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Microtek’s Scanmaker i800 is one loooong flatbed scanner: 22.6 inches long, to be exact. But then, most flatbeds can only scan originals up to 8.5x11 inches. The i800 scans up to 8.5x14-inch prints—great for panoramas. It also does up to 8x12-inch film and has holders for 35mm, 110/120 film strips, and 4x5 negatives or chromes. These solid, easy-to-use holders have a new design that uses rubber grips to hold your film flat. And the i800 sports both Hi-Speed USB 2.0 and FireWire connections, scans and outputs in 48-bit color. Best of all, it will only set you back $360 (street).
The i800 scored an Extremely High rating on our color accuracy test on prints (Delta E: 9.93) and an Excellent rating on the same test on Kodak Ektachrome slide film (Delta E: 7.69). The 4800x9600-dpi resolution is more than enough for large blowups of prints. On 35mm film, we measured a resolution of 42 lp/mm, which is about the equivalent of a 2400-dpi film scanner. That’s enough to make 11x14-inch prints; you can go even larger from medium-format negatives or slides.
The speed could’ve been faster. Using the FireWire connection, we scanned a 4x6 print at 1000 dpi in 2 min 11 sec, a little slow for a 4x6. A 35mm slide takes 3 min 38 sec at 4800 dpi.
Along with a bundle of image-management and editing software, Microtek includes its own ScanWizard, as well as more user-friendly Silverfast SE scanning software. Both programs offer a full range of controls, including curves and levels for each color channel, plenty of auto fixes for quick scans, and presets for numerous types of film. You can also apply Digital ICE to automatically remove dust and scratches (though this will increase scan time dramatically), or ColoRescue to bring faded photos back to life.
Want a well-priced, legal-sized flatbed? Microtek’s i800 is worth a look.
For info: www.microtekusa.com; 310-687-5940.
What's Hot:
• Up to 8.5x14-inch print scans.
• Good resolution on film scans.
• Well-designed film holders.
What's Not:
• Somewhat slow scan speed.
• Long size demands more desk space.
• ScanWizard software not so user-friendly.
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