35mm film scanners and Vuescan

[Geoffrey Pocock]

Hello

I have a large collection of 35mm slides taken on Kodachrome 25 in the Swiss
and French Alps. Lots of contrast and detail hidden in dark areas.

At present I have a steam age Canoscan FS 2710 from which I get some good
results using Vuescan. The main problem with such contrasty images in bring
up the dark areas without too much noise. I achieve this by multiple
scanning then saving at half the resolution; I also use NeatImage.

The problem with this is that the max dpi I end up with is 1350, which
limits the size of print I can make.

So I want a new scanner.

I know if I ask what is the best scanner I will get more opinions than
scanners and I guess that in a given price range they are all much of a
muchness.

I think, however, that I will still want to do multiple scanning with
Vuescan and what I buy must support this.

I would be pleased if anyone can tell me if the Nikon Coolscan V (LS50) and
the Minolta Scan Elite 5400 support multiple scanning.

Any other comments gratefully received

 

[Bart van der Wolf]

SNIP

I would be pleased if anyone can tell me if the Nikon Coolscan V (LS50) and
the Minolta Scan Elite 5400 support multiple scanning.

The DSE5400 allows single pass multiscanning. I'm not sure about the LS50, I
think it does, but someone else will probably confirm whether it really
does.

Bart

 

[Stephen Rogers]

SNIP

The DSE5400 allows single pass multiscanning. I'm not sure about the LS50, I
think it does, but someone else will probably confirm whether it really
does.

Bart

The LS50 does not support single pass multiscanning. (I have one!).
VueScan can do multipass multiscanning with it though and the
mechanics of the LS50 are so deadly accurate that the multiple passes
match perfectly. However, I find that the LS50 generates such
negligible noise, even in dense Kodachrome regions, that multipass
scanning is unnecessary.

Stephen

 

[Steve Bell]

I would be pleased if anyone can tell me if the Nikon Coolscan V (LS50) and
the Minolta Scan Elite 5400 support multiple scanning.

Any other comments gratefully received

2 weeks ago I replaced a Polaroid Sprintscan 35 with the 5400, very pleased
with it. I can load a 6 strip of Provia 100 and leave it to scan all 6 using
Vuescan. The scanner also comes with a holder for 4 mounted slides, I assume
you can do the same here, but as I have no mounted slides I haven't tried.

If by multiple scanning you mean multiple passes over the same slide, the
5400 with Vuescan does, but be prepared for some big files if you scan at
the max resolution. I haven't as yet used the Minolta Dimage scan utility,
as I already had Vuescan for the earlier Sprintscan.

If you go for the 5400, I found Digital First, between High Wycombe and
Stokenchurch, had the keenest price, 29 gbp less than anyone else, 100 gbp
less than Jessops.

Steve Bell

 

[Geoffrey Pocock]

Thank you all for the helpful comments