Minolta Dimage Dual Scan IV & Kodachrome: pre-purchase research

[bernard_ramey1]

After much reading on the Photo.net forums, I have just one

outstanding question before I buy the Minolta Dimage Dual Scan IV: has

anyone had good results with this scanner on Kodachrome slides?

 

My main purpose for buying the scanner is for scanning the slides I

have taken over the past six years while traveling. I have an Epson

Perfection 1650 with slide adapter but this is, more than anything,

SLOW. I am interested in cataloguing my slides, creating digital slide

shows, and, perhaps, makeing the occasional print. I have neither the

time nor the money to spend +$1800.00 on a scanner that can give me

ICE4 and the ability to make 16x20 prints from the scan. I will make

prints from the original slide if I need to go anything above 5x7 or so.

 

There is a lot of talk in the forum about kodachrome slides and the

"higher-end" (relative term, since I'm sweathing the $265.00 for the

IV anything above is therefore high-end) scanning technologies, I just

wanted to hear what, if any, results are out there for the IV on

Kodachrome slides.

 

Thank you for any and all responses.

[mendel_leisk]

"I have neither the time nor the money to spend +$1800.00"

 

Current B&H price:

 

Konica Minolta Price : $ 649.95

 

DiMAGE Scan Elite 5400, 5400 dpi, 35mm, Film Scanner

[wildwoodgallery]

I'm very happy with my Dual Scan IV and it scans KodaChrome very nice for me. Couldn't be happier. I'm using the Minolta software and Polariod software to remove dust and NoiseWare to remove noise if I need to.

 

I enlarge the image 6 times and go thru it cleaning.

 

Can't beat it for the price either.

 

Rick

[._._z]

A friend has this model for scans of his better negatives and he says the main

downsides are noise, slowness and lack of ICE. He's pretty much stopped using it. Did

he upgrade to another scanner? No.

 

He bought a used Nikon D70 used from B&H for $770, and he's getting more usable

shots more ready for printing than if he'd continued shooting only film and having to

live with dust and processing/scanning/sleeving costs and time.

[._._z]

One other thing: scanners are notorious for having problems scanning Kodachrome. Do

a search on archived threads here and elsewhere about this.

[bernard_bennett]

Hi Bernard!

 

I have a DualScan IV and have had some good results with Kodachrome, a sample is attached, bear in mind that this has been reduced in size from the original Tif scanned at 3200 dpi resulting in an image 4200x2800 pixels, which I keep as my master file.

Hope your transparencies are not glass mounted as Minolta do not recommend scanning them. Also if your slides are 2mm thick they will be a very tight fit in the slide holder.

 

Otherwise I think it's the best scanner available in this price bracket. Hope this helps.

[._._z]

If that's a good scan, the colors went screwy over time and the photographer didn't

focus properly.

[bernard_bennett]

Hi Z!

 

This transparency was taken in 1968, probably before you were born, Your colour may fade by the time you're that age!

 

Is your monitor calibrated? the colours look natural and Ok on my monitor, and that's all I'm interesred in.

[._._z]

<i><blockquote> Your colour may fade by the time you're that age

</blockquote> </i><p>

 

Kodachrome junkies rave about the alleged stability of those K14 process dyes. Not

really true. <p>

 

At any rate, it's an unnatural look and not a good example of a good Kodachrome scan.

Again, it's not even sharp.

[benjaman]

I'm very happy with my Dual4. If my KC have good exposure, they scan fine.

The bottom line is this, $259. delivered for this type of quality scanner is rare.

I also tryed a PrimeFilm 3650u, What a POS that thing was! Got it at Costco for $200. on

special. Total was of my time!

I had my sights set on a Nikon 5 but thought I try this Minolta first. Glad I did. Cost me

half of the Nikon(and I did not need ICE). Here's a pic of a KC from about 12 years back.

[red_lief]

Uhhmmm, those two sample jpegs are in real need of color correction.

 

The first has a green cast, the second a magenta.

 

For giggles, I donwloaded both pics and and adjusted in Photoshop, much better.

 

Does the IV produce this color balance out of the box?

[red_lief]

Then the second. I'm not saying this is perfect, but it is a little closer, me thinks.

[doug andrews]

I've had a Dual Scan IV for 6 months now. I have not noticed any color casts like those two images show. But then I've never shot nor scanned Kodachrome so I can't say if this is the result of the scanner. I can say the Dual Scan IV does a fine job with Fuji Velvia and Kodak E100 films as far as not introducing color casts.