Scanner Reviews

Although seemingly expensive, I found this unit extremely worthwhile. I originally bought it to use on my Super Coolscan LS-2000 (it is compatible with both the LS-2000 and 4000 ED and actually comes in the color of either scanner).

I bought it to catalog over 2500 slides that date back to the 1970s. I wanted to remove them from the Kodak Carousels and organize them in archival boxes and trays, which I did.

This scanner enabled me to place my long, lost images in a slide catalog program which I can edit with key words and retrieve with ease. When I find an image on screen, its coding enables me to reach into a storage box and find the corresponding slide within seconds.

When using the slide scanner, I did not scan at optimum resolution--it would take too long. I just wanted scans to help me to identify an image for cataloging. When I view my on-screen catalog and identify an image I wish to use as a fine-art print, I retrieve it and rescan it using the best parameters.

The slide scanner will scan 50 slides at a time. When first trying it, several slides jammed. The slide mounts were made of various materials and thicknesses. The slot through which the slide enters is only one size, large. Sometimes two slides with thin mounts would enter. There is a trick I learned from others who have used this feeder. Place a credit card at the entrance to create a more narrow slot. Attach the credit card on the feeder wall with double sided-tape. I found I needed two slot sizes. Once having done this, the slide feeding was just about flawless--although once in awhile I would get a jam.

Once you get the knack, you can batch scan with ease.

Despite dramatic improvements in digital photography, film is still preferred by many photographers. For them, the Polaroid SprintScan 4000 (...) combines the highest resolution in a desktop film scanner with fast performance, excellent image quality, and a remarkably easy-to-use interface.

The SprintScan is a 36-bit film scanner with an optical resolution of 4,000 by 4,000 ppi and dynamic range of 3.4. By comparison, the top resolution of the Nikon SuperCoolScan (...) is 2,700 by 2,700 ppi, with a dynamic range of 3.2.

Matte-black and compact, the SprintScan comes with a SCSI-2 interface, a cable, a controller board, and AdvanSys's Super SCSI setup utilities. Also included are two carriers for 35-mm strips and slides; an optional APS film adapter is available.

The unit also ships with a quick-start guide and a single page with instructions for installing under Windows NT. The main documentation is a 74-page PDF file. Though useful for novices, the documentation lacks detailed explanations and scan tips for pros.

Setup and installation are relatively simple, so long as you follow the recommended sequence of events. For instance, you must insert the film carrier after (not before) the driver loads, or the computer "loses" the SCSI connection.

Although the Mac version can be installed as a Photoshop plug-in, the PC version is not Twain-compliant, so you can't scan directly into any application. Also, no provisions are supplied for creating scripts, saving images in 12-bit color, or preserving customized settings as default values.

Scanning with the SprintScan is fast and easy. The PolaColor Insight interface is intuitive and offers an impressive variety of manual and automatic tools.

The SprintScan took only 20.4 seconds to scan a 12.8MB slide. But this blazing speed is somewhat tempered by a 49.5-second auto-calibration routine and by the time needed to name and save a file and then open it in an application. Image quality is excellent and holds up even when magnified. Colors are accurate and tonality is very good.

Though the Polaroid Sprint Scan 4000 has occasional limitations, its image quality is superb. The scanner leapfrogs over the competition in price, ease of use, and most important, high-resolution scans.

Very easy to setup this copier, software installed exactly as expected. Software includes product manager software that was very clear when I had an early error during the setup. The software gave me the instructions to fix the error and it worked! The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is the lack of faxing, but the printing and copying is very good and exceptionally fast. I have tried similar products by HP and the Shartp was much faster and easier to install.

I bought the AL-841 because I needed a home copier and also to replace an obsolete laser printer. On balance, I love this unit. Installation was quick & easy with the supplied CD. The AL-841 doesn't need to be connected to a computer to copy. Stand-alone copying is fast, with excellent reproduction quality. If you are making multiple copies, it only needs to scan the original once, unlike some low-end copiers which need to scan the orignal for every copy. The front panel has standard zoom/reduction options along with continuous stepping.

As a laser printer it is very good. It takes a few seconds to start printing, but is fast once it gets going. Output is clear & sharp. I like the fairly straight paper path; it handles card stock easier than the "U" shaped path of some printers.

The things that prevent a 5 star rating are the lack of a document feeder for the copier/scanner, and scanning is only in gray scale, not color. Also, this is a Windows-only machine; it is not Mac or Linux capable. Since this was a recent purchase, I can't comment on the longevity or price of a replacement toner cartridge.

The Sharp AL-841 is a good choice for someone who needs a light duty copier/printer for home or a small office.

The Uniden 250D does a fine job of receiving the digital transmissions of my local police department (CT State PD). You should be aware that as this device ships it is unable to decode the digital signal. You must purchase an add-in board that is essentially the digital decoder. This approximately doubles the cost of the Uniden Scanner.

Perhaps the biggest issue I have with this device is battery life. If I get 4 hours that's a lot. This is fine when you are home bound and near the charger - however when you go on the road it is a pain as the device tends to eat the batteries rather quickly. And since Uniden uses a proprietary battery pack - your power choices are somewhat limited (meaning you can't just pop in AA cells like you can with the Radio Shack devices).

If you can get by the problem with the power, the only other issue I've had is the audio quality. Depending on your location and signal strength the audio on digital signals varies tremendously. It can waiver between a cartoonish pitch and near normal tone. This audio quality can be adjusted to some extent though a competing model from Radio Shack exhibits a much stronger audio quality that does not ever appear to require adjustment.

On the plus side, the 250D will decode I-Call (sort of a private side to the trunked frequencies that many agencies use without realizing how easily receivable they are). Competing similar radios from RadioShack do not offer the I-Call on their digital models (yet).

I would definitely re-purchase the 250D again -- and would be wildly enthusiastic about it if Uniden would chuck that awful proprietary battery pack and just go with rechargeable AA batteries.

A great scanner if you want to monitor digital signals and you have the budget. Read the technical details on this model to make sure it will receive the signals near your house. If you are going to monitor digital - remember you need a special board at an additional (significant) cost. Also the 250D won't monitor certain flavors of digital signals -- if you browse the net you can find plenty of sites with much more detailed techical reviews.

This isn't a bad little scanner, although I find the Paperport 8.0 a bit cumbersome, compared to 7.0. The set-up is fairly easy with USB and it scans various documents nicely, although it can slip a bit when scanning photos.
This is a light-weight scanner, making it a great addition to travelling with a laptop. Also, it doesn't take up a lot of room on the desk. The only thing I can fault it for is the lack of the document diverter, such as on the Strobe Pro.
4 stars because of the software, although I admit that I am used to 7.0's features.

I haven't had this scanner for very long, but I have already made more than 500 scans with it, and it's is awesome. The preview scan is ridiculously quick: I can get a good idea of what my scan will look like in less than a couple of seconds. The software bundle is very nice for a beginner, wherein you can make automatic scans for email, web, file outputs with the push of the respective button on the scanner body. I tried the software out a few times and I was impressed with the results, but if you're using Photoshop you don't need to install the whole package. It only took a few minutes to set the thing up and do my first scan, which was pretty cool.

Once you gain more confidence with the different elements in a scan (namely the relationship image size and resolution have with file size) you can use TWAIN for a more manual approach. This allows you to adjust your settings based on what your requirements for your final project are. For example, I could scan a postage stamp-sized picture at a high resolution and enlarge it into an 8" x 10" photo or larger and the quality would still look pretty good. Your final scan speed will depend on the resolution you've selected , but it's still fast at higher resolutions. The lower the resolution, the faster the scan time.

I love using TWAIN, especially since it only took a few trial runs to figure it out. It's calculations for file size, resolution, and image size are all right there, so there's no guess work needed from you. Epson also provides pretty good documentation for doing things manually for your first time (like a reference table for your final output on projects for web, negatives, photos, text, etc.). The color has been consistently sharp and the resolution very crisp, on both the flatbed and the transparency unit.

Notice, however, that this is not a portable scanner. It's bigger than some on the market and it is powered by an external power supply. But it is perhaps the best model on the market for projects that require excellent quality whether your project is personal or semi-profesional.

A great scanner, but it took a little time for me to set it up with the software. Called service at Epson and was so impressed with them. Problem I had with setup was that I had not uninstalled my UMAX software (previous scanner) and there were conflicts. Once I took it off, no problem. Called Epson service later to find out how to use the descreen function in order to scan pics from magazines without getting a moire pattern, but the tech guy said he'd have another more knowledgeable guy call me. The new service tech was top notch and spent (his dime) more than an hour with me on the phone showing me how to set up the scanning for special effects, color adjustments, descreening, and so much more. I recommend you use the "manual" setup rather than the automatic scan setup, and if you have Photoshop you don't need to install their image editing software. Great service. Great scanner. They have a newer one now, model 1660, which I assume is even better.

Bought for scanning several family photo albums onto CDs for members of the family. 800+ pictures later, the 1650-Photo is still buzzing along without any gliches.
Installation was easy, done with clear printed directions (onto a Mac G4 running OS 9.2)
The scanner does a quick pre-scan to produce an image you can see to make whatever adjustments for framing, color, contrast, shadow & highlight levels you desire. If you use the Auto mode instead, the software is so "smart" that it will usually produce results as good as you can do using the adjustments mode.
Once you are satisfied with the pre-scan image, you click on "scan", which the 1650 does in about 4 seconds. Thumbnail images of each scanned photo are displayed, along with the option to type in a name for each.
The picture files can be saved into several file types. If you chose .jpg you can adjust the file size, going small for e-mail use, to large for making paper prints.
I have not yet made any scans of photo negatives, but have of jewelry and maps and they turn out great! An excellent product at a very reasonable price.

Okay, so this is HP's newest all-in-one.
As expected of these All-in-one's not all features are equally good, so I'll review each of them separately.

Printer: A+
This is real Photo-printer. I printed 3 4"x6" photos captured by my digital camera at 1600x1200 resolution, on the FREE sample Premium Plus Photo Glossy provided. Result? Absolute TOP notch. There's simply no way anyone can tell that the photos were not developed at a Kodak studio.

Copier: A-
You can use the copier without having to turn on your computer. I copied a color photo (of a face) in black and white mode, and it looked pretty decent. Document copy was excellent. Copying great photos (sunset) is not so good because of the scanner... see next item.

Scanner: B-
I tried scanning a stunning sunset photo taken from my SLR film camera. The result was disappointing. There are noticeable scan lines in the scanned image. It looked bad when "Set as desktop background". Didnt even try printing it. Text scanning was ok though...

Package: A-
Contents include: Printer, Power-cord, Free Glossy paper samples, good imaging software. All you need after getting your printer is a USB cable (why can't they bundle it??). I picked up a $7 USB2 6ft cable at local [store].

Overall Verdict: A
For the price, it beats HP's own photo printers hands down. (and they don't even copy/scan). So if you need a photo printer, with a decent copier and ok scanner, PSC1210 is the way to go. Not to mention that its the smallest All-in-one available. However, if you're looking to scan top-notch images to burn on a CD, invest in a standalone scanner. My friend has a epson perfection which scanned the sunset shot just fine.

hp PSC-1210

Pro's,
1. Small & good looking.
2. Printer & copier work well.
3. Uses same ink as many other hp printers, so finding correct one at local store is easy.
4. Lots of controls on the panel.
5. Works fine without color ink cartridge (in something hp calls "reserve mode") for B&W prints & copies.
6. Black ink is reasonably priced for occasional users.

Con's,
1. Ink pricing is a rip off, but so is the case with Lexmark, Epson, etc.
2. Paper tray holds very few sheets.

3. Build quality is below average (for example Epson C84 is much better).
4. Even after paying high price, hp black #56 ink isn't really black. Epson C84 with durabrite ink has much better & blacker prints.
5. Prints slowly.
6. Uses a smart chip on ink tanks, so generic ink can't be used.

I paid a low price for a refurbished one and plan to use it as an occasional copier. If you need a copier & printer go for 1210. If only a printer is needed go for Epson C84 or Canon i450 or Samsung ML-1710 laser.

This is by far the best unit I have owned and it is my third HP. I like the speed of the printer and the fact that the ink is dry. No smearing! The scanner is quick and accurate, so is the copier. I like the fact that the computer does not have to be on to copy something too. All in all it is worth the money and I am very pleased with it.

The features on the hp psc 2200 series all-in-one are really wonderful, when they work. After about 6 months, problems started to arise. The first was the photo card getting stuck and not releasing. Called support and went through all kinds of instructions to no avail. Got cut off from India somehow and immediately called back. I think I got someone in the USA because there was no accent and was immediately put through to a technician who argreed that the machine was faulty and to please return it when the "reconditioned" replacement arrived.

The next machine worked for about 3 months and then started having problems, all lights flashing, refusing to do anything.
Talked to India again, after trying all sorts of things, nothing worked and I was told that they would replace it, BUT then they said that the machine was out of warranty and was registered to someone else (from the serial # info). I explained that it was a reconditioned replacement and still couldn't get any satisfaction. I finally asked for a supervisor and got the same song and dance, finally he asked for my receipt to be forwarded to them, I explained that I didn't have the receipt, they said get it over the internet and print it out, I said, "HOW" The printer won't work. Finally, after me going into hysterics, they agreed to send ANOTHER replacement. I ended up returning it unopened as my son came and found the problem and fixed it.
Since then, I have had more problems with the FAX, but now they
have mysteriously cleared up! My warrenty will be up in about a week or so and after reading about how one consumer was told that he would be charged $58 to talk to a technician, I am getting nervous. As I said, great machine, but lots of problems and lousy support. I would suggest that HP consider getting their support back to the good old USA. I would never buy one again.

It all started out when I wanted a nice flatbed scanner that would work with my GNU/Linux desktop computer. I quickly found that a decent scanner was going to cost me. It was at this point that I realized that since my printer had been on the fritz, I might as well get a MFD so that I would have two devices in less space.

The PSC 2210 is everything I wanted and more. It works nicely as a copier, and the scanner seems to be really top notch. Likewise the printer produces sharp, crisp text and life-like photos very quickly using the drivers HP developed for Linux. The built in photo card reader with index prints and easy print selection make this device even better. Oh, and as an added bonus, you can mount the memory sticks or other photo cards through the PSC 2210 under Linux for convenient access!

If you are looking for a high quality printer and/or scanner, I highly recommend this unit. HP officially supports it under GNU/Linux, which is a big plus for those of us who prefer something other than Windows. So what are you waiting for? Click that order button...

I've owned my HP2210 now for about two weeks and I love it. I've used almost all of the photo print capabilities and find them to be excellent. This is particularly unusual since I am a 35MM photo buff. The quality on the 2210, using the 58 print cartridge and HP photo paper is consistant with my 35MM prints. I've enlarged existing 3.5 X 5 prints to 8 X 10, printed digital shots and printed shots E-mailed to me. They are absolutely beautiful. The install went without a hitch following HP's install poster. I run Win XP and had no problems with the software. The unit does have a large footprint on my desk but with this kind of capability...who cares. The black printing is comparable to other inkjet printers, just fine of home use. The copy capability is very good for our light useage. I've used the scanner and it's output is very good, like other HP top quality scanners. I haven't faxed anything yet. we are not heavy fax users. I wanted the capability just in case. Overall, I see this unit lasting us for years and giving us a home capability comparable to any small office.

I have owned the HP 6110 All-In-One for over a year now and have experienced numerous problems with the product. First the machine has a propensity to "disconnect" from the PC for no reason, forcing a reboot of the PC to reconnect. The HP "Customer Service" people and I use that term loosely indicated that they had never had anyone report this problem. I told the Customer Service Manager that this was an obvious software issue, which he denied was the case. Yet, a few months later there was a software patch on their website to fix this problem. (The patch cut the frequency of this problem somewhat, but did not fix the problem.) Second, the paper handler picks up two pieces of paper frequently when performing double sided printing (which was the primary reason I bought the product in the first place), resulting in pages for a two sided document. Third, the ink cartridges are of small capacity and have to refilled or changed often, which is expensive. The scan and copy functions work satisfactorily, but the printer function is of very poor reliability.

I almost didnt buy this MFD because of the negative reviews but boy am I glad that I threw caution to the wind. After a year of printing regular docs on my LExmark X73, I bought a digital camera and found that the X73 would lock up about 3 inches into printing a picture. After two weeks of trading emails with LExmark Tech Support, they copped out and blamed it on the application I was using. Pretty weak argument given that I couldnt print using 4 different photo applications! Do yourself a favor, stay away for Lexmark products. So, I bought the 6110 last night, had it hooked up in less than 15 minutes following the installation poster to load the software on a Windows XP system, hook up the printer, and print my first test photos. Thats when I was left in awe. This was a "test print" so I didnt massage the photos at all from my Fuji 3800 (Great Camera by the way) or use HP's photo paper or even swap to the photo ink cartridge. I used some old glossy photo paper and printed two 5x7's on one 8.5x11 sheet. When I grabbed the print as it popped out of the printer, I couldnt believe my eyes. I cant find any dot patterns at all, the colors are as true as when I was standing there taking the picture and overall is every bit as good as a print from a photo processor. I Highly recommend this product.

Pros:

You can't beat the price for this multi-function printer. Does a great job scanning (with options to email, imaging, word, etc.). The print quality is better than I expected (I really didn't buy it for the printer, but the other "functions"). And the Auto-document feeder is great for copying and faxing.

CONS:
*Can't Network - Only supports USB (and parallel). I wanted to connect this printer to another computer but "operate" it from another...couldn't do it (you can share the printer through the network, but you can only use the software on the connected computer).

*No Fax Software. You can't send a fax from your computer using the printer, nor can you store faxes for viewing before printing. Bummer. I get fax spammed so much, I would have loved to preview and delete if I didn't want the fax (without printing). Even my 4 year old HP all-in-one did that!

Overall a good product, but falls short of totally satisfying me. Then again, I can't argue much due to the price.