Dennis Peek

Generally speaking, the RW (+ or -) is less stable for long term storage than the R. Look at

NIST Special Publication 500-252 "Care and Handling of CDs and DVDs Ñ A Guide for

Librarians and Archivists". Google for it - it is available on line in a downloadbale PDF file.

It is 50 pages of researched opinion on archival storage.

I have used a SunPak 622 with my Nikon F100. My 622 is an older model - a hot one - and

requires an adpater that uses small battery. Don't know if they adapters are still made.

Contact SunPak.

Op/Tech USA makes a stretchy hood hat of fabric covered neoprene that fits over the lens

hood. I use it on my Nikon 17-35. Not quite the same as a hard lens cap but it suffices

for my travel photography.

http://www.optechusa.com/optic.html#hood

Available at B&H and others

Nikon service can set the feature on the body but they have to do it - not a customer

option. If you send it for service or an overhaul/calibration/etc., they can do it then.

Kodak was a prime supplier of archival media - primarily gold - until they got out of

the business. I understand they licensed their technology from Mitsui. Check the

following links for Kodak info on archival media:

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/service/publications/tib4300.jhtml

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/service/tib/tib4300.shtml

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/products/storage/pcd/techInfo/

permanence9.jhtml?id=0.1.18.18.17.6.16&lc=en

Or simply do a search on Kodak.com for archival CD. The NIST reference above is

also excellence. Personal experience - I use Kodak and Mitsui gold. Failure rate -

insignificant. The cheap stuff and store brands are unrelaible - failure rates as high

as 1 in 3 on Imation for example.

I had the same problem - started out with an LS-2000 Coolscan and a G4 dual 500

running OS 9. All was well with the setup using NikonScan 3.1 until I tried going to

OS X. Early OS X did not work well with SCSI. The Adaptec 2930 card and updated

drivers and firmware helped.

After SCSI updates, I found some success with VueScan and the LS-2000 under OS X

but could never run the SF200 slide feeder. I then tried using a 2nd Wave Firewire to

SCSI Converter (www.devdepot.com) and had some success with the LS-2000 but

never with the SF200 feeder. NikonScan has never worked under OS X on the SCSI

scanners.

With OS 10.3, VueScan also quit working with the LS-2000 on either SCSI or the

Firewire converter. I had some success intemittently. I found the only good solution

was to launch the Mac into OS 9 (not Classic from within OS X - it will not work) and

use NikonScan or VueScan.

In fact, the LS-2000 broke (a part came loose internally, I got a comm error and it was

no longer able to focus) while trying to use the SCSI to Firewire converter and VueScan

under OS 10.3. I do not know what the cause of the failure was, software related or

simply a coincidence, but the scanner repair is $275 from Nikon. I am hesitant to use

these odd combinations again.

My LS-2000 is dead and rather than spend $300 US to have Nikon repair it, I would

rather purchase a new LS-5000 - better compatability with USB instead of SCSI and

Nikon no longer supports the LS-2000 on anything except Mac OS 9. I found the

same problem: LS-5000 and 50 not available in the US and LS-4000's were not

available either. I contacted Nikon directly and expressed my concern: Nikon will lose

sales if they do not get off their duff and release the products. A spokesman at Nikon

said that shows were coming up in January and that is all he would say. Suggest you

try a call to Nikon in New York - may help advance things.