spf.ma said:
Certainly thery aren't the same, but I think that even NIKON products do
have many parts in common.
Sure do, and Nikon have become very adept at using firmware locks to
prevent you from "misusing" those parts not released for a particular
application.
Just look at the standard SA-21 film strip handler supplied with every
35mm scanner in their range. It is virtually identical to the SA-30,
apart from the little brush on the film feed and the film take-up spool
that screws onto the back of the scanner. But getting the SA-21 to
handle a strip of film with more than 6 images on it is specifically
firmware blocked - whether you have the SA-30 take-up spool fitted or
not!
I would love to use the LS-4000 to scan reels of 8mm cine film, taking
advantage of ICE, GEM and ROC to create clean, high resolution, grain
free, colour restored digital reproductions of the originals before they
fade to oblivion. Can I use the eminently suitable SA-21 or SA-30
feeders (checkout the size of the drive rollers) to pass the film? Not
a chance - I had to rig up some Heath Robinson jig made out of old film
editor parts, a partially disassembled MA-20 slide holder and a stepper
motor driven from the serial interface. Even that would only scan a few
feet of film before the scanner went into default calibrate mode and
threw a wobbly because their was film when it didn't expect any. :-(
Would Nikon over consider marketing an 8mm film feeder? No.
Such is life, the ideal tool for the job sits on my desk and is unusable
because of a firmware lock. :-(