I have not yet seen a seitex or nikon scanner not belt driven. The Tango and others are drum scanners.
Scanners with step motors are prone to the same questions you raise BTW.
Even an imacon has 2 drive belts. They are steel reinforced belts. When they fail, the machine does not work, but it does not happen over time. It either works or it does not, as is the case with all others.
Hi,
I raised the questions because someone (SURF) raised the issue, being 'there is a fundamental difference between belt driven scanners opposite lead screw driven scanners causing the former to generate geometrical distortions'. Apart from the fact which scanner uses which system, do you doubt this statement, or not? I'm just interested knowing the limitations of each system.
I agree. In the next couple of weeks I'll have the privilege to have permanent access to a Creo iQsmart3 scanner at home. I came to this thread while Googling. The claimed distortions are illustrated at the very beginning of this thread using ... indeed, the iQsmart3.
Thanks for your opinion.
And then all became quiet ...
Allow me to answer my own questions then, and that of many others I suppose.
I installed a Creo iQsmart3 from scratch: yesterday the hardware part, today the software part. All went well. I also went through a couple of (6x7) test scans. And I can tell you this:
There is not one sign of geometrical distortion on my samples. You can perfectly overlay two consecutive scans without moving one pixel! My faith in belt drive scanners is restored completely.
So what went wrong with the scans posted on the Collaborative Large Format Scanner Comparison?
http://www.largeformatphotography.in...n-comparison/#
I can only guess someone is either ...
- using the wrong Mac (iMac, Mac mini, MacBooks of any kind are not compatible with iQsmart scanners).
- using a messed up Mac OS X. Updating the OS over the internet causes the entire scanner installation to become invalid, and requires a reconfiguration from zero, including recalibrating the device!
- using the scanner while actively connected to a network.
- using a scanner that needs recalibration.
... or a combination of the above.
I have used a G5 MacBook Pro (ppc) before with the iQsmart3 and also experienced deformations. I was sceptical at first, but the difference using a G4 PowerMac (tower) is clear. They make a much better couple now.
Well, that's good news. Happy scanning!
“You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
― Alexander Den Heijer, Nothing You Don't Already Know
Last edited by SURF; 20-Nov-2017 at 15:55.
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