<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: hardware good; software -- needs improvement
Review: I bought this about 2 years ago for quite a princely sum and have had a pretty good time using it. The resolution is satisfactory, but the main problems are:- very grainy image at the pixel level; adjacent pixels are often jarringly different from each other in color; averaging them over an area produces the correct result, but with loss of detail(especially with people's eyes). Since I like to make large size poster prints, this is a problem for me. Shouldn't affect anyone working with 11" x 17" or less. - Software that removes blemishes from the image softens it too much. I've just given up on this "feature" and instead use the Photoshop rubberstamp tool to get rid of blemishes and scratches in the negative.
Rating: 
Summary: Complete piece of junk.
Review: This is a poorly made scanner. It produces poor images, the software is very cumbersome, it is extremely slow, and worst of all is that it does not work half the time. Actually mine is going back to Polaroid tommorrow because the unit keeps trying to spit out the slide tray. Don't waste your money.
Rating:
Summary: Complete piece of junk.
Review: This is a poorly made scanner. It produces poor images, the software is very cumbersome, it is extremely slow, and worst of all is that it does not work half the time. Actually mine is going back to Polaroid tommorrow because the unit keeps trying to spit out the slide tray. Don't waste your money.
Rating: 
Summary: Solid but dated
Review: This scanner is a sturdy piece of engineering that reminds me of the original IBM PC's of the early 80's: heavy, a bit over-engineered, but somewhat dated in its approach. Everything you need is included, even a SCSI card and cable for PC owners (it uses the ancient Centronics-style connector) and a Euro-style power cable as well as the US version. The software definitely needs work. For Windows 2000, it requires you to install ASPI drivers even though Win2k has its own improved SCSI interface, which all software claiming to be Win2k compatible should use. I wish I could talk about how the scanner has worked for me, but it hasn't. Instead, after I installed the ASPI software on my Win2k system, the system wouldn't boot. It appears that the ASPI install procedure trashed a critical system directory in my Win2k installation directory. In fact, even the emergency repair procedure failed, and I had to reinstall Win2k and all my software. I'm going to return this unit, and I'll buy one of the new Nikon scanners that should be available soon. When a hardware product sells for $1300+, you shouldn't have to use dated, incompatible, and potentially dangerous software to control it.
Rating:
Summary: Solid but dated
Review: This scanner is a sturdy piece of engineering that reminds me of the original IBM PC's of the early 80's: heavy, a bit over-engineered, but somewhat dated in its approach. Everything you need is included, even a SCSI card and cable for PC owners (it uses the ancient Centronics-style connector) and a Euro-style power cable as well as the US version. The software definitely needs work. For Windows 2000, it requires you to install ASPI drivers even though Win2k has its own improved SCSI interface, which all software claiming to be Win2k compatible should use. I wish I could talk about how the scanner has worked for me, but it hasn't. Instead, after I installed the ASPI software on my Win2k system, the system wouldn't boot. It appears that the ASPI install procedure trashed a critical system directory in my Win2k installation directory. In fact, even the emergency repair procedure failed, and I had to reinstall Win2k and all my software. I'm going to return this unit, and I'll buy one of the new Nikon scanners that should be available soon. When a hardware product sells for $1300+, you shouldn't have to use dated, incompatible, and potentially dangerous software to control it.
Rating:
Summary: Polaroid Sprintscan 4000 (original model)
Review: Unlike others here, I have generally had a good experience with my Sprintscan 4000. I bought my first one in 1999 when they first appeared on the market ... It was the first 4000 ppi slide/film scanner available and I upgraded from a 2700 ppi Nikon Coolscan. (I also have Sprintscan's half brother - a Microtek Artixscan 4000f - mechanically identical but different case & software). The original PolaColor Insight software was buggy, but later versions improved. The current version (v. 5.5.1) and firmware upgrade (free downloads) work fine. The scan resolution and sharpness are quite good - I've made prints up to 16x24 that look fantastic. If you plan to spend $800 or more then buy a Nikon or Minolta with Digital Ice, but if you can pick up a Sprintscan 4000 for $300 and can live without the "Ice" then go for it! Forget the Silverfast - it's not that great. The Microtex scanner works well too but the software is not as good as Polaroid's and they are not cross-compatible. Look into Vuescan (Hamrick.com)- It'll drive both scanners and produces better scans from negatives than either native software.
<< 1 >>
| 
