the problem I've found with consumer level scanners (the epson and canoscan being the best I've seen) is that the dynamic range (the range of light to dark at which it can hold detail) is much lower. You can fix that a bit in photoshop if you're pretty good, but for getting detail and contrast you really need a drum scan (as opposed to a flatbed like the scanners above). I've never had an image printed by a client that wasn't drum scanned.
The price for a drum scan ranges from $15 up to almost $100 last I checked, although it could've come down in the last few years.
The suggestion of making a dupe slide to project is an excellent one, and that should be $3 or less. Just make sure whoever is doing it is responsible in handling the original- scratching the film is all too easy, especially a slide that isn't sleeved in acetate.
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