I am looking for a scanner that will scan and enlarge negatives, slides and prints, especially negatives and slides. I have heard that Nikon has such a scanner. I would like to have price, source and availablity. Thanks,

-- James H. Hale (jimsai@home.com), September 07, 1999

Answers

The Epson 800 does an excellent job with prints and slides. There is a bit of a learning curve with negatives. Cost ~$1000.

-- Jack Chase (jgchase@intrastar.net), September 07, 1999.

I am currently using a Microtek ScanMaker 5. It is designed like a flatbed scanner for prints, but also has a seperate drawer for direct emulsion scans of negatives and transparencies (up to 8x10). Works like a charm.......the only drawback is the price, which I believe is around $5,000.

-- Adam DeKraker (adam.dekraker@wmich.edu), September 08, 1999.

The price of the Scanmaker 5 (which is the identical scanner to the Agfa Duo Scan but with different software) has recently dropped to around $2,000. I believe ClubMac has one at about that price

-- Howard Slavitt (nverdesoto@earthlink.net), September 08, 1999.

The Scanmaker 4 also has a separate drawer for transparent materials. It costs a lot less then the 5. The scanmaker 4 has borderline resolution for 35 mm film but might be a good choice for low cost with the ability to scan larger formats.

Two key questions: 1) what format negs/slides do you want to scan? The lower price scanners designed for negs/slides are for 35 mm only. The profesional quality film scanners for larger formats are expensive.

2) What quality are you looking for? Exhibition prints? Web graphics?

-- Michael Briggs (Michael.Briggs@prodigy.net), September 11, 1999.

I don't know if it is distributed in the states, but there is an interesting scanner with a 125% or 150% hardware lighting capability for dense or underexposed transparencies and a 48 bits colour , 4,2D and 1200 x 2400 dpi made by japanese PFU and sold by Quato (Germany). It claims to be the best of its size and price. Info under www.x-finity.com or www.Quato.ded

-- Paul Schilliger (pschilliger@vtx.ch), September 12, 1999.

Tiping error above: should read www.quato.de and not ded

-- Paul Schilliger (pschilliger@vtx.ch), September 12, 1999.

the linocolor saphir ultra 2 is excellent and cheap.

-- chin-fan so (zcfs@home.com), September 14, 1999.