What is the best reasonably priced medium format scanner for Hasselblad 500CM Ektachrome slides?
Asked 2/11/2011
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I shoot Kodak Ektachrome slide film in a Hasselblad 500CM and want to scan medium format transparencies at high quality. I know the Nikon Super CoolScan 9000 ED has been around for a long time, but is there any newer or better medium format scanner in a reasonable price range? I’m not interested in drum scanning.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
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Welcome Tim, Yes, the Super CoolScan 9000 ED is the best medium format scanner out there w/in reason, I owned one 2 years ago for my 500CM Hasselblad shooting and it was awesome (I since gave up MF for a Leica and changed to a CoolScan 5000 ED). If you're looking to improve your scanning, and you haven't tried it already, get the fluid mount carrier for the Coolscan 9000.
The only reason I'd consider switching up to an Imicon is for 4x5 shooting, and even then the price delta is so great that I just bought a Epson V750 Pro instead (works great!) and would rent the Imacon for a day if I desired it.
Originally by user1819. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1819
15y ago
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Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
For dedicated medium-format desktop scanning at a sane budget, the Nikon Super CoolScan 9000 ED is still widely regarded as one of the best options. Despite its age, there hasn’t been much newer competition in this category.
The main higher-end alternative is the Hasselblad/Imacon Flextight line, but those are in a very different price class and usually only make sense for commercial users. If you need occasional top-end scans, renting an Imacon can be more practical than buying one.
If budget matters more than absolute quality, Epson flatbeds such as the V750 Pro are a workable option, though they’re generally considered a step down from a dedicated film scanner like the CoolScan 9000.
One useful upgrade for the CoolScan 9000 is a fluid-mount carrier, which can improve scan quality, especially with film flatness and surface imperfections.
So the short answer is: no clear newer, reasonably priced dedicated medium format scanner has really replaced the CoolScan 9000 ED; it remains a top choice for 120 slide film.
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