I am looking for a scanner that will be primarily used for text and line art, but is also able to scan medium format transparencies and 35mm negatives. Is there a scanner like this for under $1000. Thanks.

-- larry mullin (lmullin@bellatlantic.net), July 20, 1999

Answers

Hello Larry, There are some things out there which will do what you want to do, but you will be disappointed with your film scans (so far as my experience goes to date). I have an Agfa ArcusII which will scan film up to 8x10 as well as flat art, and it does a good job on 8x10 film, but smaller than that I find too many artifacts. At home I have a Plustek OpticPro 9636T with the film/transparency adapter and have been particularly underwhelmed by the film results. I have two Linocolor flatbeds on order, but not sure when they will come in. I have two Kodak 3570 film scanners at work and they do a pretty good job of scanning negatives and transparencies, but for 4x5 scans i am pretty much left out in artifact hell. If the majority of what you do is flat art then by all means invest in a good flat art scanner and when you need a film scan go out to a service bureau and get a GOOD quality drum scan. It is worth it.

Fred Deaton NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Imaging Services

-- fred deaton (fdeaton@airnet.net), July 21, 1999.