what scanner for 2"x3" negatives

[ecallawb]

I currently own a Nikon Scan 3 (I know it's old) but I have just found some treasured 2"x3" black and white negatives that my father took of my mother who died when I was three. I would like to scan these and put them on a DVD and then print some out for my older sister. There is probably no adaptor that I could buy to make this possible on the Nikon Scan 3 scanner (is there?), but if not, can someone recommend another scanner that would scan 2"x3" negatives?

Thank you in advance for your help.

Ellizabeth Wallace
eliza@oasiswebdevelopment.com
ecallawb@mac.com

[Ken Lee]

Nikon Super COOLSCAN 9000 ED (http://www.nikonusa.com/Find-Your-Nikon/Product/Film-Scanners/9237/Super-COOLSCAN-9000-ED.html)

[ecallawb]

thank you for your answer.. I was just reading about the Super COOLSCAN 9000 ED and I was wondering if 2"x3"negatives would be considered either medium format film or 16mm film?

I am just reading the description on Amazon..

Elizabeth

[Darryl Baird]

2x3 inches, is 6x7 cm and certainly med. format, (and one frame size available on 120 or 220 film, the others are 6x4.5, 6x6, 6x9, 6x12, 6x17, 6x24)

16mm is either motion picture stock or spy/miniature camera stuff, less than .5 inches across the widest dimension (less than half the frame size of 35mm)

[Nathan Potter]

As Ken says. The 9000 will give you impressive resolution. But if you have only a few images to scan you will be better off financially to just purchase the scans through a scanning service.

Nate Potter, Austin TX.

[Oren Grad]

I've scanned 2.25x3.25" sheet film negatives with my Nikon 9000, using one of the optional glass sandwich negative carriers and the 6x9cm mask.

As you've probably already seen if you've looked at the Amazon listing, the 9000 is quite pricey. If all you wanted was to make jpgs for on-screen viewing, you might well get away with using a much less expensive flatbed scanner. But if the negatives are of high quality, and you want to make enlargements from them that will be viewed critically, there's no inexpensive scanning solution. Whether you go with a 9000 or with some even more expensive professional scanner, or have negatives drum scanned commercially, it's going to cost you. Yes, you can save some money by buying a used older model scanner like a Nikon 8000 or a Minolta Dimage Multi Pro, if you don't mind the risks that go with that.

Don't forget that you can still have the negatives printed in the darkroom by a traditional B&W lab. If you don't have that many for which you want prints, that may end up being the least expensive approach.

[felix5616]

Coolscan 9000

[tom thomas]

Elizabeth,

Try to find an Epson Perfection 3170 scanner. It comes with the correct holder for 2 X 3 negatives. I have the "23" roll film adapter for a Graflex 4X5 Pacemaker. The negs scan perfectly in the holder.

I even scan 4X5 negs with it after making the negative holder myself from a piece of stiff cardboard (back of tablet works great.) I get the full 5 inch width of the negative but the height is limited to just less than 3 inches. It does make a great landscape looking print afterwards though.

If you can't find the older 3170, check out Epson's site for the Perfection 4490 (abt $130 with rebate) or the Perfection V500 for about $170(after rebate.) Not knowing how much you want to put into a scanner, I imagine cost is an issue.

I find Epson scanners are great value for the dollar. I found my 3170 at Epson's refurb center some time ago, bought one for my son and myself and we both are very pleased with Epson quality. They were shipped free at the time thru Fedex so arrived literally overnight. One had a problem but return and replacement were painless experiences.

I do know the driver for the 3170 is obsolete but someone is selling the current update for it. Works with Vista at least.

[tom thomas]

Hi Elizabeth, Tom here again,

I should have checked first. Epson has a Perfection 4490 in their clearance center right now, $109 US, free ground shipping. That's kind a bargain.

Tom

[Tom Monego]

If you are looking to just put the images on the web or distribute between friends or family then a 4490 Epson would work. I have seen a definite difference between the Epson V500 and V700, the V500 to the V700 is the 4490 to the 4990. If you want to do moderate enlargements scanners start at the V700, yes the Nikon is better, and drum scanning is better than the Nikon. All depends on what you want to do with the images and how much you want to spend. If you have ones to tens of images, you may want to just send them out.

Tom