Looking for Scanner

JA
Posted By
Jim_A
Jan 11, 2004
Views
156
Replies
5
Status
Closed
I am looking for a scanner to scan prints, some negatives, and about 500 old slides. Two that I am considering are the Epson 3170 and the HP 3970. I have read both good and bad reviews of both on various forums. (They are about the same price for me because the Epson comes bundled with Photoshop Elements 2, which I don’t have yet, so I save the cost of the upgrade if I buy it.)

Does anyone have any recommendation on either of these? The reviews that I have read of the Epson seem more ‘glowing" overall, but I use Mac OS X Panther and have heard some bad things about the Epson’s compatibility with Panther.

I also have read that getting good scans of slides is kind of hopeless anyway without a film scanner. If I didn’t want the slides scanned, I would go for a Canon LiDE 80, which is smaller, less expensive, and I like Canon. But it doesn’t scan slides, just negatives.

Any advice?
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JC
Jane_Carter
Jan 12, 2004
If you have an older Nikon Coolpix 990 or similar, you can buy a very good attachment that works wonders as a slide scanner. I have info on that camera and the scanner only. For that system you don’t need a regular flat bed scanner, you are actually taking Macro photos of your slides. And it works fantastically! But only with these cameras.
Jane
BH
Beth_Haney
Jan 12, 2004
Hmmm. I see I forgot to hit "post" again.

What didn’t get posted earlier was my recommendation that you decide what kind of quality you want from your slide scans. I read a review a week or so ago in which an obsolete and underachieving dedicated slide scanner (HP S20) continues to create a better digital image than one of the top of the line Epson flatbeds with an adapter – in this case the 3200 was one of those being compared. I have the S20, and it has low optical resolution compared to ones offered for sale now that are both better and cheaper. So, if you want good scans from slides, you might want to consider a dedicated slide scanner and a lesser expensive flatbed.
MM
Michael Moody
Jan 12, 2004
I have had an Epson 3170 for a month or so and *really* like it. The clarity is awesome. The included software takes some learning,(swearing), but after you get accostumed to it, it’s very good. I don’t know if it will run under the new ScanSoft, but that might be worth a try. I also bought a 256 chip and extra battery, so I feel quite safe when going on long trips.

wrote in message
I am looking for a scanner to scan prints, some negatives, and about 500
old slides. Two that I am considering are the Epson 3170 and the HP 3970. I have read both good and bad reviews of both on various forums. (They are about the same price for me because the Epson comes bundled with Photoshop Elements 2, which I don’t have yet, so I save the cost of the upgrade if I buy it.)
Does anyone have any recommendation on either of these? The reviews that I
have read of the Epson seem more ‘glowing" overall, but I use Mac OS X Panther and have heard some bad things about the Epson’s compatibility with Panther.
I also have read that getting good scans of slides is kind of hopeless
anyway without a film scanner. If I didn’t want the slides scanned, I would go for a Canon LiDE 80, which is smaller, less expensive, and I like Canon. But it doesn’t scan slides, just negatives.
Any advice?
MO
mat_of_the_mint
Jan 12, 2004
If you want good quality from film (slides in this case), get a film scanner, and the Canon LiDE for a flat bed.
EW
Ed_Wurster
Jan 12, 2004
wrote:
I am looking for a scanner to scan prints, some negatives, and about 500 old slides. Two that I am considering are the Epson 3170 and the HP 3970. I have read both good and bad reviews of both on various forums. (They are about the same price for me because the Epson comes bundled with Photoshop Elements 2, which I don’t have yet, so I save the cost of the upgrade if I buy it.)

Does anyone have any recommendation on either of these? The reviews that I have read of the Epson seem more ‘glowing" overall, but I use Mac OS X Panther and have heard some bad things about the Epson’s compatibility with Panther.

I also have read that getting good scans of slides is kind of hopeless anyway without a film scanner. If I didn’t want the slides scanned, I would go for a Canon LiDE 80, which is smaller, less expensive, and I like Canon. But it doesn’t scan slides, just negatives.

Any advice?

I can’t give you specific advice about OSX versions and newer scanners.

You may want to look at scanning old photos, negs and slides as separate issue(s). For instance, the best scanner choice for the future may be one that doesn’t scan transparencies. Does that make sense?

I’m finding out now just how much work this can be. I found a broken Polaroid Sprintscan, replaced an internal fuse, and have begun a similar task.

I have mostly negatives. How the scan software works for you is very important. You may want to try and solicit feedback about the software included with either scanner.

Ed

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