Nikon LS 30 Film Scanner (35 mm)

Pros: great features

Cons: 8bit color

Review: After searching every film scanner web site and reading every consumer review on the net I was about to buy a HP photosmart S20 but then I found an excellent deal on a Coolscan III . I am vary glad I went with the coolscan III. The scsi setup was a pain...

Pros: High resolution scanning, "Ice" technology for removing scratches

Cons: about $1000, takes time to learn all the features

Review: I purchased the Nikon Coolscan III (LS30) because I have an archive of 35mm underwater slides which I want to print. I am impressed with the high resolution I can get. I, initially, scanned slides in with a higher than necessary resolution and ended up...

Pros: It's almost the LS-2000

Cons: It's not quite the LS-2000

Review: With the aid of Ed Hamrick's third party software, VueScan, www.hamrick.com, the LS-30 now has the functionality of the LS-2000, well almost. How? Well after Nikon introduced the LS-2000 they decided to market the LS-30 as a scaled-back consumer...

Pros: Very good scanner

Cons: High investment

Review: In midst of 1999 we found that digital photography and the digital darkroom (deliver for print and Web) is ready for prime-time (at least for advanced budget constrained prosumers). We bought a Nikon Coolpix 950 and photography made fun again.

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Pros: Automatically removes flaws, excellent color depth and range, high resolution

Cons: Clumsy software, mediocre shadow detail, Digital ICE doesn’t work on B&W images.

The Bottom Line: The right choice for people who are picky about their images and don't want to spend more than $1000. Hard to use; not for casual users.

Review: Summary
I’m an amateur photographer who shoots a couple of rolls a month. Until I bought the Coolscan, I would have film developed and printed, and I would scan the 4x6s in using a flatbed scanner. I didn’t like this method, though,...

Pros: Excellent image quality, Digital ICE is a must-have

Cons: Pricey, requires a SCSI card to be fitted

Review: I had some misgivings about buying the Coolscan III. All the reviews I read said that it was overshadowed by the LS-2000; but ultimately I decided I couldn't afford to spend over $1000 on a scanner. The Coolscan III is still expensive enough, at around...

Pros: Much better Software

Cons: High price tag

Review: This is a reprint of my review at www.photodotcom.com

I never believed that scanning could be that hard. To get a scan is very easy but to get a maximum out of the photograph is quite challenging. In my opinion there is far too much discussion...

Pros: Excellent quality scans

Cons: Software buggy with a poor interface

Review: I and a group of friends just completed a trip around South West USA (I am from the UK) and between the four of us we took over 1500 pictures.
As many of the photos came out well I thought it would be a good idea to put all the photos on the...

Pros: Digital ICE, high resolution, simple to use, APS system

Cons: Mediocre Dynamic Range, ok software

The Bottom Line: A great buy, the Nikon Coolscan III gives you the benefit of Digital ICE, and a great image, at a reasonable price.

Review: The Nikon Coolscan III produces consistent and accurate scans under most normal conditions. I found that the Digital ICE was EXTREMELY useful and saved a lot of time and energy by eliminating dust and scratches in the film that otherwise would have to...

Pros: It's a workhorse, professional grade scanner

Cons: Software is cumbersome. It's not the fastest scanner out there.

The Bottom Line: These Coolscans are the only thing I would get if you looking for something under $1000 or so.

Review: This is a very good scanner for the money. I am a photojournalist at a newspaper and these are the scanners we use most often. For super high quality scans we use a leaf and drum scanners which both have five digit price tags.

The best...