I have the Dimage Scan Dual IV and it does a fairly decent job and it's a step down from the the Elite 5400. Not quite as easy with Velvia as on other slide films, but even there it gives acceptable (if not fiddly) scans. Contrasty films are likely an issue to some degree or another with any consumer film scanner.
It may depend on just how demanding one is. For a sub-$1000 device it's hard to expect perfection (not that anyone is). The Konica Minolta Dimage Scan Dual IV: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/tech-data/B0001BG1SI/ref=de_a_smtd/104-8896016-6603131?ie=UTF8 It's generally available in the $300 price range. Scott, I think you'd probably find it's results far superior to scanning film on one of the lower range flat bed scanners. I don't even see a dynamic range specification offered for the 8400F when scanning film, which is probably indicative of the fact that it's better off unmentioned. Tom C. "I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered." From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Tom Reese) Reply-To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List <pdml@pdml.net> To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List <pdml@pdml.net> Subject: Re: OT - scanner question/request for opinions Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2006 21:28:18 +0000 I'm having the same difficulties with my Scan Elite 5400 (this isn't the newer version II). Dark areas in the slide just block out. > > Would anyone care to share their opinions about film scanners? My > Canon 8400F just won't cut it for color slides. It's not capable of > resolving shadow detail, and high contrast images are a headache. To > be realistic, I'm not looking for drum scan quality. I am looking to > obtain a decent scan, with at least some shadow detail, that will > provide an image I can either downsize for the web, or print. Prints > from the scans will never be larger than 8x10, and often will be 4x6 > or 5x7. I'm not necessarily looking for top of the line, or even new; > simply something that's better than my current scanner. Any > recommendations? -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
