Digital BW, The Print

----- Original Message -----
From: "mh" <mh@...>
To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2003 12:55 AM
Subject: Re: [Digital BW] Help Sought With 120 Scanning Decision


> Anyone who is considering spending $1600 or more on a scanner should
> think about getting a used drum scanner. They are extremely good
> bargains now and a lot of them are built like tanks. You can go to the
> hi-end scanning group for more information.
>
> (( as far as where to buy from: there are a couple of good brokers (two
> different guys named weber are good) but the best deals will be from
> individuals (or print shops) that will sell for half or less than what
> the brokers will charge. Ebay is actually a good place if you have done
> your research. An pre-sale inspection is ideal of course. Remember that
> shipping will be a lot and that there can be differences in software))
>
> -mh
>
mh,

Just keep in mind that these bargain drum scanners like my Howtek are about
10 years old at this point and repairs are expensive. Someone recently
bought one with loading station and software for $1,300 but it died almost
immediately and had to be shipped off to be repaired. Shipping is not a
trivial matter since they are heavy beasts. Mine weighs 150 pounds and is
about 24" by 36".

I got mine about a year ago from a company that refurbishes them and
provides a short 90 day guarantee. So far so good. Altogether I spent just
under $5000 including the latest version of Silverfast. Prices have dropped
and you could probably do better now, but some caution is advised. $5,000 is
a lot but the first four scanners I went through cost a total of $7,100 of
which I was only able to recoup about $2,500 so I would have saved money if
I had just gone straight to the Howtek.

Martin Wesley

(snip earlier)