Scanner for APS negs

[Anaxagore]

Hi, what would be the best scanner (in terms of quality) for APS negatives in their canister? I was thinking of getting a used Coolscan 5000 + the appropriate adapter; is there something else that would have a better quality?

 

[Film Rescue]

We scan these both on a Fuji sp 3000 and a Creo iQsmart 3. Your Coolscan, if you can get an APS adaptor, will about match the quality of our Fuji scanners albeit, it will be a lot slower. There is little else on a consumer level that would be better than what you have. The iQsmart would give you a slightly more organic, less electronic looking scan but there are diminishing returns so far as the price you'd need to pay to get scans done on a scanner like this.

 

[Anaxagore]

We scan these both on a Fuji sp 3000 and a Creo iQsmart 3. Your Coolscan, if you can get an APS adaptor, will about match the quality of our Fuji scanners albeit, it will be a lot slower. There is little else on a consumer level that would be better than what you have. The iQsmart would give you a slightly more organic, less electronic looking scan but there are diminishing returns so far as the price you'd need to pay to get scans done on a scanner like this.

Thanks for the tip!!! How do you do it with the IQSmart? Do you just extract the film from its cassette and lay it down on the scanner, before spooling it back in?

 

[Film Rescue]

Thanks for the tip!!! How do you do it with the IQSmart? Do you just extract the film from its cassette and lay it down on the scanner, before spooling it back in?

In the Creo it has to be cut because you can't pass the film through the Creo without the film getting into the calibration area of the scanner's surface. Almost anything done in the Creo is with fluid anyway...meaning shorter strips are required.

 

[L Gebhardt]

The Canoscan FS4000 is another scanner that has an APS adapter. The scan quality is very good for 35mm but I haven’t ever used the APS adapter.

 

[Film Rescue]

The Canoscan FS4000 is another scanner that has an APS adapter. The scan quality is very good for 35mm but I haven’t ever used the APS adapter.

I suspect the quality would be equally as good as with the 35mm - other than the fact the negative is smaller.

 

[plummerl]

I suspect the quality would be equally as good as with the 35mm - other than the fact the negative is smaller.

My FS4000 provides excellent scans with the APS adapter. The ability to simply drop the cartridge into the adapter and scan the roll is great.

 

[Anaxagore]

The Canoscan FS4000 is another scanner that has an APS adapter. The scan quality is very good for 35mm but I haven’t ever used the APS adapter.

Is it still made?

 

[L Gebhardt]

Is it still made?

No, I think it was discontinued in 2006. The original software doesn't work on modern computers, but Vuescan will control the scanner. The scanner has USB support so it works well with modern Windows and Mac computers using Vuescan. They show up on ebay often, but sometimes without the carriers. APS uses an adapter that will unload the roll. It was included with the scanner, but also seems to be missing from some used ones for sale. I have never tested the APS adapter, but I have read it works well.

How much APS film do you have to scan? I assume you are not still shooting it? It might be cheapest and easiest to send it out for scanning if it's just a few rolls.

 

[George Collier]

APS - I must be behind (nothing new) but what is it?

Advanced Placement Shooting?
Actual Photography Simulated?

 

[armadsen]

APS - I must be behind (nothing new) but what is it?

Advanced Placement Shooting?
Actual Photography Simulated?

Advanced Photo System. It’s a film format released in the 90s. Kodak called it Advantix. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Photo_System

My first “real” camera was a Kodak APS point and shoot. I have a couple boxes of unscanned negatives in their cartridges, so reading this thread with interest.

 

[plummerl]

No, I think it was discontinued in 2006. The original software doesn't work on modern computers, but Vuescan will control the scanner. The scanner has USB support so it works well with modern Windows and Mac computers using Vuescan. They show up on ebay often, but sometimes without the carriers. APS uses an adapter that will unload the roll. It was included with the scanner, but also seems to be missing from some used ones for sale. I have never tested the APS adapter, but I have read it works well.

How much APS film do you have to scan? I assume you are not still shooting it? It might be cheapest and easiest to send it out for scanning if it's just a few rolls.

I'm actually using mine with a SCSI interface (Windows 10), way faster than the USB interface and works perfectly with Vuescan.

 

[L Gebhardt]

I'm actually using mine with a SCSI interface (Windows 10), way faster than the USB interface and works perfectly with Vuescan.

The SCSI interface is about twice as fast as USB if I remember correctly. It's good to hear you have a SCSI solution working for Windows 10. My scanning computer with SCSI cards is over 20 years old and I've started working on getting a more modern system setup with SCSI. Is you windows 10 machine PCI Express, and if so what SCSI card are you using? I've tried an ATTO card, which works for drives, but so far doesn't see the scanners.

 

[brbo]

Adaptec 29320LPE for PCIe will work in 64bit Windows 10.

 

[alanrockwood]

There is a trick to installing device drivers for certain scsi interface cards in windows 10. It is possible to install a driver for an older version of windows, but there is a problem that you must overcome. Unfortunately I don't remember the details, but it relates to some kind of checking that windows does when you install a new device driver. You have to turn that checking off when you install the device driver. After the driver is installed you can turn the checking system back on.

 

[brbo]

You need to temporarily disable driver signature enforcement in Win 10 if you have a driver that's not signed.

 

[plummerl]

The SCSI interface is about twice as fast as USB if I remember correctly. It's good to hear you have a SCSI solution working for Windows 10. My scanning computer with SCSI cards is over 20 years old and I've started working on getting a more modern system setup with SCSI. Is you windows 10 machine PCI Express, and if so what SCSI card are you using? I've tried an ATTO card, which works for drives, but so far doesn't see the scanners.

It is a PCI-e, the card is an Adaptec 29320LPE, with 64bit Windows. Works great with Vuescan.

 

[Kodachromeguy]

The Canoscan FS4000 is another scanner that has an APS adapter. The scan quality is very good for 35mm but I haven’t ever used the APS adapter.

There are a lot of these FS4000s for sale without any film holders. I wonder what these sellers think a customer will do with the thing without the holders?

 

[Overrank]

My FS4000 provides excellent scans with the APS adapter. The ability to simply drop the cartridge into the adapter and scan the roll is great.

Another vote for the FS4000 for APS. I suspect the quality with a CoolScan will be better but you can by a FS4000 with all the adapters, including APS, for around the same price as the APS adapter alone for the CoolScan. It is slow, but with APS it doesn’t matter, just load the cartridge and come back a few hours later and it’s all scanned.

 

[brbo]

OP is looking for a better than Coolscan 5000 quality. Although Canoscan FS4000US is good, it’s not better in any way. Except better price.

Some better quality options have already been mentioned (pro flatbeds), another is an Imacon/Flextight with aftermarket APS holder.

 

[Overrank]

OP is looking for a better than Coolscan 5000 quality. Although Canoscan FS4000US is good, it’s not better in any way. Except better price.

Some better quality options have already been mentioned (pro flatbeds), another is an Imacon/Flextight with aftermarket APS holder.

I doubt if there’s better than the CoolScan without opening the cassette though

 

[Anaxagore]

I doubt if there’s better than the CoolScan without opening the cassette though

Thanks, that was indeed my question. I guess I’ll get a used Coolscan 5000 with the APS adapter, looks like the best solution.

 

[BobRetro]

Hi, if you have a 3d printer you can print the scan tray I made for the Epson flatbed scanners. You have to manually advance the film, but it's way better than trying to cut and flatten the APS film. Quality is great, but the process is still time-consuming.

APS Film Scanner Tray for Epson Scanners by JustAGuyNamedZaphod

The APS (Advanced Photo System aka Advantix) film format was popular during the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. It allowed the user to choose from 3 image formats, stored image information on a magnetic track and after developing was returned to the owner in the original film canister. While...

www.thingiverse.com

Bob

 

[Helios 1984]

The Konica-Minolta Dimage III & -IV with AD-10 APS adapter would be another option. If you have a soldering iron & a desoldering copper wire, you can get an AD-100 which is an AD-10 attached to a bracket to fit the Multi-Scan Pro.