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Rangefinder
Magazine First Exposure: by Peter Kotsinadelis
Features: Although the ScanMaker 6800 provides an optical resolution of 4800 x 2400dpi, the software that accompanies the scanner provides interpolated resolution up to 65,535dpi when connected to a PC or 32,767dpi to a Mac. The unit includes an AC adapter and power cable, USB 2.0 cable, and CDs that provide Microtek ScanMaker and Adobe PhotoShop Elements software. Microtek includes a FireWire card with installation guide for PC users that want to add a FireWire connection, while Mac G3/G4 or iMac DV users running OS 9.x can make use of their built-in FireWire or USB ports.
The ScanMaker 6800 offers several built-in features accessed by buttons on the scanner’s front panel. These features integrate with Microtek’s ScanWizard 5.0 software to provide the ability to copy, scan, and e-mail documents. There is also an OCR (Optical Character Recognition) capability that can transform typed documents into files for use with word processing and other applications. Additionally, for those looking to connect the scanner to a local area network (LAN), Microtek includes their own LAN Wizard network scanning software to simplify installation.
The lid on the ScanMaker 6800 provides a built-in light plate for transparencies and negatives and has a short cable on the rear of the lid that must connect to the scanner’s accessory port to operate. On the top of the lid is an area that Microtek refers to as “FilmView,” basically a built-in light source that allows you to view and select images from your filmstrips or transparencies prior to scanning. Before using the ScanMaker 6800, you need to unlock the scanner using the safety lock switch located on the left side. The power switch is located on the rear of the scanner.
The ScanMaker 6800’s main feature is the integrated Digital ICE software that provides the ability to remove defects and dust from photo prints. You can scan an image up to 8.5 x 11.7 inches (216 x 297mm) and the software will then create a defect map that identifies the locations of the defects and subsequently removes them. Although this process does add time to the scanning process, it is simple, automatic, and far better than other software that has a tendency to soften the image. Once installed, the user can operate the ScanWizard 5.0 software independently or through an application such as Photoshop. Once ScanWizard is up and running you have the option of using either the standard or advanced control panel. The standard panel simplifies selections required for scanning by providing buttons on the screen that group the features into nine segments. They are: Note: There is also a zoom-in scale that allows
you to vary the size of the preview image.
There is also an Advanced information window that indicates zoom level, mouse cursor position, color meter (values or percentages) and output options, and a displayed sample area. A color tab provides access to brightness, contrast, and gamma settings and displays histogram and curves. Settings can be saved and reloaded for later use. So
Just How Good Is It? Although the ScanMaker 6800 had a hi-speed USB 2.0 connection, overall scanning speed of the ScanMaker 68000 was slower than comparable scanners that used the same USB 2.0 port. Scanning prints with Digital ICE enabled added to the scanning time but did produce some good results. Scans were made with and without Digital ICE enabled, and although the defect as seen in the top image on page 84 above the eyebrow was removed, smaller dust markings remained. To see how this scanner compared to an Epson 2450, several more tests scans of film and transparencies were made. While the Epson 2450 has film and transparency holders, Microtek’s ScanMaker 6800 uses a flexible plastic mask that you place on the flatbed glass that shows a 4 x 5 inch area where you can place film or transparencies directly onto the glass. While this method did work fairly well, I found the ScanMaker 6800 color reproduction not as accurate as that of the Epson 2450 when scanning transparencies (see the Big Ben negatives, page 84) or the negatives of the blond in the red jacket, also on page 84. Next, we wanted to see how well the ScanMaker 6800 captured detail. Several scans were made from transparencies and negatives at 2400dpi, the maximum optical resolution for both the ScanMaker 6800 and the Epson 2450. Each image was then cropped to show only a small portion of the original, and placed side by side. In both images the scans produced by the Microtek ScanMaker 6800 showed less detail than those from the Epson 2450. The ScanMaker 6800 is the only scanner on
the market to have integrated Digital ICE, a feature that
will benefit many
looking for the ability
to restore and enhance scans made from photographic
prints. With its automated process for defect
and dust removal,
this scanner
can provide
the user with considerable timesavings. If I
were allowed just one wish to improve the ScanMaker
6800 it would
be
to enable
Digital ICE when
scanning negatives and transparencies. |
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Microtek is a leading manufacturer
of imaging products that range from flatbed and film scanners to
monitors, digital cameras and projectors. For over 20 years they
have produced a wide range of image scanners and currently have more
than a dozen models on the market. Their most recent flatbed, the
ScanMaker 6800, is the first flatbed scanner to incorporate Applied
Science Fiction’s Digital ICE dust and defect removal software
for photo prints. It also offers an optical resolution of 4800 x
2400 dpi resolution, 48-bit color depth, includes both FireWire and
Hi-Speed USB (USB 2.0) interfaces, and has an integrated 4 x 5 transparency
adapter. With all this and a street price under $400, could this
be the scanner you have been looking for?
