: Xuanning:
: Thanks for the reply. I've been reading a little more about the resolution issue and see how you're right. Still, I feel like I want to leave my options open in that area. If I can go with 4000dpi, I would like to - no telling what will happen in the future - I might go to making bigger prints. But I don't want to have to spend alot of money either - seems a little contradictory doesn't it - I just wnt to get the most bang for my buck! The Canon FS4000U really appeals to me, but seeing all of the negative(?) comments kind of makes me leery of the machine. (How can one ensure that their getting the newest machine version of the Canon?) The Canon would fit in nicely with my computer setup (i.e. the SCSI connection) but from other places I read about how nice the Nikon Coolscan IV ED works - the only drawback (as I see it) is the USB connection. I guess I have more research and decisions to make! Any more comments or insights would be appreciated.
: James

James,
I was in the same boat as you are now, tormenting between Nikon IV, Canon 4000, plus Minolta Scan Elite II. There is a print/resolution formula I learned from another scanner chatroom that you might use to determine your scanner resolution needs for a certain size of your print [http://www.bayarea.net/~ramarren/photostuff/smformats/smallformats.html]. I found it to be very useful and practical.
Back to the scanners: the Nikon should be more reliable but it is the most overpriced (kind of a BMW, setting a benchmark but expensive) among the three scanners. I almost bought the Canon (I use Canon camera/lenses and have some brand loyalty) but finally went with the Minolta. Here is what I figured: I also want to occasionally print to 13/19 inches, but the majority of my own prints will be 8/10. If only once in a while I do bigger prints, they must be based on very good photo shots, which doesn't happen all the time to an amateur like me. When I do need to print big, I should have a very well exposed film with sharp focus, etc. and that should let me do 13/19 with 2820 dpi with no problem. Plus, you can always interpolate a little bit (there are many good software out there to do this, such as Qimage or Geniune Fractal). How good the final print is, again, affected by many variables (what printer, ink, paper you use are another loose end).
One final comment: when you hear bad things about a scanner, typically the report is not "statistically representative". Unhappy owners are more likely to complain and seek help while happy owners don't need to say much about their scanner. If you visit any computer chatroom, all you read is complaints and problems (even with Dell, the leader of PC makers), because that is why the users go to these chatrooms so that they can get some help. They may not represent millions of happy computer users out there. I don't think you will necessarily be unhappy with a Canon. In my case, I read so many reports on the Minolta's "banding" problem, but mine doesn't have it, and I am happy with my scanner.