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I need your help. I want to get a new flatbed scanner, and I'd like to know what to get. I really want a dedicated film scanner, but at this point it's not in the budget, so I'd like something that does a pretty good job with negatives (if such a thing exists).

The Microtek 5900 caught my eye, but I've read it does a horrible job with negs. Any other suggestions? Anyone want to give me $600 for a film scanner?

UMAX makes a decent scanner. They've got different price ranges, so you should be able to find one in your price range. I don't know if they come with negative holders, though. I know some of the HP scanners come with negative holders, but have never worked with one.

As far as film scanners go, if you're just doing 35mm, you could look at a Nikon CoolScan or a Polaroid Sprintscan. The Sprintscan isn't made anymore, though, so you'd have to find one on eBay. If you can find one of these, though, the scans are fantastic. I've seen scans blown up to 16x20 in and they look great. The Nikon has some built-in features to deal with dust and scratches.

I'd jump at a CoolScan, but I think they start around $500.