Affordable scanners that aren't Plustek or flatbed?

Hello all!

I'm looking to get into scanning and development. I see good things said about the Plustek scanners, but a lot of those comments are caveated with how affordable they are. I'm in Canada, and a new 8300 Ai is about $800; 8200 Ai is $850 somehow and below that I'm losing some of the functionality I wanted with the dust removal. The CoolScan 5000 / V are closer to $2000 so still quite the jump, but I'm worried that the Plustek's hype is based on USA's price point.

Does anyone have suggestions for scanners to help get me into this hobby that are better than a flatbed but more affordable? Or maybe some advice on if the Plustek 8300 Ai is still the best choice for me?