Apple Reviews

If you have both 35mm and medium format transparencies and or negatives to bring into the digital age, I heartily recommend the Nikon Super Coolscan 8000ED. Firewire equipped, it is designed to work easily with the current line of graphics capable computers. Its bundled software has worked well for me (using a MAC with OSX and Firewire) and features three special capabilities. (1) Digital ICE3 will gently remove scratches and dust saving you hours of retouching (it doesn't work well with Kodachrome and black and white silver based emulsions). (2) ROC will restore colors to faded slides. It really works! (3) GEM gives you the ability to affect grain appearance. For the highest resolution imaging (4000DPI) the process takes some time. You also need to make sure that you have a fairly up to date computer. Some serious computing is going on here and with file sizes in the hundreds of Megabytes, you can't run this with your TRS-80. I run the Nikon Scan 3 software separately from PhotoShop 7 so that I can run one while working with the other. Otherwise while it's scanning, it will lock up your PS from use. It comes with a myriad of trays which work generally quite well but it cannot handle stack loaders. This is strictly a one strip at a time scanner. After all, these are some serious file sizes. While expensive, the 8000ED is approaching the quality of a drum scanner without the mess and the expense. For most work this is truly going to deliver.

I think I was really awed when I scanned some black and white negatives, and got a positive for it and then adjusted the contrast and brightness, bringing out details that were not evident when I originally took the photo. I have also scanned color negatives, and made prints. I got it primarily to archive my extensive slide collection. I found that one of my slides had a scratch across a person's face. Using the sophisticated tools available with the program, I used multiple scans and the finished copy is scratch free. When using the 4000 dpi scanning setting, be prepared for some really large files. If one plans to get this, and one has a lot of material to scan, getting the largest available hard drive would be recommended. I plan to archive my slides to hard disk drive, then transfer copies as lower sized jpg files to a CD ROM. My only wish was that the program would have a way to put annotations on the copied slides; I am using a separate program to do that. I have found that my scans capture even the tiniest detail of the original slide, and one cannot ask for more than that. Some might think it a bit pricey for a scanner, but it does a fabulous job as a dedicated scanner.
I wished they had provided a complete written manual; the detailed manual is on their provided CD-ROM, in Adobe acrobat format. The Abode program is provided, but it is 153 pages long and takes a bit of time to print. A shortened manual is provided, and covers most of the essentials so a complete manual printed out is not essential.
The software with the scanner is very easy to use and the tools for adjusting the scans are interactive.
If one is using XP on their computer, an updated progam for XP is available..., and is about 15MB as a zip file. I recently scanned a 32 year old Ektachrome slide taken under the worst possible conditions (indoors, incandescent lighting, with the outdoor film). It always had a yellow cast to it, which it normally would under those conditions. Upon recent scanning (to preserve it before it lost everything) it showed embeded dirt and scratches. I used the digital ICE, and it came out sparkling clear, and the drapes which looked like yellowed newspaper became a crystal clear cream white, as it was in the room where I first took the slide. I have also scanned old slides that were badly faded, and restored the color and luster.

I use this to scan 35mm slides for digital prints up to 13x19" so I use the full 4000 ppi capability. I've found it to be easy to use and the final scanned quality to be excellent. Compared to the HP PhotoSmart scanner I was previously using, it's outstanding. The dust removal feature is awesome. The automatic color adjustment works well for some of my older, faded slides, but I wouldn't recommend it for general use. I use 2X averaging to improve noise, although it's probably not necessary. The scanner has other advanced image correction capability but I prefer to do this in PhotoShop where I have better control. Scanning speed at 4000 ppi is less than 1 minute. The final scans are definitely of publishable quality. This scanner has actually allowed me to delay my conversion to a digital SLR, although I'm sure I will eventually succumb.

I have been using the 4000 ED to capture/scan all of my old 35mm negatives (going all the way back the early 1970's). The pictures I am able to print from these scanned negatives are better that the prints made from the negatives!
My only complaint is that the unit only supports 35mm, and doesn't support medium format film.

This was a great scanner for it's time. It does a good job of scanning slides (haven't used it much for negative scanning). The Color Management System doesn't do the job I wish it did, often the colors are darker than the slide, so I usually adjust them in Photoshop. The shadows can be dark as well.

Overall, it's a good scanner, especially if you're only doing small-print or web work. Nikon now has newer scanner models with greater o/p and bit depth.

The question to ask yourself is "What am I going to do with the images I scan? Produce small prints or put them on the web?" If so, this scanner is perfect. If you're a semi-pro or pro who wants as much detail as possible, then get a newer model (ie: 4000 ED).....which will most likely be my next purchase. :)

This is a great scanner - but first time buyers of such a scanner, with Windows XP as an operating system beware! If you purchase the scanner, be sure that the package contains the Installation CD that contains the Windows XP installation update. Many of the inventoried Scanners do not have the update and to trying to get an update is an exercise. You have to download it from the website, but you must first call Nikon support to get this information. The hold times for the support line can take more than an hour. Then, best of luck on the download. After spending 4 hours on the thing myself, I finally had to call Nikon back, wait on hold for an hour and 15 minutes to then learn I had to call someone else to get them to mail me a disk. Hopefully, this tip can save you hours!

If you're looking for a 35mm film scanner, your research has finally come to an end. Specially now that THE PRICE HAS BEEN LOWERED! I've been using this scanner for about two months and I can only say that it's worth every cent you put on it. Colors are great, detail is incredible, the resolution allows really big output (around 12.5 X 8.5 at 300DPI - even bigger if you use 250DPI). But the biggest star is ICE. Ok, it doesn't work on B&W film, but the time it saves you from retouching on Photoshop more than pays for this scanner. And ICE comes in two flavors - normal or sharpen. You can improve sharpness while removing scratches and dust. Mine came with the latest firmware (1.31), but I updated to the software's latest version (2.5.1) via download. The software works fine. Specially if you know how to use curves to correct color casts, improve details on certain areas, etc. And it has a very special feature that makes it better than all others I've seen - you can resize the preview window to the size of your monitor. You can't imagine how much this little detail helps on correcting or improving each scan. Great. The Nikon Coolscan III (LS-30) is such a good scanner that I don't believe paying more for the LS 2000 makes sense. Ok, the other has 36 bit and multiscan for improved shadow detail. But until now I never felt the need for this. Or for throwing US$ 700 more on a scanner. Better buy another Coolscan III... Ah, with Vuescan, a third party software, you can do multiple scanning on the Coolscan III for better shadow detail. It has a nice place for storing the transport screws on the back, has built-in termination. The connectors are HDI-50. It comes with a cable (HDI-50 to 25 pin SCSI), but if your SCSI chain has other equipment and you want to place it right after the computer, you'll probably need another HDI-50 to other connector cable. As with most things Nikon, it feels solid as a rock. Certainly will last a long time. Hope as much as the faithful Nikon Fs. Looks like. It's hard to go wrong with the Nikon Coolscan III.

I have had the same problems with my scanner as others have had. Starts off by making wonderful scans. Then after a while scans become a little foggy. Try calling Nikon to have a tech assist me or info to send the scanner to be checked out was drawn out and frustrating. I cant believe that Nikon, a world leader, has such...poor customer service. I bought Nikon becasue of all the wonderful things I had heard about the company, but when it comes to support, forget it. I hate to use such harsh words, but they simply [is bad]. Here I sit with a scanner that makes foggy scans and NO ONE to assist me. $2000 for this? I've been taken, but I only get taken once. I will spread the word and hope others who are in a similar situation will do the same. It's simply not fair.

I have to say that when the scanner works, it works beautiful and when it doesn't it becomes a total mystery. You start to receive funny error messages like "Cannot focus on slide" or the screw is still in the unit. Tech support is gravely lacking ! They took away the discussion board which really helped, so now you have to call tech support.

I love the unit when it works, I also have the 50 slide feeder which works 97% of the time. The software and tech support need to be upgraded.

I see where others seem to have problems with this scanner and Nikon's support. My experience has been excellent. The folks who have had "fogging" experiences probably had dust on the lens... left the door open without an attachment in the access slot. The other problems were probably from not following the user guide and moving the machine without the transport screws in place. (very explicit instructions) The automatic functions work if one sets it in software. Nikon has improved their software to be very intuitive and there is a variety of ways to make adjustments now. When they put out the new LS-4000 and 8000 scanners with new software, they made the software compatible with the LS-2000 scanner too. It's compatable with all the new computer operating systems which the other manufacturers (so I've heard from users) haven't done. I have never had any problems with this scanner but when I needed service with a different Nikon product, I did a search for service and found it right away. When I have called customer service (24/7) toll-free number and went through "voice maze" to get to the right department, was on hold for about a half minute before I got to talk to a real person. I asked my question and she asked me to hold while she found an answer. She was back on the phone with my answer in a few seconds. Other calls to their customer service had the same sort of results. I can't speak for the experiences of others but mine was excellent. When I upgraded from the LS-2000 I bought an LS-4000.

You must shutdown your antivirous to install. After installation it won't run with out the cd. What is the point of installing the software if you need the cd to run? pluss i got tired of closing the window that says "the disk is write locked" also every time you start up it asks you to regester the product. After doing that once I did not want to do that again!!! As to the program its self it is one that you MUST read the documentation, berore you do anything. And it tales much longer than the 5 minutes that the box says.

I have been looking everywhere for a labeler for the Macintosh. It's not easy to find so when I saw this I was very pleased. It is a wonderful addition to what I do as a graphic artist and helps more than I can ever say.....