Nikon Coolscan IV question.

[Len Robertson]

So I'm in an antique store Saturday, and find a glass case with  old film cameras and lenses - Exacta, Canon FD, Mamiya TLR lenses. Completely out of place among them is a Nikon Coolscan IV. The tag says "missing cables", with a $42 price on it. At least one holder was sitting beside it, one with a fat, square box on the front.  From research I've done, the only cables needed are a regular computer 110V power cable, and a USB. Drivers are allegedly downloadable from Nikon. So my question is - what are the odds this unit is working, or is it for sale cheap because it is dead as disco? Are these scanners at all user fixable? I recall reading awhile back if you send a film scanner to Nikon for repair, it is an automatic $250 or more, but I don't know if that is true. I know $40+ isn't a huge amount to risk, but if everyone tells me these scanners often die and aren't worth fixing, then I can forget about it.

Len

[Mike Kovacs]

I would have walked out with it for sure.

I've had my Coolscan III apart a couple of times to clean the mirror.

[Jim Evans]

Get it, get it now.   $49 is a freaking steal even after adding the cable. 

I bought a Coolscan V maybe 5 years ago or so and used it for about 2 years before I went 100% digital.  I think I paid about $550 new for it at B&H.  I sold it on ebay about two years later for about $750.    I think they are going for even more now.   The IV are still going for crazy money as well.   Assuming it works,  the worst case scenerio is you could make a nice little profit.  But,  it's a great scanner so you might do well to hang onto it.

[Len Robertson]

Mike & Jim - Thanks for the quick replies. I guess my concern is wear or alignment problems. Something that may have been knocked out of whack by mishandling. The "story" I've put together in my head is the scanner came from a college surplus auction, hence the missing cables and film holders. The seller who has it at the antique mall is a mechanical camera guy (like me), who can't figure out the cables and drivers, or doesn't want to mess with it. The alternate story is, he has messed with it enough to know it is busted, and wants to dump it on a hapless bargain hunter (ie, Me). I'll probably go back and have them take it out of the display case so I can look at it closer. Maybe I'll find a big impact mark on the back corner or something that will scare me off. When I Google for Coolscan drivers, I find several sites like this one: http://www.driverfiles.net/Scanners/Nikon/page,level2,3,11,resultpage1.html Is a download like that all I will need to make the scanner work? If you haven't guessed, I know a lot more about the Mamiya lenses the guy was selling than I do about film scanners.

Len

[jamesmck]

Len - It is indeed a crapshoot.  If the power cord is one of those standard 3-prong ones, take one along with you and see if the unit at least powers up.  If it doesn't, you can forget about it.  If it does, then you're back to rolling the dice.  Might he come down on price?  For 25 bucks it'd be worth the gamble.

James

[Jim Evans]

Mike & Jim - Thanks for the quick replies. I guess my concern is wear or alignment problems. Something that may have been knocked out of whack by mishandling. The "story" I've put together in my head is the scanner came from a college surplus auction, hence the missing cables and film holders. The seller who has it at the antique mall is a mechanical camera guy (like me), who can't figure out the cables and drivers, or doesn't want to mess with it. The alternate story is, he has messed with it enough to know it is busted, and wants to dump it on a hapless bargain hunter (ie, Me). I'll probably go back and have them take it out of the display case so I can look at it closer. Maybe I'll find a big impact mark on the back corner or something that will scare me off. When I Google for Coolscan drivers, I find several sites like this one: http://www.driverfiles.net/Scanners/Nikon/page,level2,3,11,resultpage1.html Is a download like that all I will need to make the scanner work? If you haven't guessed, I know a lot more about the Mamiya lenses the guy was selling than I do about film scanners.

Len

If I remember correctly,  you will need both the driver for the specific scanner and then Nikon Scan, Vuescan or Silverfast to do the actual scanning.  You can download Nikon Scan at the same website you linked about for free and I think Vuescan might have a free basic download?  Either way, assuming the scanner works,  you can get all the needed software for free.

Like James mentioned,  at the right price it's a gamble maybe worth taking.   Heck at $49, I would be all over it if I was still shooting film.

[Len Robertson]

It seems I will need to go back later in the week, take a better look, and most likely buy it. James - good idea on taking a power cord. I hadn't thought of that. I know we have several cords here. We also have Silverfast and other scanning software that came bundled with our Epson 4870. As far as getting the price knocked down very much, it has been my experience most antique malls will come down a very slight amount and no more. Might be enough to offset the WA state sales tax, which is okay. If I decide I want the scanner, it won't bother me to pay the asking price, since it is so low.

Len

[br1078lum]

Len,

I don't think a plain power cord will do.  If it's anything like all my other equipment (computer, Minolta Dual III scanner, printers etc.) it will need a power brick, as it doesn't run on straight 120 ac.  Look at the back, and see if there is a sticker that tells you what the power requirement is before you plug it in.  Or maybe someone else has, and it's blown.  Sometimes you can pick up a power brick at the local second hand stores, and any one that meets the specification on the scanner will do.

PF

[Mike Kovacs]

Well my Coolscan III takes a standard computer power cord...

[Jim Evans]

Don't rely on my information as fact by any means but,  I don't remember my Coolscan V having the power brick.   I think it just had a standard power cord.  My Espon 3170 scanner does have the power brick but I'm pretty sure the Nikon did not?

[wlewisiii]

This picture



Shows a standard power cord and USB cord.

I just wish I could go grab it

William

[Len Robertson]

Thanks so much to everyone for all the great information. I've noticed posting a question here on Nelson produces way more useful information than any amount of Googling I'm able to do.

I went to the big city this afternoon and grabbed the scanner. It only had the film holder with it, not the slide holder, but the nice man at the antique store said the woman who consigned the scanner is supposed to have more bits and pieces at home. He is going to call her and see what she can scare up. So I'm guardedly optimistic I might get the other holders. I'm too tired tonight to mess with trying to get it running. Okay, the real reason is I need my wife's computer expertise, as I am essentially helpless with geeky stuff. She is working on one of her websites tonight, and I don't want to bother her. Gotta be reeeal nice to her!

I'll update again if we get it running, or have a lot more questions if we can't.

Len

[LarryD]

Glad you got it. WHIP!!!!!

[br1078lum]

Alright! Congrats on the scanner Len!

PF

[P C Headland]

Good luck with the scanner.

If the worst comes to the worst, you can probably get most of your money back selling it as a parts scanner.