Recommendations for entry/medium-level Film Scanners needed!?

Question

I'll be working with mainly 35mm color and slide films therefore I intend to invest in a film scanner.

(I've tried researching online and only get scanner reviews from 2001-2002 and am guessing they're most probably outdated)

I'm using Mac OSX so support for it is most crucial.
Also, I'm a hobby-photographer so I can take all my time to scan films.

Need your opinions and recommendations!

Answer 1

I have the Nikon Coolscan V ED, 4000 dpi, 35mm, Film Scanner and, in fact, just wrote a letter to my brother recommending this scanner to him. It sells for $550 at B&H and Adorama, but it is out of stock at both places.

It supports Mac OS-9 and OS-X (10.1.5 or later).

Macintosh System

Power PC G3 or later (G4 or later recommended)
Mac OS 9 (9.1 or later), Mac OS X (10.1.5 or later)
Built-In USB Port
128MB RAM or more (512MB or more recommended)
70MB hard drive space required for installation (200MB recommended), with an additional 200MB (Mac OS 9) or 550MB (Mac OS X) of free disk space available while Nikon Scan is running
800 x 600 Display with 16-bit color (full color recommended)
CD-ROM drive required for installation

Answer 2

I have had very good results from an Epson 4870 flatbed scanner. It has an integrated backlight system, holders for slides, 35mm and medium format film, and comes with Silverfast dust removal software.

I have scanned a couple of hundred images at 4800 ppi and never had any quality problems.

Although the Epson 4870 (and newer model 4990) is not a dedicated film scanner, it does a great job with film. And at $400 or less it is a good value. The only downside perhaps is speed; a medium format negative took about 15 minutes to scan at 4800 ppi when using the dust removal.

Good Luck