Scanjet 4010 Scanner
August 3, 2009 by admin
Filed under HP, Under £150
HP Scanjet 4010 Flatbed Scanner
The Scanjet 4010 or G4010 as it is also known is not a purpose built negative scanner like some of the other models we have featured on this site. It does however manage negative slides and being a standard flatbed scanner it also has the added advantage of being able to scan a variety of negatives regardless of the size and type. It also has the added bonus of being a very good flatbed scanner, perfect if you are looking for something that will complete a number of different tasks.
Priced around the £120 mark it places itself in a market with some tough competition although this is not a problem as HP have done a very good job in producing a quality scanner. The HP comes complete with a Transparent Materials Adapter (TMA) which is located on the underside of the lid and is capable of holding five 35mm slides or six negatives depending on what style you have although if you do have older versions or larger slide based negatives then the scanner should still handle these without the use of the TMA.
The only slight downfall about the Scanjet (and this is more common with the flatbed scanners) is the pre bundled software that comes with it. Trying to use the scanner to copy negatives onto your PC is far from easy and as we have suggested in the past the best option would be to opt for some negative scanning software with more control.
Overall though if you are looking for a good all round scanner with the ability to scan a variety of negative formats then you could do a lot worse than the Scanjet 4010 Flatbed Scanner from HP. Capable of 4,800 x 9,600dpi it’s no slouch in the quality department.
The Zennox Slide Scanner is available from Amazon.
Epson Perfection 4490 Photo and Film Scanner
April 30, 2009 by admin
Filed under Epson, Under £150
Epson 4490 Film Scanner
The Epson perfection 4490 photo and film scanner is a great all round scanner. It’s multi use features mean it can scan both photo’s and film perfect for those who are looking for a scanner that can perform a multitude of tasks and with a name like Epson it is a brand you can trust. The Epson 4490 fits perfectly into the price range against purpose built scanner such as the Ion and as previously mentioned it is still able to scan other document or photos with ease and at a high quality you would expect from such a well known brand.
Priced around £120 it does put itself into the mid range of the market as far as negative scanners go. The 4490 does come bundled with some good quality software and a technology called Digital ICE which automatically removes surface defects which may appear on your film such as dust, dirt and scratches although it does not stop you using your preferred software should you choose.
With this being a traditional flatbed scanner it does have the advantage of being able to scan different types of slides such as larger lantern slides that would not be scannable with the purose built machines. With some very good reviews on Amazon it’s certainly worth adding to your shortlist and another bonus feature is that it is Apple Mac compatable as many other scanners are not.
Features / Specification:
PlusTek OpticFilm 7200
March 23, 2009 by admin
Filed under Plustek, Under £150
PlusTek OpticFilm 7200 Negatives Scanner
The PlusTex 7200 Negatives Scanner is a dedicated film scanner capable of creating images upto 7200dpi (hence the name) which given the price means you get a decent quality scanner which is capable of high quality images for a very reasonable price.
Plustek OpticFilm 7200 combined with SilverFast SE makes it an ideal film scanner for most users including home users, photographers and small office / workshop users. The software provided is easy to use and has some great features / tools to get the best out of your scans.
Manufacturers Specification:
- Type: Film scanner
CCD image sensor
Document Size: 36.8 x 25.4 mm
35 mm slides
Resolution: 7200 x 7200 dpi
Connection USB 2.0
Transparent: Negatives and slides
Depth: 48 bit/pixel
Speed: Previewing: 10s
Scanning: 48s (with 3600 dpi)
Computer Interface: USB 2.0Compatibility: Windows 98SE, Me, 2000, XP
Pentium II or later
128 MB RAM (256 MB recommended)
160 MB HDD space (300 MB recommended)
USB port
CD driver
Included Software: LaserSoft SilverFast SE 6
NewSoft Presto! PageManager
NewSoft Presto! ImageFolio
NewSoft Presto! Mr. Photo
Adobe Acrobat Reader
QuickScan
Accessories: USB cable (1,5 m), power adapter, carrying bag, film holders
Other Slide viewer located on top of the scanner
High optical resolution and a fast scan speed means that the Plustek easily outperforms other film scanners in the same price range. Pre scans take around 25 seconds to complete with a good quality scan taking around 40 seconds, however should you wish to use the best settings available on this scanner the time will increase. When used with something like Polaroids free dust and scratch remover plugin the results can be improved further.
The PlusTex OpticFilm 7200 is available from Pixmania priced at £129.00 - click here
Ion Film 2 SD Negative Scanner
February 12, 2009 by admin
Filed under Firebox, Ion, Under £150
Film 2 SD Negative Scanner
What makes the Ion Film 2 SD Negative Scanner stand out from the rest in it’s price range is it’s ability to work on it’s own without the need for a computer. Using the built in colour digital screen you have the ability to view your slides once they are scanned and can then store them on the bundled 1GB SD Card.
Priced around the £120 mark the Ion scanner is worth a look for those wanting a basic but perfectly adequate film and slide scanner. With neat little touches such as the ability to flip, mirror and rotate the images the Ion is worth considering for the additional £20-£30 over the likes of the Veho previously reviewed.
The great thing about the SD card included is that you can then use the digital images it produces to display on your computer or through a digital photo frame, with the 1GB of storage the memory is good for at least 500-600 images at 5 megapixels. There is also the ability to upgrade upto 8GB of storage at a later date should you require.
You can of course use the scanner with your computer as a way of processing negatives should you need to.
Features:
The Ion Film 2 SD Scanner is available from Firebox - click here