N Gauge Forum

General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Ricky B on October 28, 2019, 06:27:08 PM

Title: Ten years prevarication over a SCANNER! Help!
Post by: Ricky B on October 28, 2019, 06:27:08 PM
Hi all,
Some advice please. I have dithered about buying a scanner for years (and years) to digitise my large and valuable collection of black & white negs and colour slides dating largely from the late 70s and 80s. The dithering is because as a Macintosh user (MacBook pro, iPad iPhone etc) I always feel a second hand model is more likely to be compatible with PC - and I lose interest when trying to decipher the various interfaces and compatibility issues.

Can anyone recommend a good quality scanner that will definitely talk to my Mac or tell me clearly, what gizmos I need to ensure a given scanner will work with Apple products. I've put a lot of work into my photography in the past- it's time they had a life outside shoeboxes & files in the loft!

Any advice appreciated.
Title: Re: Ten years prevarication over a SCANNER! Help!
Post by: keithfre on October 28, 2019, 07:10:31 PM
Does your computer have an SD card reader, or could an external one be connected to it? If so, you could use one of the free-standing negative and slide scanners.
Title: Re: Ten years prevarication over a SCANNER! Help!
Post by: Ikura on October 28, 2019, 07:10:55 PM
Canon CanoScan 9000F Mark II

We only use Macs and use this scanner.  It really is very good and does negatives/slides as well.

https://www.canon.co.uk/scanners/flatbed-scanners/canoscan_9000f_markii/ (https://www.canon.co.uk/scanners/flatbed-scanners/canoscan_9000f_markii/)
Title: Re: Ten years prevarication over a SCANNER! Help!
Post by: Ricky B on October 28, 2019, 07:36:38 PM
Quote from: keithfre on October 28, 2019, 07:10:31 PM
Does your computer have an SD card reader, or could an external one be connected to it? If so, you could use one of the free-standing negative and slide scanners.

An external one can be plugged into the USB port yes keithfre. That's an interesting point. Aren't all scanners in effect, free standing? I mean they're separate...
Title: Re: Ten years prevarication over a SCANNER! Help!
Post by: Ricky B on October 28, 2019, 07:40:18 PM
Quote from: Ikura on October 28, 2019, 07:10:55 PM
Canon CanoScan 9000F Mark II

We only use Macs and use this scanner.  It really is very good and does negatives/slides as well.

https://www.canon.co.uk/scanners/flatbed-scanners/canoscan_9000f_markii/ (https://www.canon.co.uk/scanners/flatbed-scanners/canoscan_9000f_markii/)

Thanks Ikura, I will look into that. Nice to see a named scanner that doesn't just work with Apple as an afterthought. Is this version a recent model ?
Title: Re: Ten years prevarication over a SCANNER! Help!
Post by: keithfre on October 28, 2019, 07:43:23 PM
Quote from: Ricky B on October 28, 2019, 07:36:38 PM
[Aren't all scanners in effect, free standing? I mean they're separate...
The ones I'm talking about don't need to be connected to a computer. They just record the scans onto the SD card. You can then upload the jpgs on the SD card to the computer.
Title: Re: Ten years prevarication over a SCANNER! Help!
Post by: Ikura on October 28, 2019, 07:50:18 PM
Yes it is a current model and does everything I need and will do a lot more.

Follow the link to look at it on the Canon website.
Title: Re: Ten years prevarication over a SCANNER! Help!
Post by: Ricky B on October 28, 2019, 08:21:47 PM
Thanks gents both for he above. I already feel much better equipped to approach the thorny 'scanner' subject. I've always very happy with Canon products.

And the separate scanner which records onto card - that's something to investigate.