Flextight 848 scanner and USB connections

[Belle123]

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Hi,

Does anyone here have an Imacon Flextight 848 film scanner and gotten to work on a PC with only USB connections with current versions of Windows?  I am dusting ours off after 10 years non use and realize it uses SCZY connectors.  I figure, if possible, requires SCZY to USB connector and all new drivers.  Or, am I up a creek and have to find some old computer that still uses SCZY?  

 

Any advice appreciated.  thanks!

[Jeff S]

Well, an enlarger doesn't need any special connectors.  

 

Jeff

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[LocalHero1953]

I had a similar problem with a Minolta scanner. I recall hunting around for a SCSI to USB adapter and failing: I think the interfaces are just incompatible. I ended up getting a SCSI card for my PC and even then I had trouble getting the PC and Vuescan software to recognise its existence - though they did, eventually. I have done no scanning since upgrading to Windows 10 (I was scanning family archive negatives) so I suspect I'd have similar issues if I tried again.

[philipus]

What kind of computer, could you install an SCSI card in it? Or a firewire card?

[Guest]

billinghambaglady - You're likely to get the best answers on the Yahoo Imacon User's Group. Not that easy to do effective searches on the Group, but it's worth joining and posting questions: the url for the Group and and the email address for asking to join are:

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/IMACONUSERS/info

imaconusers@yahoogroups.com

 

Also, the Group's moderator, Gerry Yeager, has a website with some useful tutorials on various Imacon issues, including Servicing the Drive System, which is likely to be essential:

http://www.thedigitalcoach.com/Tutorials.html

 

I had a similar problem to get my Imacon Precision 3 going with a SCSI interface on a Mac. The solution — it took three days to figure out — was a SCSI-to-Firewire converter and using an old Mac computer, with an old operating system and old version of the Imacon ColorFlex software. Below is a writeup of this experience that I've posted in another thread. It's not meant to discourage you, but to point to the issues that may be involved:

 

I have an Imacon Precision III that I hadn’t used for ten years and gave it  to a friend in December, when I was “sure” that I would never do film again, but he couldn't get it going — it has a SCSI interface — and returned it to me recently. In three 10-hour days, I managed to get the old OS X 10.6.8 installed on an old Mac PowerBook to run the (legacy) Imacon ColorFlex 4.04 software and got the SCSI-to-FireWire Orange Converter and Granite (power) SCSI Terminator going so that all this works — only to learn, on the third full day of my effort, that this scanner, which does true optical resolution of 6300dpi with a dMax of 4.2 loses sharpness at the trailing end of the 35mm frame (as the negative is fed into the scanner in portrait orientation). Further research showed hat Imacon scanners require periodic maintenance fairly often. After some hours of searching the web, I found out that the cause of the sharpness loss is slippage of the drive belts the feed the holder mechanism. I have to replace these belts. Although, apparently, I can buy the belts in the US or the UK at about US$5 each, I'm likely to give up because these scanners usually require belt replacement every six months or so. The belt problem also makes the film frame shift in the holder as it goes into the scanner, so that a small portion of the scan is often cut off. I now remember from ten years ago that I often had this problem, but didn't know there was a solution. By the way, there is no batch feed solution for this scanner — and one full res (6300dpi) 35mm scan takes 15 minutes. 

 

As I don't want to make a career out of the care and feeding of this Imacon scanner, I'm likely to just dump it. I couldn't sell it with a good conscience. Basically, even if I was prepared spent $14,000 on a new  Hasselblad X1 — same 6300dpi resolution as my Imacon but twice the speed — I don’t think it would make sense because I don’t think the the drive mechanism on the new scanner has changed. That means these Hasselblad scanners only make sense (beyond the price issue) in a photo lab environment, if they can be serviced and maintained regularly.

Edited June 21, 2016 by Guest

[EoinC]

The last time I used SCSI was with a cutting-edge 10mb HDD on my Amiga 2000's when I was doing animation back in the the last Millenium. It used to take me 24 hr to render a single 3D frame on 1 computer. Not quite Kray...

[Bobitybob]

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I'm no expert on this but if you do not have a PC in which you can install a SCSI card and can only use USB, then adapters are available on ebay, although several hundreds of pounds.  either way, if you still have the original software for the scanner then you could use Virtual Box https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads to run an older version of Windows with which it is compatable.  This would no doubt take some fiddling but other then getting on old PC just for the scanner it's probably your only solution.

 

Hope tha's helpful.

[Belle123]

Just an update.  Found our older laptop Mac has a FireWire connection and got software working on it.  Now waiting for some ordered cables and power connection for the Flextight(went missing) so shall know in a few days if works.  As I understand it, the Flextight can communicate either thru the FireWire or the SCSI.  As I recall, had issues earlier with the FireWire but maybe with updated software and different computer it will work.  Crossing my fingers......

 

It is worth giving it a try.  Takes up to large format negatives.  Only reason giving it some effort is might consider a medium format again.  Otherwise, will chuck it for more current 35mm scanner.

Edited June 21, 2016 by billinghambaglady

[Guest]

billinghambaglady - If your Imacon 848 has a Firewire interface you're in luck because you can then use the current version of the scanner software, FlexColor 4.8.13 — and there are plugins for Photoshop and Lightroom as well. You can download all these from the Hasselblad site: http://www.hasselblad.com/support/manuals/software-current.

 

Then, the only issue you should have is whether the feed mechanism needs service. If you get that working, the 848 is substantially better than the current Plustek and Epson scanners. And faster than my Precision 3.

 

_______________

 

Alone in Bangkok essay on BURN Magazine

[Guest]

Just came across this download link for the 848 service manual. It includes information on how to access some hidden diagnostic software in ColorFlex:

 

http://www.martinzimelka.com/homepage/Downloads/10%20FT848%20Service%20Manual.pdf

[Belle123]

Just came across this download link for the 848 service manual. It includes information on how to access some hidden diagnostic software in ColorFlex:

 

http://www.martinzimelka.com/homepage/Downloads/10%20FT848%20Service%20Manual.pdf

Much much much appreciated!!!  Thank you!  Once get the cables, will update if working.  Luckily the Flextight has stayed covered all these years so hoping in good shape.

[peterbengtson]

google or ebay "usb to scsi",  there are many adapters.  I have used several of these generic adapters for scsi scanners and older removable disc drives and they generally work.  you can only use one device on the adapter,  not the chain of devices that you could use on a scsi port.