I would appreciate any observations those on the list have for scanners. I'm thinking about buying a scanner but don't want to spend a fortune (relative, I know, but let's say less than $300).

I would like to use for text as well as photos. I've heard about the dedicated photo/film scanners but that's a lot to spend, at least right now, for only that one function.

I'm planning to put a web site together and want to add the photos I've been taking.

Thanks,

Richard

-- Richard Rodriguez (rr154z@nih.gov), March 17, 2000

Answers

Our systems manager here where I work says there are several pretty good scanners on the market for under $300 and one he recommends is made by Hewlett Packard. I don't know the model or anything like that and he isn't here today so I can't ask him. I use a Fujiscan C-550 here at the magazine but it cost $40,000.

-- Joe Cole (jcole@apha.com), March 17, 2000.

Go ahead and spend the money for a Microtek Scanmaker 4. It can scan both film and paper.

-- (edbuffaloe@unblinkingeye.com), March 17, 2000.

Hi Richard,

After much soul searching I finally bought my first scanner a few days ago. I wanted to stay under $200.00. I have an Epson Stylus 600 Printer with which I am more than satisfied, it produces prints of my b&w's on watercolor paper, that absolutely blow me away. After reading many reviews, I decided to get an Epson scanner & the 1200U seemed to fill my present requirements, as well as my anticipated up-grade to a newer Epson printer that can handle bigger paper. This will give me the capability to do [what amounts to] '16x20' prints with the computer. As the name implies, the scanner will scan at 1200 dpi, and when I print from fiber paper, it gives me razor sharp results. Drop me a line if you would like more detail.

chris

-- Christian Harkness (chris.harkness@eudoramail.com), March 17, 2000.

Generally youll get much better results by scanning the original slide or negative rather than a print. Have you considered having your negatives scanned at a lab or camera shop? Scanning to PhotoCD is not expensive. Ask at a Ritz or some other camera chain store.

-- Mark Rovetta (1234hods@gte.net), March 17, 2000.

The quality you get from a scanner depends on what you feed it. I'm testing Agfa Scala film. The B&W slides look wonderful - but my "under $300" Umax scanner makes them look awful. On the other hand, a Nikon Cool Scan 1000 makes them look wonderful. Botton line is - for the web a cheap scanner is OK, for fine art - better to spend the money. OR, have your images transfered to photo CD; relatively inexpensive (up to $12/15 each), and wonderful resolution from sildes or negs.

-- Michael Blackwell (joaquin@airmail.net), March 31, 2000.

I agree with what Michael says about having your image negatives/slides scanned at a local photo shop or chain... The advantage for me, as a 'still-practicing' amature, is that I only have the best frames on each roll scanned. I pay the initial $10.00 for the CD and then $2.00 for each frame; a CD will hold approximately 108 scanned images. The only time this is expensive is if I am happy with more than a few shots on the same roll, which is not the 'usual', but the exception! Eventually, I will want my own scanner--and a good one--but only when I feel I am worth the expense. In the meantime, I am going to buy an inexpensive flatbed, so that I might try my hand at creating some personal graphics and to scan some old family pictures that are damaged and have long ago been seperated from their negatives. If you would like to see the results that I have, you can go to my 'amature' web site, and at the bottom you will be able to choose from a page of B&W, or some color samples: http://home.earthlink.net/~cwaldvogel/ "Good Luck!"

-- Carol Waldvogel (cwaldvogel@earthlink.net), April 08, 2000.

I appreciate the comments of others and agree it is a good idea to use the labs for scanning unless you have a great deal to do. I do B&W in medium format and understand scanning is $10 to $12 per frame vs. about $0.90 to $1.00 for each frame of 35mm. Does anyone know a "discount house" for medium format scanning? Thanks, aybrown@mindspring.com

-- A. Y. Brown (aybrown@mindspring.com), April 09, 2000.

Learn to do your own. James

-- james (james_mickelson@hotmail.com), April 09, 2000.