Drum Scanners/High End Scanners: An intro

[sully75]

I know...another drum scanner thread. But reading the other ones, I have no idea what people are talking about as far as brands go.

If I was going to keep my eye out for a smallish high end flatbed or drum scanner, what would I be looking for? It's kind of hard to know, as there seems to be limited information since they are no longer made. I guess a lot of you have prior experience back to when people were making these new.

Anyway, if you could give some basic info on the brands and models that someone working out of a small office space could use, I would really appreciate it.

THanks
Paul

[photoSmart42]

Small-ish is a matter of perspective I suppose. I have a Screen Cezanne in my home office, and while it's not small (and it was certainly a pin in the butt to haul up a flight of stairs) I can't call it intrusive either. I also have an Epson V750, and I find that's it's still great for giving me quick proofs.

I suppose a high quality scanner that's smaller would something like an Imacon, Nikon, or Minolta Multi-Pro, but all of those are still really expensive (I only paid $1000 for my Cezanne).

[Lenny Eiger]

I use a Premier, its pretty small. Pretty expensive. Scanmasters are also reasonably small. Tangos's are large, so are the Dai-Nippon Screens. Other's can add a few more. Looking at your site, I'd say you want to be looking at a drum.

Lenny

[sully75]

Lenny, just for the record, why a drum for me?

Would a Creo Jazz or Jazz+ be on the list?

It seems like all the cheap scanners are on the west coast...

[Lenny Eiger]

Lenny, just for the record, why a drum for me?

Would a Creo Jazz or Jazz+ be on the list?

It seems like all the cheap scanners are on the west coast...

When I looked at your images, they seemed exceptionally crisp. Of course, this is only on a web site, but it would appear that excellent sharpness is part of your aesthetic, or part of what is important to you. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong.

Sharpness is something that drum scanners do very well. A Jazz would not compare. The scans are sharp to begin with and often do not need additional sharpening. Or, something with a radius of .2 vs something much larger. There is nothing like starting sharp....

Lenny

[Frank Petronio]

The Jazz was their entry level, cheapest scanner, pretty nice in it's day but by the time you get it and it's vintage computer system dialed in, you're still left with only 8-bit scans. For not much more money and equal effort you could do better.

[sully75]

No I would say that's true Lenny. Thanks for your observation. I'm wondering what sharpness my Epson 4870 is leaving on the floor...probably most of it.

So what drum scanner would I be looking for if I wanted to get a good balance of reasonable quality, ease of use and most importantly lowest price? They are all out of my budget. But I'd like to think about getting one in the nearish future.

[Lenny Eiger]

No I would say that's true Lenny. Thanks for your observation. I'm wondering what sharpness my Epson 4870 is leaving on the floor...probably most of it.

So what drum scanner would I be looking for if I wanted to get a good balance of reasonable quality, ease of use and most importantly lowest price? They are all out of my budget. But I'd like to think about getting one in the nearish future.

I always thought the howtek 4500 to be a good bargain. They're going for about $1500-$2500 these days...

Lenny

[Bodyslam]

Paul,
All the used drum scanners are actually incredibly cheap now compared to what they cost when they were being made and sold. They were made for the pre-press industry, when that still existed, and that industry could afford to buy these precision machines. Now they are being given away--sometimes literally. So it's conceivable that an individual photographer can get one and learn how to operate it, and scan his own work. Someone like Lenny, who's doing it as a business, might think it's worthwhile to buy one new, from a company that's still in business and who can provide support. For the rest of us cheapskates, it's the used market.

When I decided to follow this path a couple of years ago, I started trolling eBay and Craigslist. Eventually I found a Howtek 4500 with a couple of useable drums, a mounting station and a software dongle for $1500. And it was close enough that I could drive to pick it up. I've been happily scanning my own stuff ever since.

Aztek, in Southern California, bought the drum scanner business from Howtek, and they can still provide support. If my scanner developed major problems, however, it would be more cost-effective to buy another used one than repair this one. Not that there's anything wrong with the way they charge for their services--they are very nice folks and very supportive in keeping your scanner running. It's just that the used price has fallen so low that getting another machine is cheaper than a major overhaul.

When looking at the price of a used scanner, bear in mind that if it doesn't come with a mounting station, and at least one useable drum, and software, that you'll be spending hundreds of dollars additional for each of those.

[sully75]

OK cool...this is very helpful.

So should I just keep my eyes on the Howtek 4500...are there similar models that would be good?