Re: Epson 1600 scanner - First Impressions

[Jerry Olson <jerryolson@rrv.net>]

John, Thanks for the report. Sounds Positive! Could you answer 2 questions? (My
scanner will be here today), but I'm anxious....

Is there a way to scan 24x65mm 35mm panoramic film? Will one of the film
holders accept this size, or could you cut a frame dividing line from the 35mm
negative holder?

Where do you order the Silverfast software for $99 for this scanner? I'd like
to order a copy right away.

Jerry





John Brubaker wrote:

> Hi All - I received my Epson 1600 scanner this morning (pro model with trans
> adapter, but not FireWire).  Connection to a PC was quick and easy via USB
> cable and quick software installation.  The Epson scanning software is not
> overly featured, but is adequate.  The scanner itself is heavy and appears
> well made, unlike the 1200U which is very light weight and mostly plastic.
> The film holders lay on the glass bed and hold the film up off the glass by
> a couple of mm., so newton rings will not be a problem. The software knows
> to shift focus a bit when transp. adapter is in use.  Now, how are the
> scans? First a bit of background to establish credibility.  In the photo lab
> where I work, we have 2 Agfa Duoscans, and an Imacon Flextite Precision II
> scanner.  The Imacon is a $15,000 unit with quality approaching drum
> scanners.  I first scanned two 4x5" Ektachrome transparencies using one of
> the Agfa scanners at 800 ppi (which is our usual resolution for 300 dpi
> Sienna prints).  Curves were used in the Agfa software to adjust density and
> overall color before the actual scans.  After saving these images, I
> rebooted with the Epson 1600 connected and scanned the same two transp.
> again at 800 ppi. with curve adjustments in the Epson software.  There was
> no unsharp masking used with either scanner.  The results - scans from the
> Epson were noticeably sharper, with better information in the shadows than
> the Agfa scans.  I've had many, many hours of experience with the Agfa
> Duoscans, and about 5 minutes with the Epson, so I was immediatly impressed,
> as was another technician who works with me. At my place of work, we scan
> lots of wood furniture transp., often walnut or dark mahogony finish in
> moody lighting - these are very challenging for any scanner.  I picked
> another transparency with lots of dark wood in semi-shadow, scanned again at
> 800 ppi resulting in a very nice scan with good detail in the shadow area.
> One more quick test - my 35mm scanner test slide containing very tiny print
> from the stock report section of the Wall St. Journal.  I scanned first at
> 800 ppi, and then again at 1600 ppi to see if more detail would be captured.
> The 1600 ppi scan did contain more detail in the form of more readable text
> and more generally better definition of the font characters.   I cannot say
> if the scanner is really operating at a true 1600 ppi, but I can say that
> there was an improvement.  So my quick conclusion as of today - The Epson
> 1600 is a real winner in its price range.  The Agfa Duoscans were about
> $2400 when they were purchased, and I think they still sell for about that.
> The Epson at $1100 makes better scans even though the software is not as
> full-featured as Agfa's.  I did not compare the Epson to the Imacon scanner
> because it wouldn't be fair - they're not in the same league.  I've ordered
> the Silverfast software at the bargain price of $99 and will try that on
> Thursday when it's supposed to arrive.  Someone asked about the 1200U
> scanner compared to the 1600, and I can only say that you get what you pay
> for.  The 1200 is a very nice scanner in its price range, but not near as
> good as the 1600.  Regards --- John.
>
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