[phobic]

Can someone recommened a good film scanner. Preferably one that works
in OSX and is less or around $600. Also how well do they really work. Well they make good(as close to film)scans of B&W's.

thank you
- Matt

[art_director]

Originally posted by phobic:
Can someone recommened a good film scanner. Preferably one that works
in OSX and is less or around $600. Also how well do they really work. Well they make good(as close to film)scans of B&W's.

thank you
- Matt

I tried a UMAX scanner last year. It was junk and quit working after three days. I called UMAX and they told me I could send it in but they *might not* fix it. They said it could take three to four weeks. Fortunately the reseller I purchased the unit from took it back. I then bought an HP Deskjet that does a nice job with reflective art. I haven't used it much for film.

[scottiB]

It depends if you want a dedicated film scanner or a flatbed that has a lightlid. I've known people to have great results with the Epson 2450 (flatbed around $400).

Dedicated film/slide scanners have dropped in price quite a bit for conumer/prosumers. If you go to www.bhphotovideo.com, you can see some that range from $200 to $600. Then the prices jump a bit for true pro.

Go to epinions.com or the reviews at Amazon for a better feel, and check out manufacturer sites for OS X compatability or try VueScan software: http://www.hamrick.com/

[SimeyTheLimey]

Originally posted by scottiB:
It depends if you want a dedicated film scanner or a flatbed that has a lightlid. I've known people to have great results with the Epson 2450 (flatbed around $400).

Dedicated film/slide scanners have dropped in price quite a bit for conumer/prosumers. If you go to www.bhphotovideo.com, you can see some that range from $200 to $600. Then the prices jump a bit for true pro.

Go to epinions.com or the reviews at Amazon for a better feel, and check out manufacturer sites for OS X compatability or try VueScan software: http://www.hamrick.com/

I have the Epson 2450 and it is quite a good film scanner. It's OK for 35mm, good for medium format, and excellent for 4x5. For the price it is really good. OS-X support is marginal, but it works very nicely with Vuescan, and I would second the recommendation for that software.

The drawback of the 2450 is it is very slow. Epson is coming out with a replacement that is supposed to be faster. But it isn't available yet and I suspect it will be in short supply for a while when it does come out.

[phobic]

thanks for the info. I was looking for a semi-pro dedicated film scanner. Has anyone used or heard anything about the 'smartscan 3600'
I'm looking in the clubmac catalog right now and it looks pretty good and is only $430.