Konica Minolta Dimage Scan Dual IV Film Scanner (35 mm)

Pros: Inexpensive for a film scanner, better image quality than any flatbed scanner.
Cons: Questionable reliability, limited customer support, potentially problematic setup.

I tested this scanner as a possible upgrade to my E pson Perfection 3170 Photo flatbed scanner, which didn't quite have the film scanning image quality I needed. The Dimage Scan IV performed noticeably better ...

Pros: Batch scanning, good with dense film; sharper than a 4800 dpi flatbed scanner
Cons: Quirky mechanicals; slow startup.

I purchased a Dual Scan IV to replace a 10-year old Nikon LS-20. With the Nikon I noticed that I could not get any detail from dark slides and from ancient high-speed negatives like Kodak Super XX. Considering that the Dual IV can do batches of 4 to 6 ...

Pros: Price. Convenient batch scanning. Picture quality.
Cons: Slow startup and scan time.

I simply had to replace my old scanner that was not performing well with contrasty slides. I am also very much on a budget. The specs of the Minolta Dual Scan IV seemed to fit the ticket: - Price under $300 - 3200 dpi - Gamma 3.6 (4.8 with ...

Pros: Price, scanning speed
Cons: quirky operation, manual focus impossible to use

I have been happy with the results produced by this product. I used this scanner to scan my original slides for posting to my website http://www.newyorkslideshow.com (review the results there)


However the scanner is a little quirky, if you follow these steps you should have few issues:


1) Do not attach the device until you have installed the vendor provided software (read the manual for full instructions)
2) Do not turn the device on until your PC has fully booted
3) Always have the door closed when starting the scanning software - wait until it grumbles about there being no slide holder inserted - then insert the slide holder


The image scanning isn't razor sharp - but good enough for a device costing $240. The manual focus operation is impossible to use - so if the autofocus scan fails you're out of luck.