Long shot: Minolta...
 

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[Closed] Long shot: Minolta scanner + Mac; software that actually works?

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Minolta Dimage ScannerElite 5400. Mac Pro, 10.6. Scanner software V 1.1.6 is shite, and just stops working after scanning in one image. Had enough. I just want the ****ing thing to work. Minolta/Konica went bust I believe, and Sony who bought the remains aren't supporting their stuff any more, which I think is bang out of order. The thing does work after a fashion on my old iMac in 10.3.9, but that thing is soo slow and can't handle 5400dpi scans.

This is really pissing me off; a £600 scanner and no support. Wish I'd bought a Nikon one.

Anyone got any solutions? Anyone using one without problems? 3rd party scanner software that actually works?

****ing digital shite.


 
Posted : 10/08/2010 8:41 pm
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Tried the mac forums?


 
Posted : 10/08/2010 8:45 pm
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Tried Googling, but not getting much at all. It's an older scanner, but I don't see why it shouldn't work.

I may have to install a Tiger partition on a HD, use that to do scans. Annoying though.

It's a pity, because it gives fantastic results when it works. The software's always been flaky though.

Just wondered if any photo/designer types on here might have knowledge and experience of using one.


 
Posted : 10/08/2010 8:49 pm
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Try here: http://discussions.apple.com/category.jspa?categoryID=263


 
Posted : 10/08/2010 8:50 pm
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mac incompatibility issues. who'd have thunked it ?


 
Posted : 10/08/2010 9:01 pm
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Vuescan maybe?

http://www.hamrick.com/


 
Posted : 10/08/2010 9:03 pm
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VueScan is your friend at Hamrick software.


 
Posted : 10/08/2010 9:03 pm
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Oh here we go. There's always one, isn't there? 🙄

It's not a 'Mac Incompatibility Issue'*, it's shite software that just doesn't work properly. KonicaMinolta (now owned by Sony) aren't supporting older kit any more. Nice way to treat your customers. I wouldn't even mind paying a few quid for a driver. I will never ever buy their products again. Ha! That'll learn 'em! Bastards.

I have discovered 'VueScan and 'Silverfast'. Anyone got any experience of these? Downloading trial version of VueScan. Fingers crossed...

*I have a 10 year old HP printer that simplyplugs and plays,a swell as an Epson. Neither need drivers. Don't even start with Windoze; I have a PC with XP SP2. Utter shite.


 
Posted : 10/08/2010 9:07 pm
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i have a g3, awesome machine. just suffers from mac incompatibility issues.

carry on.


 
Posted : 10/08/2010 9:32 pm
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No maybe it suffers from Trailmonkey issues... 😉

My old G3 iMac is fine, it's just a bit 'slow' by today's standards. It is 10 years old. Trying to get it to handle a 120MB file with dust removal, 16-bit colour etc is asking a bit much of it. The MacPro is the bollocks machine for all this, yet the KonicaMinolta software is shit.

VueScan seems to be quite good. Only £25 or so, too. And apparently it can work with my old neglected mothballed Umax scanners. It's even got settings according to what brand/speed/type of film you're scanning! Plus dust removal. Hmm.


 
Posted : 10/08/2010 10:20 pm
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[s]mac[/s] computer incompatibility issues. who'd have thunked it ?

Fixed that for you. Try getting that scanner to work with a Windows 7/Vista machine.


 
Posted : 10/08/2010 10:42 pm
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I've tried Vuescan and didn't really get on with it, it was clunky and I wasn't that impressed with the results so have stuck with the Nikon software, I've heard good reports of Silverfast, it's supposed to be very good but not particularly intuitive.


 
Posted : 10/08/2010 11:05 pm
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Try getting that scanner to work with a Windows 7/Vista machine.

You think I like getting upset, sobbing uncontrollably and feeling useless?

No thanks. I don't care what anyone says- Windoze is shit. End of.

VueScan seems a little 'quirky', but far better than the Minolta shite. I'm going to try my flatbeds with it tomorrow.


 
Posted : 10/08/2010 11:08 pm
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No thanks. I don't care what anyone says- Windoze is shit. End of.

My point exactly.


 
Posted : 10/08/2010 11:23 pm
 DrJ
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Wish I'd bought a Nikon one.

NikonScan is no better - won't work on Snow Leopard :-((


 
Posted : 11/08/2010 4:55 am
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You can download an evaluation copy of Vuescan, it puts dollar signs on the scans as a watermark, not sure about Silverfast though.


 
Posted : 11/08/2010 5:58 am
 DrJ
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I've heard good reports of Silverfast, it's supposed to be very good but not particularly intuitive.

Not particularly cheap, either :-((


 
Posted : 11/08/2010 6:08 am
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NikonScan is no better - won't work on Snow Leopard

Or with a Minolta scanner, for that matter.

VueScan looks like the one. It works, at least. I'll give it a go with some slides and my flatbeds before I commit a whole Twenty Five Pounds though.


 
Posted : 11/08/2010 6:58 am