scanner comparisons, opinions, usage experience

[bruce_erickson1]

<p>If you have used: the Pacific Image PowerSlide 3650, 3600dpi, 35mm, Slide Scanner, or the Plustek Technology Inc. OpticFilm 7600i Ai Scanner, I would very much appreciate your opinions about them. Have you had a Nikon SuperCoolscan 5000 or 9000 go "bad" and how long had you used it before that happened? I continue to use slide film and will do so until I can no longer either get the film I like or until I can no longer get it processed. Nevertheless I do like to scan some of my slides for the purpose of making prints (not much larger than 9" X 6" for an uncropped 35mm slide). I have a coolscan 5000 but it is no longer supported and eventually I am sure it will fail. Hence my questions about the Pacific Image or Plustek machines. </p>

[roger_smith4]

<p>Nikons are repairable- just ask Nikon. My Canon FS4000US and Coolscan 5000 are going strong and neither are at all new. Even after manufacturers stop supporting them others will repair scanners. LEDs used in the Nikons should last a long time. Fluorescent tubes (Canon) should fade, but I've seen no evidence of this after 6 years of use.</p>

<p>I would *not* make this a reason to buy a lesser quality scanner.</p>

[pasi_h_gg]

Not exactly the experience  you asked for but here it comes anyway :-)

 

Having a few thousand slides and maybe twice that color negs, not to

mention a bunch of perfectly usable 35 mm bodies, I recently bit the

bullet and aqcuired a used coolscan V from ebay. Seems to work fine,

and to my surprise gives accurate color from the slides to my

uncalibrated laptop LCD, as judged by visual inspection on a light table

with a 14D lense. Talk about two or more wrongs making a right,

maybe :-) ??? (need to check that on a calibrated screen, though)

 

I couldn't justify a 5000 or 9000 and needed the negative ability as

well. I just hope it will last, cause for my budget there's very few viable

options.

 

Now here's the beef: just from a short experience I can strongly

recommend not to buy anything slower. It takes me an evening to

clean and scan a rack of slides with just the ICE at full res. I can live with that but anything slower would make me forget film for good. Of course, YMMV.

[pasi_h_gg]

But deep down, you must already know that since you own a 5000 ! Sorry for the lousy read. Keep on prayin'

[lars_bell]

<p>Hi,</p>

<p>We have Nikon 5000 scanners with 100,000+ scans on them.</p>

<p>You current scanner should last a little longer yet.</p>

<p>Lars</p>

 

[StuartMoxham]

<p>I would use the coolscan 5000 for as long as possible and worry about repairing it when it finaly comes to it. You will likely be able to find computers that work with the coolscan for a long time even if that eventually means have to built something from cheap used parts. You may eventually have to keep an older computer around just to use the 5000 but the 5000 is a great scanner so I don't think that is such a bad situation to be in. Maybe oneday Epson or someone else may actually get their act together and produce a new scanner that does as well as the 5000. The 6x9 inch prints you like to make are not really letting you see the full potential of the 5000 but as long as it works just use the thing.</p>

[bruce_erickson1]

<p>You all have given me my confidence back! I have not nearly scanned as many slides & negatives as Lars and probably will never reach that number. Lars: Do you run a scanning business? I can't imagine ever taking over 100,000 slides by myself. </p>