Best slide scanner?

I may be in the market for a new slide scanner. I've been using a CanoScan 8400F flatbed with satisfactory results, but it stopped working recently. If I end up having to purchase a new scanner, I want to get a proper photo scanner. Any recommendations for the best photo scanner on the market these days?

Jim

For the price one really can't beat the Minolta Dimage Scan Dual IV. It's not the best in its class but it definitely is the best you can get for a similar price. It has a reasonably fast USB connection and comes with Photoshop Elements 2.0. They're about $300 locally and a little less from a reputable online dealer.

The best film scanners at any price are the Nikon CoolScan series, but they start at around $500. These are the best scanners around and have the best software (DigitalICE), but they're more than a lot of people want to spend.

B&H shows those as out of stock. I had seen some good reviews for that unit.

Jim

Expanding on the earlier comment about the Nikon Coolscan Scanners and Digital ICE, I have scanned a couple thousand old and very faded Ektachrome industrial slides from the 1950s using a Nikon coolscan. The recovery of color feature works superbly, the degree of correction is adjustable, and you can bring the images back to look like new. If you are going to be working with old slides and cleaning them up, it is definitely worth the extra money to get these features.