Scanner Reviews

I listened to a rep at a local computer store and purchased the UMAX e5470. After using it for just under 2 years, I am amazed that UMAX is still in business. The software in marginal at best. The scanner is SLOWWWWWW. Look at the UMAX web site as to what it takes to install the scanner under XP. 3 pages of instructions on how to update device drivers. Finally, the main light source burnt out. UMAX now wants $127 + to fix it. Now I have the needed reason to dump this in the trash can and get a real scanner, maybe HP or Cannon.

I've had this scanner for less than 6 months and it's worked less than half of the time. It began giving me problems 8 weeks after I bought it by making a heinous clicking sound instead of scanning. I've tried to email Umax 3 times and have been ignored each time. I'm not usually one to dog a company in public, but this is worth noting. I've been using Umax scanners for 5 years and this is my first problem, but it unfortunately makes me wary of dealing with them again in the future.

The scanning specifications of the Umax Astra e5470 seem appealing. I chose this unit because of the indicated resolution, built-in transparency adapter, and reasonable price. I was not impressed.

I spent a long day experimenting with this scanner, and I found that both reflective and transparency scans always come out blurry, even without cropping and/or enlarging the image. The result of scanning a photograph is dissatisfying, and the result of scanning a transparency is simply unacceptable. Scanned transparencies come out unclear and without true color, plus there are always disturbing lines down the middle of the scanned image because the transparency light reads and records imagery from the internal scanner parts which are located right underneath the area where it is necessary to place a negative/transparency. Aside from this, the included software is not good. I returned the scanner after one day of throughly frustrating use.

I ordered the Scan Maker with high hopes due to the outstanding ratings that I reviewed on many sites. I am not a techie, and was impressed by those reviews. However, once I received the scanner and called for help in setting it up, my hopes declined dramatically. You have 3 options for support. 90 days free basic support, $15 per incident for "advanced troubleshooting", and email support. There is also what is called "General Consulting" support @ $30 per call up to 30 minutes, and $1 per minute after that.

None of the calls are to 800 numbers.

The support you get is non-existent. The operators ask what is the problem, then they immediately send you a pre-written email. Which in my case, wasn't what I needed. After calling again (at my cost during the 90 days free help) I got another person who sent me a different email. That did help, but it didn't answer all my questions.

The Auto Document Feeder is weird. The primary "part" needed to guide the paper and cover the glass during the auto-feed is a little plastic piece that is not easy to put in place.

Don't even get me started on the manual and what it says about how the feeder is supposed to work.

Maybe you need to be a techie to operate the user-friendly, easy to operate scanner.

Needless to say, I'll be trying HP next.

Impossible is the word to describe trying to get in touch with Microtek customer service. Not only is the product extremely unreliable, but customer service and technical support would rather you not call them if you have problems. I have owned two Microtek scanners, both products not supported by the manufacturer

The software for this scanner is a joke. Tech support is no help. Our computer now automatically connects to our ISP (AOL) everytime it is turned on. We still can't send a scanned image as e-mail. The manuals that come with the scanner are pathetic and offer virtually no help. We are returning this scanner and will look at HP scanners. Don't waste your time with this one.

The software which came with this product Umax Astra e3470 was a nightmare. The scanner would turn itself on and scan the lid of the scanner then print a picture of the lid, while I was on another program, even the internet, two to three times a day. My computer stopped shutting down properly. My only hope was to uninstall this software. My computer is now on the mend. Teck support is a lost hope with Umax. They want you to find out what their problems are with their software, then let them know. My computer is a Gateway Performance 1000 with Windows Me.

If you have a choice between getting VD and getting this scanner, pick VD.

I have been looking for one of these for so long. Well, long story short, I finally got one. I just want to know, how did I make it 37 years without having one of these available to me? It's really amazing that such a gadget is available. I know you will think it is expensive, and it is. But when you make use of it, you will agree that it was worth every penny. I can't wait for the next model to come out, I hear it's going to be even better!

I purchased a new Multipass C530 hoping to use it with my laptop computer, operating under Windows 2000. I quickly learned that using the C530 with my laptop was very inconvenient. The drivers for the fax/scanner interfere with the operating system start-up when disconnected from the C530. Canon tech support suggests that laptop users load the BJC-4000 drivers and set the C530 to DOS print mode. Evidently this works for some, but not for me. Best to use the C530 for desktop computers only.

I bought this product with the intent of digitizing my family's photo collection, both pictures and negatives. It hasn't worked out.

The auto photo feeder continually jams, I cannot simply put in a stack of photos and wait for it to finish - I have to poke and prod the photos through. Every few pictures, the photo will fail to eject completely out by a couple of millimeters, and the HP software will hang and I have to REBOOT my computer to continue. It does this with brand new prints as well as older ones. I got it working OK with a stack of stiff 3x5 index cards - but it just doesn't work for me with photos. It's great if you want to scan a bunch of blank cards.

The TMA (Transparent Material Adapter) for slides and negatives is a pain to use. You have to use a two piece carrier to put the film into, then put it into the TMA, then remove the feeder, and then put the TMA onto the flatbed. It's easy to scratch your negatives while jamming them into the carrier used with the TMA. I did a couple of rolls of 35mm film; it took so long I gave up on that feature.

The software controls for adjusting the scan are difficult to use and to learn. Maybe I am just used to PhotoShop, I just quit messing with it cause it took so long.

The only thing I use my 5500c for now is copying documents and scanning a few pictures on the flatbed. I could have gotten something for a lot less money that would do this.

The manual might as well not be there. For example, I got a flashing error "22" on the scanner's display, and tried to find out what it was. It wasn't in the manual or in the help. I finally figured out I had the TMA in backwards (it fits in perfectly well in both the right and wrong orientation), but the documentation was no help at all.

Several emails to HP were no help. The scanner is what it is, I guess. It didn't cost a lot and doesn't really do much. Having the TMA and the auto feeder on this scanner is like a dancing bear - you are not amazed at how well it dances, just that it dances at all.

I read a good review of this scanner on a different website and decided to purchase it based on that review and the price. The moment I unpacked the scanner I noticed it had lint/dust UNDER the scanner glass which will show up when you scan your photos.. I e-mailed the maker of the scanner and they never e-mailed me back. Today I turned on the scanner and tried to scan a photo and it started to make a really awful noise and I could not close the program that is used with the scanner. The photo I tried to scan was a bunch of black and gray lines. Considering that the maker of the scanner wouldn't respond to my question about the lint under the glass and that I have had the scanner under 30 days and it has already "died" and now I have to return it I would recommend you look elsewhere for a scanner.

I have nothing good to say about this scanner. The image quality is very poor, it is slow, the bundled software is awful, and there is a bug in their driver. I have used it with two computers, and AMD-K6 200mHz running Win98 and a Pentium 3 933mHz running WinXP, and with both computers it did the same thing: It worked fine for a while, and then it would just stop working and I would get an error message telling me that there is a problem with the SCSI host adapter. I don't even have one! My scanner is connected to the Parallel port. Argh. It was so frustrating; I would not recommend this scanner to anyone. Go buy a cheap Canon.

I purchased this scanner (PF3600Pro) because it offered a lot of bang for the buck. With 3600 DPI and a DMAX of 3.6 it seemed like a really great scanner for under $. Well my experience with this scanner is not so great.

My original scanner was sent back to Pacific Image for replacement because it was loud and had trouble scanning film. Plus it was scratching the film. You could see scan lines at 3600 DPI.

The replacement just ate one of my strips of negatives and is also has a problem seeing scan lines at 3600 DPI. So now I wait for my second RMA.

It has the option of feeding strips up to 40 exposure of 35mm film or single slides. Forget the slides. It's a lousy slide scanner. Scans are way too dark.

My suggestion is to get a Nikon Coolscan IV or 4000. They cost about $ and $ respectively.