Can't help on the '3500' predicition, but it would seem that they'll come
out with it when they can keep up with the demand for the 3030.
As for the scanner, I've mentioned here my recent purchase of the Acer
Scanwit. After some challenges I finally traced to a conflict between the
included SCSI card and my Compaq (switching to my existing Adaptec SCSI card
fixed it), I've fallen in love with the scanner.
Oh, there are scanners with higher resolutions (4000dpi), such as the
Polaroid, but they're in the $1400 range. The Acer is 2700dpi, which
results in a 3000x2000 scan (6MP). The feature I like the most is that it
has an autofeeder that will batch scan a film strip up to 6 exposures.
I've been scanning all my daughter's soccer shots and some other 'wandering
around shots'. I've scanned around 300 images so far.
One thing I would suggest is that you add Vuescan from www.hamrick.com.
This is an amazing piece of software and does it 1000 times better than the
software that comes with the machine and its only $40. Among many other
things, it will batch scan, automatically incrementing the file name in a
pattern you define. It will also do multi-pass scans where it scans the
negatives multiple times and averages them for a sharper shot. Too many
features to mention, but a worthy addition.
The Scanwit, with a discount coupon, was right at $400 from www.onvia.com
I belong to a filmscanners mailing list too, at http://www.halftone.co.uk
and I lurked and asked questions for quite awhile before making my purchase.
The general consensus was that the Nikons have great quality, but the film
strip and multi-slide holders were terrible (by the way, the Acer will do 4
slides at a time too). The Canon and Minoltas get good reviews, but I know
the Minolta doesn't have a batch film holder (don't know about the Canon).
Anyway, the Acer Scanwit was my choice and I'm quite pleased.
One final note. I scanned several negs at the highest resolution,
multi-pass scan. I then punched up the color a little (it scans a little
washed out on purpose to make sure no detail is lost), sharpened a little
(It comes with Adobe Photoshop LE), and printed 8x10s on my Alps MD-1300.
Short of a microscope, there is no way to tell this wasn't a 'real print'.
Now it makes me want the Epson 1270 to do 13x44 inch prints!
My two cents.
Thanks
Tom
> I've been moving away from our IS-10 to digital, but that accellerated
> recently with my getting my hands on a decent scrapbook making program.
> Shoot gobs of pics, copy them off to my server, run the program, go back
> and fill in captions. Easy, fast and permanent once backed up.
>
> My objective is a nice collection of annotated family snapshots to leave
> for my nephews, niece and daughter.
>
> In that vein, while I've been happy with the quality of snaps I've
> gotten from my D620L, it does have its shortcomings. Better resolution
> would be great, as would illumination for helping low-light focus. Both
> of these are corrected by the C2500, but with the C3030 coming out,
> there must be a 3Mpixel SLR on its way as well.
>
> So, my question: Has anyone heard a rumored date of my theorized 3Mpixel
> digi SLR?
>
> In addition, my wife and I collectively have a lifetime's worth of
> chromes and negs, chiefly 35mm. Any suggestions on a scanner+software
> combination for making a snapshot-quality [willing to deal with jpeg
> compression artifacts] archive as painlessly as possible? Bonus points
> for auto-feed and mega bonus points for decent media handling. I
> tried the HP photo"smart" thingy but it naughtily skewed my negatives.
> Given the sheer volume of what I want to image and the cost of PhotoCD
> even in 1000s quantity, buying a scanner becomes "cheap". Any
> recommendations?
>
> thanks in advance
>
> Andy Beals
> possible future pen collector
> rangefinder lover
> computer geek
>
>
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