IS KM Scandual IV a viable option???

[j_d22]

I was on the verge of purchasing a Scandual IV when i discovered KM

is no longer going to support/manufacture scanners. This makes me a

bit hestitant to purchase a scanner that potentially has some

support issues.

 

I have a limited budget and will be scanning 35mm B&W almost

exlcusively. The Scandual IV seemed like it would meet my needs but

i hestitate to buy a scanner that is in support limbo. Any

thoughts, or suggestions for other budget scanners are welcome.

[david_moore13]

The quality of the Scan Dual IV when scanning B&W is probably just as good as the more expensive brands, and it's certainly a lot cheaper. As you probably already know, ICE will be of no value when scanning B&W. If I were in your situation, I would just get the Scan Dual IV because you'll probably save money in the long run even in the unlikely scenario that it breaks.

 

With the Scan Dual IV, the most common problem seems to be that it's dead-on-arrival, so make sure you purchase somewhere that accepts returns.

[wildwoodgallery]

Great scanner. I've been using mine for over a year with no problems.

 

Rick

[cbender]

I had one for a short while and was getting good scans. However, I decided I couldn't live without ICE, so I sold it and reverted to a Coolscan. Since ICE is a non-issue with B&W, I imagine the Minolta would work fine for you.

 

I never had to call support, but I do have some experience with Nikon scanner support. Basically, they wanted ~$325 to fix my old Coolscan LS-2000, without even looking at it first. This was out of warranty of course. Presumably KM will support their scanner through the warranty period, and after that I imagine you'd be better off buying something new. I doubt repairs are cost effective anymore, except for the highest end scanners (e.g. the med. format Nikons).

 

Don't discount a Coolscan IV, if you can find one for a good price. That's what I have and it works great.

[mattalofs]

I've scanned about 100 rolls of B&W on mine (as well as some color) over the last year. For conventional B&W, it's a fine machine. I had to adjust my processing to get negs that scanned the way I wanted, but that's no more than you would do when switching between different types of enlargers.

 

As far as support goes, I haven't heard that they were cancelling support for the scanners, but even if they are, you could just buy 2. That'd be cheaper than buying one of the Nikon scanners, which are the next best option for B&W in my mind.

[bobmichaels]

The SD IV should be a great option for scanning 35mm b&w negs. It certainly leaves no data behind and that's all that counts.