Re: filmscanners: Acer or Nikon?

[Arthur Entlich <artistic@ampsc.com>]

trs80@btinternet.com wrote:

> Hi All
> 
> I'm pretty new to this list, but could do with advice. I'm looking for a 
> film scanner that won't break the bank (aren't we all) and it's come 
> down to the Acer Scanwit 2720 as it's a great price, BUT I like Nikon 
> stuff, is the LS30 really a better scanner for the extra cash? I did 
> fancy the Minolta Scandual2 but here in the UK it's a full 33% more 
> expensive then it is in the US and that I object to..
> 
> Anyway I'm strictly amateur, negative only and mostly black and white 
> (Kodak tri-x and Ilford HP5) BTW I'm only being so mean and 
> concentrating on price as I have to move house in a few months :-(

Your last paragraph makes this an easier decision.  If your main 
interest is B&W, and true B&W at that (not chromogenic films) and you 
are an amateur, so you can spend time spotting your color negs or slides 
a bit due to duct and such, then don't spend the extra on the LS-30.

The principle advantage of the LS-30 is digital ICE, which is a method 
using an Infra-red channel which allows for images to be "cleaned up" 
from surface scratches and dirt and dust, at a small sacrifice to 
sharpness, but which can save considerable time when making fairly good 
size enlargements from scans.  However, it does not work on true B&W 
film, because the silver image is opaque to Infra-red, so it cannot see 
the imperfections separately from the image itself.

The Acer Scanwit has very reasonable Dmax sensitivity, good resolution 
in scanners in the 2700 dpi range, and seems mechanically well built.

However, if you do plan of shooting a lot of chromogenic films, color 
slides, etc, and your film tends to be dirty, scratched or dusty, 
digital ICE, available on the LS-30, can be a time saver.

If you are not aware, Acer has released a newer version with the same 
specs as the 2720, but the 2740 does incorporate digital ICE.  I don't 
know the price difference.

Art