From the samples above, I can discern no difference in the resolution of the scans from the Minolta versus the Nikon Coolscan IV. There are obvious differences in color cast and exposure, but nothing is obvious about how much each scanner can resolve. I do give the edge to the Coolscan IV overall because it has Digital ICE and this is very valuable to have for productivity reasons in reducing the editing/spotting needs significantly. Both scans were made at default settings.

Dust Brush Samples

This sample shot is of my son too, but from about two-years ago and with Fuji Provia 100 slide film and my own Nikon F100, Nikon 35-70mm f2.8 and Nikon SB28 flash set for a minus 1.7 fill on Standard TTL mode. Different time but under similar overcast lighting conditions. Notice that the slide shot is almost grainless compared to the color negative shots; however, it still benefits from being processed with Neat Image Pro. Thanks to my friend Dennis for his work on processing these three sample images with his copy of Neat Image Pro, it sold me on the need for a powerful noise reduction application for scans or digital captures.

Comparing Scanned Film to Digital Capture

The following images were for personal curiosity and I offer them for you to review. I make no statement about this quick test being conclusive and if anything I would suspect the Minolta scanner to be a wee bit less than professional grade due to the results I found.