due to gassing out of components in the scanner and collecting on the glass, mirrors, sensor, lens, and lamp in the image path. Being it cleared up after a cool down period suggest it may be a lamp starting to fail or dust in the image path as previously mentioned. Do not remove the sensor from its mounting until all other components in the optical path have been cleaned and verified that the problem has not been resolved. A fine detail test target will be necessary to test the sensor alignment to eliminate the possibility of distortion from misalignment.<br>

The scanner uses a cold cathode fluorescent lamp and has a circuit that powers it. If the lamp is bad and a replacement cannot be found a good electronics tech may be able to adapt a LED light source to work in its place. </p>

<p>> Les, I mean the "SA-21 adapter", and my software is NikonScan 4.03w<br /> > Glenn, Charles, thank you for the link, but I would not dare to to play myself with this machine. Last year a local repair shop (Nikon agreed) accepted only to do a cleaning of the mirror, nothing more. When not in use, I keep this scanner constantly under a tailor-made box.<br /> Well, this morning, the dark line had not come back, even after a scanning session about twice as long as yesterday's (2x scans and time of operation; by the way the room temperature was about 25°C, like yesterday). I dont know what to think except that it will show up again. So I am back at scanning the European map for a decent Nikon repair shop.</p>

<p>I've had scanners start out with intermittent lines the faint that progressed to strong. They just needed a good cleaning.</p>

 

Why do you think that the no longer present problem can be fixed, Didier?

<p>"Why do you think that the no longer present problem can be fixed"? Good question... And it is still there, hidden, ready to come back much bigger, like a toothache.</p>

Just like that "It hasn't yet, but someday it might just explode" problem? ;-)

<p>The following UK company used to advertise Nikon scanner repair on its website - worth an enquiring e-mail perhaps.<br>

technicians@fixationuk.com</p>

 

<p>Thanks Malcom, I have emailed them.</p>

<p>I just got my scanner back from servicing at Nikon Gmbh Service Tiefenbroicher Weg 25 40472 Düsseldorf Germany. Nice people, fast, and an upgrade of the firmware as a bonus. <br />Fixation Uk was also ok to take care of it, and Nikon Munchen too</p>