Konica Minolta Dimage Scan Dual II

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
3.00 of 5,
2 votes

Price Paid:  $100.00 from T4 Cameras Swindon U

Summary:
I felt compelled to write this review after reading some of the other reviews on this scanner. I was offered the Minolta Scan Duel 2 second hand at what I considered a good price £100. I read the reviews written here and spent a couple of sleepless nights worrying. I bought on the condition I could return it if not fully satisfied. Well I am delighted. Within one hour I was getting scans of great quality. The software is a delight to use. Just go into the curves dialog box to adjust gamma, colour balance, contrast. Scans at the max 2820dpi take three minutes and are perfect. Grain is seen to be pin sharp. Dust and scratches are no problem to anybody who looks after their negs and certainly less of a problem than sending them to the lab. Photoshop Filter Dust and scratches also takes care of the problem if you know how to adjust it. I print at 240dpi on a Epson 1200 and the Scan Duel 2 gives me a file of 11 inches by 16. Prints are fantastic and better than any digital camera I have seen. The Minolta Scan Duel 2 is a fine product that I would recommend 100%. However if you don’t know how to adjust curves and generally know your Photoshop, forget it. It will not work straight from the box. It is a precision tool made for photographers.

Strengths:
Ease of use. Quality scans

Weaknesses:
None as yet

Similar Products Used:
Nikon Coolscan2 Epson 200

Overall Rating
 2 of 5

Value Rating
 1 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Price Paid:  $480.00 from Cal's camera & video

Summary:
I was convinced by a sale person at Cal's Camera & Video that this scanner is an excellent product. After using it for more than a year, I came to the following conclusions: 1. This product should never be put in market. 2. Watch out when you buy equipments at Cal'sVCamera & Video. Some sale persons there are very dishonest.

Strengths:
None

Weaknesses:
Lousy colour output. You will have to spend a lot of time to adjust the colour.

Overall Rating
 1 of 5

Value Rating
 1 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Price Paid:  $350.00 from don't remember

Summary:
Overall, I had horrible experience with this machine. This was my first scanner, I didn't had much experience at the beginning so I did not send it back. - All slides (no exceptions) require LOTS of manual color correction. Green color is its weakness, it is really pathetic. - It is impossible to scan normally exposed Velvia with this scanner. It comes out 50% black. - All negatives have strong cyan-green cast. Even with manual Photoshop correction, the results are far from pleasing. Fuji NPH scans are OK, but I don't shoot Reala while I have this scanner simply because it is impossible to scan Reala. After a year of use I thought the machine is broken, so I send it for repair. It came back, the colors improved just a little bit. Lots of manual correction (especially with greens) are still required. I want to get rid of it as soon as possible. So, I wasted $500 on this unit, and didn't have a single scan without problems. I WILL NEVER, NEVER BUY MINOLTA AGAIN.

Strengths:
none

Weaknesses:
- horrible colors - very noisy - when it moves the holder in and out, it is vibrating like hell

Similar Products Used:
none yet, shopping Nikon

Customer Service:
$150 repair improved colors just a little bit.

Overall Rating
 0 of 5

Value Rating
 0 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5,
1 votes

Price Paid:  $200.00 from second hand

Summary:
HORROR! thats what comes to my mind using thid thing.... the time it takes...makes me crazy.. at 8 bit quality setting it will take about 10 minutes too index/prescan and final scan a 35mm print-colour negative than the cleaning up of your pic starts in PS... I bought it too avoid bringen my pics too the consumer labs 'cause it costs too much for me... but using this scanner probably frustrates me more.... scanning an entire rol of 36 negatives at a good setting takes (in my case ) several days... makes me mad. But , maybe i'v got a bad scanner and this is not the usual... plaese let me know.... but for now my experiences are terrible with this imaging divice..

Strengths:
??

Weaknesses:
the time it takes!the weak results in the end...the cleaning up of the scans.

Overall Rating
 2 of 5

Value Rating
 2 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.00 of 5,
2 votes

Price Paid:  $700.00 from Henry's Downtown, To

Summary:
Scan quality was fine for web images. However I had major problems with the transport system. After doing an index scan, the scanner would frequently eject the film holder, feed it back in again and all subsequent scans would have a thin pixilated line down the centre. Turning the scanner off and on was the only way to correct the problem. Upgrading the driver helped at one point, but then I upgraded the operating system and the problem started up again. The unit was sent in to Minolta, with samples, while still under warranty but they claimed they were unable to replicate the problem. It's annoying and I would not recommend the scanner for this reason.

Strengths:
Good software allows a lot of control over gamma and white point settings. Easy to use

Weaknesses:
Clumsy transport system Dust-prone

Similar Products Used:
Flatbeds - Umax Astra with transparency head HP Scanjet 6100 series

Customer Service:
Henry's did their best but the problem was with the manufacturer. No difficulties with them but they claimed they were unable to replicate the problem, which continues to this day.