Dimage Scan Dual Repair Manuals or Repair Resource?

[cooltouch]

A while back, I found a Konica-Minolta Dimage Scan Dual IV at a 2nd hand store for $10, so I bought it. Came with the a/c adapter, but that was it. Well, it took me a while to track down a set of film holders for it, but I did manage to find a Scan Dual I with holders and picked it up for cheap. Alright, I'm thinking -- ready to play! Wrong.

First thing I noticed about the SD IV was that it didn't want to just turn on the way it was supposed to. If I fiddle with plugging in and unplugging the a/c adapter many times, sometimes I can get the on light to light up, but mostly not. And when I do, almost always the scanner is unresponsive and the scanner's software doesn't see it. The one time I actually got the software to see the scanner, its light started blinking, indicating that it was warming up. 15 minutes later, it was still blinking, and wouldn't stop. Oh well.

I opened it up and took a look inside, making sure all the ribbon connectors were secure and that there weren't any cold solder joints associated with the a/c adapter's plug. Couldn't spot anything obvious. Once I had it apart, it became obvious that it had sustained a front impact hard enough to slightly damage an interior part of the front panel. So I took it loose as well, and checked for hidden damage. Couldn't find any. So at this point I'm figuring the problem lies in a logic circuit or the power stage or something. No evidence of a cracked circuit board. I'm no electronics whiz, far from it, so if it's not mechanical or electromechanical, I'm pretty much lost.

So anyway, hoping I might be able to salvage at least something out of this deal, I turned to the Scan Dual I and gave it a shot. Took forever to find drivers and software for it, but I did eventually. Had to scrounge up a SCSI card and boot my 'puter to XP, but that was okay. So this one fires up and scans an image. And in fact the images look pretty good, really, for 2400 ppi. But then I get to looking at straight lines, and they're all wavy. Urg! So apparently during the transport process when it's scanning a slide or negative, it no longer feeds the film in an even manner. Well, at least this sounds electromechanical. Maybe a gummed up shaft or stepper motor or a dusty sensor or something . . .

So, the way things stand, I have two Scan Duals, neither of which work -- or at least work right. Fortunately, I don't have much money tied up in this situation. But still, if there's some way I can get one or both of these scanners to start operating properly again, I'd be willing to invest some more time and maybe a bit more money into it.

So, got any ideas where I might find manuals? I've been looking on the web so far with no luck, and haven't even run across any places that advertise that they will service them. Or will I have to send it (the SD IV) to Sony if i want it serviced?

Any info would be helpful, I guess.

 

[ctscanner]

Michael,

I previously used a Konica Minolta Scan Dual IV and while I liked it, l ended up having to have it repaired a couple of times. In both cases it was for the same problem; the film holder hanging up in the machine.

The first time it happened the scanner was under warranty, and unfortunately I did not save the paper work. When it happened again, I did a Google search on "Film Scanner repairs and service for Konica Minolta" and found the following site: www.eservice.sony.com where I was directed to the company that did the repairs; Precision Camera - Digital Camera Repair, Video Camera Repair. PrecisionCamera may not still be repairing scanners as I did go into the site and couldn't find any scanner references

Suggest you start with the Sony site, which at the time I used it provided a phone number which would actually get you a person. As a second choice you could try PrecisionCamera direct, who if nothing else might be able to direct you to whoever took over their scanner business.

Hope this helps,

George

 

[cooltouch]

Hey George,

Thanks for the input. You're actually the second one to recommend Precision Camera. The first supplied me with a link directly to a page where I could ask for an instant quote on my Konica-Minolta item.

http://www.precisioncamera.com/minolta-camera-repair.html?gclid=CIKMkKPjoqgCFQQ7gwod6138Hg

I gave it a shot and was surprised to see that they listed the Scan Dual IV in their drop-downs lists. So I went through the motions, and if their web page can be believed, it will cost me $105 for repairs. Not too bad, really, as long as they stand by this bit of software razzle dazzle. So, I may just give 'em a whirl, since I don't know of anywhere else I can get a 3200 ppi dedicated film scanner for $150 (cost of the SD IV, film holders, and repair, but not including shipping for the repair).

 

[glhs116]

I have a working Konica Minolta Scan Dual IV. It is fairly quick and very sharp. However, I don't use it anymore.

You can see some of my pics I scanned with mine here:
Flickr: Search Doha Sam's photostream

Some of those same pics were scanned with my Coolscan 9000ED. A similar search of my stream for Coolscan pics is here:
Flickr: Search Doha Sam's photostream

I know some people may live in less dusty climes and/or may have better film handling techinques or more patience. But life with the Scan Dual nearly drove me to drink. Starting with a CLEAN neg I could look forward to about fifteen or twenty minutes per image with the clone tool in Lightroom spotting dust. Thank you, Nikon, for ICE that works!

In addition, I could never really get an image I liked out of negative film. I did learn a lot through the process, however, since I tried a large number of techniques. I did get some scans of chromes that I was happy with.

Then again, these puppies are MUCH cheaper than Coolscans. They are also fast and razor sharp so don't let me put you off too much. Each person has their own standards of what they are looking for and what they will put up with.