High Quality with Tethering
Estimated Cost: 400-600€
This level allows tethering to the computer, allowing you a nicer workflow if you scan a lot and often. It does this while retaining the high quality of modern 24Mp sensors. Unfortunately, camera manufacturers, particularly those making mirrorless cameras, intentionally cripple lower-end models so they can’t be tethered using USB, only using WiFi (and then now allowing RAW file transfer), therefore there is a significant price jump to get the same quality as the previous level but also tethering.
Pros
'Modern' sensors
These sensors are so modern that any progress that has been made since they were introduced are negligible for our purposes (they have better high ISO performance, but we don't care about that). This allows these cameras to provide good results when scanning both slide film and negative film. They will pull every last detail out of those shadows (slides) or highlights (negatives).
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High resolution (24MP)
You will seldom need more than this. If you scan a lot of medium format film, and you have the money to invest, then by all means jump to the next category, but know that you can achieve similar results using digital stitching, capturing 2-9 images of a film.
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Excellent ergonomics
This is the category's main features: USB tethering to your computer means that you don't need to take out the memory card and instead get your images immediately transferred to the computer.
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They also have articulating screens and good focusing aids making it easy and quick to focus and view your images.
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Cons
Big jump in price with little increase in quality
The quality you get out of these cameras is pretty similar to that you get out of the previous, and much cheaper, category.
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So close and yet so far to a boost in quality
Some people will feel like 'if I will spend this much money, I might as well save another [insert big number] and get that extra quality. In that sense, this category is in an awkward position because you are spending so much money you almost might-as well go for the boost in quality of the next category. We don't recommend this unless you scan a lot of medium format that you need to print big.
Suggested Cameras
In order of priority
Fujifilm X-T2 - Sony a6300 - Sony a7 (I)
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You might find it strange that we have put the two APS-C over a full frame camera. Firstly, they are more modern, and secondly, they have fully electronic shutters reducing vibrations further.
Note: We do not recommend the Sony a7R (I) as a camera scanning camera. Our tests with the camera have shown that the lack of an electronic front curtain shutter option (which the Sony a7 (I) has) actually gives it lower resolving power than the three mentioned cameras, using a typical scanning setup. This might not apply if you are using a flash setup instead of an LED panel - but this is unconfirmed.