Quality of hardware. Digiltal ICE

Software needs some improvements. Sometimes I could use batch scan capabilities.

Well made, sturdy feel. Setting up straightforward and quick. It''s sharp scanner even it''s fixed focus. Software is good, good interface, easy to use and have all adjustments you need to tweak your scans. Must have latest version 1.03. VueScan (www.hamrick.com) suits well to this scanner. Occasionally scans look terrible, dark and contrasty. Resetting does help or switching to VueScan.

Customer Service

Websites are not very helpfull.

Similar Products Used:

Canon fs2700, nikon ls30

Digital ICE works reasonably well (but it softens the images a bit). Color fidelity is acceptable when used with third-party software (VueScan by Ed Hamrick)

Color fidelity from color negative is very poor when used with the Minolta DS Elite scan utility. High-resolution scan (2820dpi with DICE enabled) takes about 4 minutes per frame. The negative tray does no stay perfectly level for the two outer frames (1 and 6).

I used a $300 HP PhotoSmart C5100 to scan my films in the past three years. Three months ago, I upgraded to the $650 Minolta Dimage Scan Elite mainly for its higher resolution and the ICE/dust-removal function. My initial impression was very negative. First of all, the colors of scans from 35mm negatives were poor, with a very strong green cast. I spent many nights calibrating the scanner, but still cannot get natural-looking skintones from it. I have to purchase a third-party software (VueScan by Ed Hamrick) in order to get acceptable color fidelity. Secondly, the scans I get at 2820dpi were not even as sharp as what I got from my old scanner at 2400dpi. Later I found out that if I place the negative with the emulsion side facing DOWN (which is oppositive of what the user manual stated), then the image is much sharper. All my observations above are documented here: http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=14403&a=13840746 Eventually, I decided to keep the Minolta scanner (mainly because I have already sold my old scanner). But I still can''t believe that this is the same scanner that everyone else gives a 5-star rating for...

Customer Service

Next to useless. The email responses I got from Minolta simply repeated info from the user manual.

Similar Products Used:

HP Photosmart C5100 film scanner

* high 2820 dpi resolution
* wide 3.6 dynamic range
* Digital ICE
* multi-sampling scan
* reasonable fast

* although software has provisions for batch processing, the scanner itself requires that the user manually position the negative/slide holder to each frame
* be prepared to take a break if you scan at the highest resolution, with the Digital ICE feature on, and doing the multi-sample scanning

This is a very capable scanner. I rarely need the multi-sample scanning. I've used it a few times on my denser slides with a slight improvement. Even without it, the blacks are noise-free. The Digital ICE feature is helpful, too. The scanners high resolution will show off every dust particle if you don't use it. Scan time is lengthened somewhat with it on, but not appreciably. This scanner does not rely on "film terms" for slides or negatives; however, it is able to get the color balance very close with the analysis that it does during the prescan. I generally, only need to spend about two minutes per image in adjusting the levels and curves and the color balance.

You should buy this scanner if you want a high-resolution, wide dynamic-range scanner at a very reasonable price. You should not buy it if you require batch capabilities.

Customer Service

have not needed Minolta, nor B & H Photo, customer service

Similar Products Used:

none

High Resolution, Color Accuracy, Digital Ice

None for the price

This scanner offers an unbeatable combination of quality and functionality for the cost. Yeah, I suppose the batch scanning could be more usable but, for the dough, and the convenience of not sending out for scans for the tourism magazine I design, it's a godsend.

Customer Service

None needed so far.

Similar Products Used:

I have used drum scanners, photo CD's, flatbeds, you name it.

Fast, quiet, digital ICE, great software control, 3.6 Dynamic Range

no batch scan, slide fold is award to use

I have to say this is a great scanner! When I first time got this scanner, I didn't really like it because I was so used the batch scan that Scan Duall II had. However, after scanning three and four rolls of slides, I found myself really love this scanner. The 3.6 Dynamic Range was much helpful to scan my macro photos! Digital ICE is amazing and I don't really mind it made the picture slightly softer. The main thing I really like this unit is its speed. With Scan Duall II, a 36 exp. slide would take me over 2hrs, with Scan Elite, even turned on digital ICE, i can finish scanning the whole roll in just a little over one hour. The software Minolta provided is great. It gives very good control on color adjustment. It beats VueScan! Now I mainly used the minolta software. I am extremely surprised how powerful the software over the one came with Scan Dual II.

Similar Products Used:

Scan Duall II

ICE.

ICE doesn't work on B&W.
Sometimes ICE reduces sharpness.
Software isn't very convenient to use - the large preview image often gets covered up by the adjustment screens, and the small preview images are too small.
Negative holder is difficult to use if film is curled.

Got fed up with Olympus ES-10 last year and got this after much research. It was a vast improvement over the ES-10 and I thought it was the best available at the time although that may not be the case now. (I'd like to see one of the newer 4,000 dpi's in action.) The Digital ICE was a godsend after spending much time cloning out scratches when using the ES-10. Sometimes (not always) ICE will soften the photo. I also just discovered ICE does not work with black & white images so yesterday I was cloning out scratches again.

Customer Service

Not yet.

Similar Products Used:

Olympus ES-10