Godfrey
somewhat colored
The Nikon Super Coolscan IV ED (LS-4000) is the "Super" model, which includes the FireWire 400 interface and a few additional features over the Coolscan IV ED. Apple computer systems have included FireWire ports on all models from the early 2000s to the past couple of years (now they're focusing on incorporating USB 3.0 and ThunderBolt). FireWire ports have been a bit scarcer on other manufacturers' systems.
From what Ed Hamrick (author of VueScan software) told me some years ago, the Nikon Coolscan IV and V scanners were amongst the very best units on the market from a build and reliability standpoint. I've certainly found both the Coolscan IV and V to be far more reliable and produce better results than the other three film scanners I've owned.
Both my Coolscan IV ED (LS-40)
http://www.imaging-resource.com/SCAN/CSIV/C4A.HTM http://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/scanner/coolscan_4/spec.htm
and Coolscan V ED (LS-50)
http://www.nikonusa.com/en/Nikon-Products/Product-Archive/Film-Scanners/9239/COOLSCAN-V-ED.html
http://reviews.cnet.com/scanners/nikon-coolscan-v-ls/4507-3136_7-30756222.html
are equipped with USB ports only. The LS-40 has USB 1.1 and the LS-50 has USB 2.0, but there seems to be no difference in actual scanning speed. (I suspect that even USB 1.1 can deliver far more data per second than any of these scanners collect ...)
The modification to do entire rolls with the strip feeder can ONLY be done with the Super Coolscan models. The Coolscan models do not have a through-port to allow the film to extend beyond the scanner body. Nikon made long-rolls scanning feeders for the Super Coolscan models too, but they were frightfully expensive.
VueScan is the most versatile scanning application I've found, and is extremely well maintained. It runs on Linux, Windows and OS X, and supports tons and tons of scanners and digital cameras (it does raw conversion too). It's a bit twisty to learn and has a complicated user interface, but it has worked brilliantly for me since I adopted using it in 1999 or so, when the Minolta software for the Scan Dual II was so bad I nearly returned the scanner. I make it policy now that I only buy a scanner if it is listed as supported by VueScan ... full information and a free evaluation download is available from http://www.hamrick.com
Note that I have no association with VueScan or Ed Hamrick other than as a very satisfied user. I bought the software with unlimited upgrades once upon a time, and he's been true to his word of keeping it updated and compatible with almost every version of every OS and scanner worth using.
G
JohnTF
Mentor
Good to know, I know the shop that scanned my film used Konica and Minolta scanners, along with a large flatbed Epson for prints.
They had trouble scanning large prints to large files, and after a long time, I went over -- and sat down to scan them myself, turned out their current computer did not have enough memory to run the scanner and PS at the same time, so would have long pauses which left a line in the scan.
Our department had some of the older Coolscans, and some of the feeders were the same for the 4 and 5000. I believe I paid more for the slide feeder attachment than for the 4000-- they show up used now and again at the photo shows, they do not bring much, and can give a lot of bang for the buck.
J
They had trouble scanning large prints to large files, and after a long time, I went over -- and sat down to scan them myself, turned out their current computer did not have enough memory to run the scanner and PS at the same time, so would have long pauses which left a line in the scan.
Our department had some of the older Coolscans, and some of the feeders were the same for the 4 and 5000. I believe I paid more for the slide feeder attachment than for the 4000-- they show up used now and again at the photo shows, they do not bring much, and can give a lot of bang for the buck.
J