Polaroid SprintScan 45 Drivers ?

[monkeymon]

Hello

Does anybody happen to have, or know where i could get the original mac software & drivers? I have searched but just run in to a lot of scam sites. I have the scsi model, and a Powerbook G3 with OS 9.2.2

[Paul H]

Would using Vuescan on a more modern OS be an option for you? It's listed as supported (http://www.hamrick.com/vuescan/polaroid_sprintscan_45.html).

[Bob McCarthy]

The problem is not with the software. It's with SCSI. I have the same issue and finding a card for the late model Mac's and OS requires a very expensive card. I may have to bite the bullet and get an old mac to run my Sprint45.

bob

[Joseph Dickerson]

I have a similar issue, I'm getting a used Mac Mini or MacPro (prefer Mini) and would like to use a Polaroid 4000 scanner, I use Silver Fast, OS will be 10.6 or so.

I have seen SCSI to Firewire adapters but does anyone know if they actually work.

My assumption and part of my thinking is that the Polaroid 4000, which is still working great by the way, is that my scans would be better than scanning 35mm on my Epson 700.

Any thoughts????

JD

[polyglot]

What? Pretty much any old Adaptec card will work with it as long as you set it up right (ASYNC, narrow, scan at boot, no parity). I use a 19160 to run my 45U under linux and VueScan.

Bit hard to install a SCSI card into a laptop though. You do kind of need a PC, though VueScan claims that it should mostly "just work" with a firewire-to-SCSI adapter.

[Joseph Dickerson]

Polyglot,

Thanks for the info. I realize that I can't install a SCSI card in a lap top, or a Mac Mini for that matter. Maybe I need a tower instead, the SCSI to Firewire thing doesn't sound real promising.

JD

[erie patsellis]

There are several pcmcia scsi cards, they work just fine.

[polyglot]

Pretty sure a Powerbook won't have a PCMCIA slot...

There are a number of USB to SCSI adapters too. No idea if they will work with your scanner or whether you can get OSX drivers for them.

[erie patsellis]

Depending on the model, Wallstreets have SCSI built in, the PDQ, Lombard and Pismo don't have SCSI built in, but all have a PCMCIA (or PC Card) slot. I will look at which card I have that works well under 9.2.2. I'm assuming we're still referring to the OP's question.

[monkeymon]

Reason why i wanted to use my powerbook g3 wallstreet (scsi built in) and os9 is because i have one, i needed to get it to operate my dicomed scanning back. And then realized it might also run the sprintscan i have had for couple of years, and never got it to work with my pc. Well as it happens, i found and old vuescan that works with os9, and it worked straight away! No need for drivers or the sprintscan software. So now i got all my ancient tech running, hah.. and i can even remotely operate my os9 from cell phone/pad/pc through vnc :) So it might be cool to strip it, and rebuild it in a small box. It's allready using an ide cf card adapter as hd, and running pretty fast.

http://macintoshgarden.org/apps/vuescan-7664

Heres link to the vuescan, for future references with people using these old scanners.

And yes, powerbook g3 has pcmcia slot.. i got a cf card reader so i can get my big files out of the machine.

Next thing would be to compare.. is it wiser to repro negs on dicomed or scan them with sprintscan. With dicomed i would have the option to use high-quality optics.

[erie patsellis]

Aleksi,
I have the exact same one, for the exact same reason. Interesting to hear your experience with the IDE to CF adapter, I may have to give that a try. How's the battery in your Wallstreet holding up?

[monkeymon]

Aleksi,
I have the exact same one, for the exact same reason. Interesting to hear your experience with the IDE to CF adapter, I may have to give that a try. How's the battery in your Wallstreet holding up?

My battery is completely dead, currently using the power adaptor. I need to rebuild the battery at some time, i just learned that i can use two batteries in this powerbook. That will be nice if i ever go out shooting with the dicomed.

When installing the cf ide adaptor, you need to bend one of the pins in it. The adapter that connects your hard drive to the motherboard has one pin socket blocked. It works fine when you just bend the blocked pin 90degrees. Cf card as hd will save power, will be a lot fasted. Completely silent, and pretty cheap (adapter costed 1.29$).. 8gb cf card is more than enough for me at least.

[nonuniform]

I had the Polaroid 45 Ultra and found that in testing against the Epson v750, the quality was the same. I was using the scanning software from each manufacturer for the respective scanners. I wouldn't bother fooling around with the Polaroid.