Nikon Super Coolscan 9000 ED
There have been almost novels written about this scanner all over the net, so I will not try to repeat it all. I will say that simply this scanner is as good as it gets for home use, unless you want to spend many, many thousands of dollars on a drum scanner. With the Nikon you can scan at a true 4000 DPI in 16 bit Tiff mode, which gives you huge files with medium format film, and the 16 bit color depth allows you plenty of data to work with in Photoshop without file degradation. As for my personal use, I use practically none of the Nikon Scan adjustments. I only use the TERRIFIC Digital ICE that removes ALL dust and specks, and set the scan resolution, and sample rate, (always at least 4, sometimes at 8). I find Photoshop much easier and faster to use for any further editing of the file rather than the Nikon software. One thing that is misunderstood by many is on what systems the Nikon Scan software works with and which it does not. The fact is that Nikon no longer has software support for the scanner, so depending on your computer and op sys, you may have to use a third party software such as Vue Scan or Silverfast. If using a Mac, the Nikon site states the Nikon software will not work with Mac OSX above version 10.4. That is NOT correct. It WILL work with later versions. I am using it on my Mac with OSX version 10.5.8. What DOES matter is if your Mac is an Intel based machine or not. Mine is NOT. I have installed the Leopard op sys on my Powerbook G4 and the Nikon Scan software works flawlessly. However, the software will not work with Intel based Macs, and most of those are going to have the OSX versions above 10.4, so therein lies the confusion. So it is not the op sys that matters, but rather or not the Mac is Intel based. As far as Windows machines, I have no experience. I do not know if the included Nikon Scan software will work with Windows 7. If not, Vue Scan is very inexpensive and is regarded as a good alternative software, though not very intuitive. Silverfast is regarded as the best, but price is $400. One other item of importance. I had already purchased the glass holder before I even bought the scanner. I agree with all reviews that this is a MUST HAVE. I cannot imagine trying to scan large negatives with the standard MF holder. I suggest the ROTATING glass holder, as it includes precut masks for all sizes of 120 film negatives. The standard glass holder, (though less expensive), requires some tedious masking and placement of adhesive strips between the frames. The rotating glass holder, (Nikon part #FH-869GR), only allows you to scan one negative at a time, but it is worth it to me for the extra precision and ease of set-up. This holder, though, is almost $400. So bottom line, the scanner is a GREAT product, but be prepared to have to possibly spend even beyond the cost of the scanner for a software program and the glass film holder. Frankly, by the time you add it all up, you need to consider if the final result is REALLY that much better than that produced by a high end DSLR camera in the 20+ megapixel range. I have used both, and unless you already have a large investment in quality medium format film equipment, a PRO caliber digital camera is a better path to take.Read full review
