Compatibility of 35mm film scanners with new MacBook for photography and streaming

There are flatbed photoscanners most of which are no longer made by their vendor, and those that are have 4-digit pricing (e.g. Epson V850). There are dedicated slide/film scanners with several choices available (e.g. Plustek, Pacific Image Electric, etc.). Some may have a USB-C cable that can just plug into the Apple Silicon Mac that you finalize on, and others may need a USB-A to USB-C adapter for physical compatibility.

The scanners may ship with the vendor's scanning software (which you will need to confirm is current for the Apple Silicon macOS Tahoe (on new Macs), and some scanners are supported by the optional VueScan Professional, which also has a trial version, or the third-party SilverFast scanning software.

I purchased a Pacific Image Electric PrimeFilm XA Plus 35 mm Positive (slide) and Negative scanner from B&H Photo for around $550. It has CyberviewX software that works on Intel and ARM Macs and supports quite high (5000+ dpi) scans. The CyberviewX software has plug-ins that the previously mentioned VueScan Professional can use to perform the scans, but PIE has only implemented Intel code in the module VueScan expects on the Apple Silicon version and thus is cannot be used on my M4 Mac Mini Pro. I use it on my Intel iMac instead. The higher resolution scans are slow and noisy. I don't have any other slide scanner background, so cannot make comparisons here for other solutions, or the right scanner for your needs. Do the research.

photolove66 wrote:

I am looking to get a new macbook as the one I have from 2014 is on its last legs- and what I mostly use it for is my photography, and I know that it may be tricky to find a compatible film scanner (I shoot mostly 35mm film).

That would be a question for the manufacturer of the scanners. Whether they require additional drivers or not. And Wether they have additional software to interface with the scanner or can work with standard USB drivers and wether these drivers and software can work on current macOS versions.

but I am looking into that as well and besides photo work I will mostly use it to stream tv/movies.

I am terrible with technology and wonder if anyone has advice on what to go with.

been looking at the macbook ‘25 which I’ve seen for the $800 range.

appreciate any advice on this 🙏

I'm assuming you mean a MacBook Air. Yes the 2025 models can be found for around that price in different places.

A 2025 MacBook Pro is unlikely to be found for under $1000 if that.

Amazon currently has the entry level version of the 13" MacBook Air with 16GB RAM and 256GB storage for $899.

click here ➜ 2025 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop with M4 chip: Built for Apple Intelligence, 13.6-inch Liquid Retina Display, 16GB Unified Memory, 256GB SSD Storage - Amazon.com

I would suggest if possible to get at least 24GB of RAM, and if you do go for the 256GB of storage get an external drive to unload the pictures onto, otherwise its going to get filled up pretty quickly.

Unless you actually require the portability of a laptop, a Mac Mini may be a better option for less money and you can get a large display for it and still be under the price of a MacBook Air.

Buy Mac mini with M4 chip and 256GB storage - Apple

Ultimately what you may want to go with will mostly be defined by your budget.

photolove66 wrote:

I am looking to get a new macbook as the one I have from 2014 is on its last legs- and what I mostly use it for is my photography, and I know that it may be tricky to find a compatible film scanner (I shoot mostly 35mm film).

but I am looking into that as well and besides photo work I will mostly use it to stream tv/movies.

I am terrible with technology and wonder if anyone has advice on what to go with.

been looking at the macbook ‘25 which I’ve seen for the $800 range.

appreciate any advice on this 🙏

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

re: < 35mm film scanner >

I would be impossible for me to speculate —if in doubt search your third party developers website for specific on compatibility etc

or contact their: Support/Help/FAQ/Known issues/compatibility/updates

Contact a third-party vendor - Apple Support

Contact a third-party vendor - Apple Support

Help me choose which Mac—Answer a few questions to find the best Mac for you

Mac - Which Mac is best for me? - Apple