Hi Nathan,
For 35mm film negs a dedicated 35mm film scanner would provide the best results, but in OZ these scanners are beyond the $1000AUD budget.
The best price in OZ that I could find using
StaticIce.com.au price search was the Nikon LS-50 ED for just over $1000AUD. The Nikon LS-5000ED (which would be my pick if I had the spare cash) is going for around $1900AUD.
I have used the Nikon LS-5000ED and 9000ED (35mm and MF) at my Uni and the output is excellent but while I wish I had one at home I get by fine with an Epson flatbed. The Epson flatbeds may not provide as high a quality scan but they definitely win on bang for buck!
Do some research on the Epson V700. Again using
StaticIce.com.au you will find these selling in the $700AUD range.
While this is a flatbed scanner it provides some really great features and the scan quality is very good. Also if you decide to try out larger film formats you are covered as it goes upto 8x10! When you are doing your research keep in mind that the EpsonV750 variant of the V700 is not available in Australia.
There is a good review at
photo-i.co.uk;
EPSON V700 Photo Scanner
http://www.photo-i.co.uk/Reviews/interactive/Epson%20V700/page_1.htm
Epson Australia's webpage on the V700;
http://www.epson.com.au/products/scanner/perfectionv700photo_specs.asp
Here too is the Nikon Australia website covering the scanners they offer for the Australian market;
http://www.nikon.com.au/products.php?categoryid=15
A Google search will no doubt also turn up a lot of info.
Quick note when using the Static Ice price search engine.... look at the cheapest sellers and then do a quick Google search of them to make sure they are reputable and not some dodgy setup. Make sure you also check out the Whirlpool PC Hardware Forums at
Dead Link Removed for which of the cheap retailers are easy to deal with and won't give you the run around! If possible try and find a retailer that is in NSW (it will list their location in the results page) and perhaps nearby, this will save you some money on postage and probably even better if you can call and arrange payment/pick up in person.
If you go with an Epson scanner there are two items that I would recommend for you to check out...
1)
Vuescan scanner software.... takes awhile to learn and requires some experimentation to get the most out of but definitely worth it in the long run for the level of control it provides. (I would even consider this software for use with the Nikon scanners)
2)
BetterScanning.com film holders and accessories... if you decide to do some medium format scanning then you might consider the Dual MF film holder as an alternative to the one that comes in the Epson box.
PS. I forgot to add that personally I would avoid buying second hand...you simply don't know how hard it might have been used/left on/dropped etc. Any savings aren't worth the hassle in this case.
