If you want the quality of a drum scanner but can't deal with the insane cost, one of the best alternatives on the market are Hasselblad's pair of Flextight scanners. Though they're less expensive than drum scanners—which use photo-multiplier tubes (PMT) rather than charged-coupled devices (CCD) as on flatbed scanners—Hasselblad's Flextight X5 ($16,995) and X1 ($10,495) are not exactly cheap either.

In terms of quality, though, they stand up fairly well to drum scanners which can sell for $30,000 and up. Hasselblad's Flextight models use CCD-based "virtual drum" technology for scanning, making these models similar to flatbed scanners in terms of their nuts and bolts but closer to drum scanners when it comes to quality.

In the virtual drum system, the CCD is at the top of the scanner and faces downward so no glass blocks the path between the original image and the built-in Rodenstock lens.

The original—whether it's a photo, a slide or a negative—is then pulled into the Flextight scanner via a flexible holder so it remains taut as it's scanned. A condenser inside the scanner is designed to ensure that light hits the original from different angles so as not to emphasize any scratches or dust that may be on the image.

Hasselblad puts the power supply outside the Flextight scanners and uses a cold cathode light tube to reduce heat and decrease the incidence of noise in the scanned images.

The Flextight X5 offers a maximum of 8000 dpi and up to 300 mb per minute of scanning speed; while the X1 has a maximum 6300 dpi and up to 60 mb per minute of scanning speed. The scanners come with a Batch feeder for mixed originals and a slide feeder for scanning groups of mounted slides.

Cost: Flextight X1 - $10,495; Flextight X5 - $16,995 Further information: www.hasselbladusa.com