Any advice on which is a "good" scanner to buy :-

Requirements:- Dont want full x Mega resolution as dont want to edit, just display on web boards and send occaisional disk to freinds and family.

Looking for good price and reasonable resolution

Thanks for any tips

There are lots on the mkt but the Minolta range offer the best value for money check ebay or jessops.com for used bargains too.

Don't buy a Minolta Dual Scan II, IMHO. Worst scans I ever saw.....
......you dont think it could be operator error do ya?
:ph34r: :freak:

I just bought a Minolta DiMage Scan Dual III (or some such name, the $300 one :freak: ), and I am generally happy with it for the price. I had previously been using a Coolscan 2000 (IIRC, it belongs to my department at work, and is constantly broken, hence my recent purchase) and I get the same base resolution, similar to slightly better dynamic range, and as I have it at home, I have been able to properly apply Colorsync profiling to it.

All of this is good.

BUT

It does not have the Digital ICE dust/scratch removal capabilities of the Coolscan. I had not had any real appreciation until using the thing as to just how much dust there is on an apparently pristine slide I need to spend 20-30 minutes on each image tidying things up with the clone brush and healing brush in Photoshop.

If/When I buy again (a BIG if...), I would probably go for one that can do the ICE dust removal to save endless evenings of spotting.

Why don't you just rewash the slides that are dirty?

Could still be some urchin residue in there Bob

I am happy with the Nikon Coolscan IV although I have to admit it is the only scanner that I have used. My unit has been trouble free and I'm very satisfied with the quality of the scans. I find Digital Ice to be an extremely convenient feature. You should be able to pick one up for about $500 new.

Thanks.

I will look both of them up in on the net. $300 is about all I am willing to spend, and I would want to scan directly from the Slide.

I use a Polaroid 4000+ scanner. It's pretty good, does them 4 at a time. I'm fairly happy with it. I'd look around on EBay for a good quality scanner used. I got mine refurbished from Polaroid directly.

Much of what you get with a scanner is the software, if it's not good the scanner is worthless.

The digital ICE, etc. feature is part of Silverfast s/w, IMHO the best scanner s/w available. Really amazing for what it can pull out of scans. It is expensive for slide scanners to buy stand-alone, but is available for all scanners and bundled with many.

Another option is to get Kodak PhotoCD scans done. They are very high quality and are used professionally for around $2-3 each depending on quality. They are available form professional labs, probably in your area.

Jack

I have the Minolta DiMage Scan Dual III and am vey happy with it.

Me too.
TedJ

It must be a heck of a lot better than the II! I get nothing but dark scans, takes forever in ps just to get them close to the slide when I use the II. And that is with both the minolta and vuescan software.

I think bob's right, it must be urchin residue.

When searching for a scanner I spent quite a bit of time with the various reviews I could find. The conclusion that I drew was that the Minolta III was substantially better than the II. I would have liked to have bought the Nikon Coolscan IV (I think that was the model) but the price was just beyond the range that I had set. I really wanted the ICE technology but now it is owned by Kodak! We'll see what they do with it.

The images on my website on the page "Barbara's Photos" were taken with her "new" Nikonos V and then scanned with the Minolta III. This was her first time using the camera and my first time using the scanner. I did not alter the photos with the scanning software and used the "Easy" version of the software. Some slight alterations were done with Photoshop Elements afterwards.

http://www.tedjanssen.com

TedJ

If this was directed towards me...

Even under an 8x loupe the slides look bright, clean and shiny. Unless I use up all my lab's ultrapure, reverse osmosis water, I seriously doubt I can get them any cleaner than they are. I think I am seeing tiny specks that are attracted to the slide by static charge. I should try cleaning a slide with one of those antistatic cloths and see what happpens.

I just tried the antistatic cloth method - It works, but for heavy dust one would still have to wash them to prevent scratching. An antistatic wash might be better. Check it out on a reject one first though!

Its the minority groups which once more bear the brunt. " try it out in rejects first"

I have a Minolta dimage scan dual and a Poloroid 4000 (3.4Dmax) that I could sell you. They would both do what you want and are slide/negative scanners. You would have to install a SCSI board to use either of them. E-mail me if you think you might be interested.

Thanks. Shipping to Thailand ( and even worse - getting it through customs ) may not be possible. Thansk for your kind offer anyway

Send me a round trip ticket and I will carry it to you. I let you have the scanner for free.

I will get the out-rigger canoe to pick you up in about 3 months ( strong currents - may take 4 ). Please advise on Address.

Just head due east. I only live a block from the Pacific Ocean. If you hit Mexico turn due north for about 100 miles. I'm a little South East of Point Conception.