Related Links:
Medium Format Scanners
Don't Buy Umax2100 scanner (Ken Rockwell) [9/2002]
Choosing a Scanner (Ken Rockwell) [9/2002]
What Scanner Specs Really Mean (Ken Rockwell) [9/2002]
Having a large library of 6x6cm Negatives (Color and Black and White) plus
Color Transparencies, and continuing to shoot in that format.... I have
been eager to get a scanner that works well with these materials. My
previous tests with my old flatbed scanner and other new ones have
resulted in poor quality.
Now, here is what I have just found - the UMAX ASTRA 2200, currently being
closed out by CompUSA and various mail order companies for $79-$99. I
bought mine for $79.
This scanner works on MAC or PC, with USB or SCSI connectors. MAC requires
at least OS-8.1.
The scanner is a flatbed taking in an 8 1/2" x 11" area and with a
permanent transparency adapter cover (illuminated lid) taking in a 4"x5"
area. It is possible to scan in negatives or transparencies up to 4"x5".
The Vistascan Software has many settings including reflective, transparent
and transparent negative materials. It can scan up to 42 bit color and
very high DPI rates for large files.
All the problems I encountered on previous scanners of poor definition,
problems with negatives and green dot "noise" in the shadow areas are gone
here.
I don't mean to indicate that this is the equal to the $2000 Minolta Scan
Multi, but not wishing to currently spend $2000 on this project, I am
amazed at what I obtained for $79.
I am still making my own tests with this scanner and at first had problems
with color negatives. The poorly written manual and information on the
Umax website, in error, indicates that there will be problems with
scanning Color Negatives because of the orange/brownish masking on the
film. This is sheer nonsense. Once you discard the instructions and make
your own tests, it is easy to see that the Vistascan Software
automatically compensates for the orange mask and you further have
limitless color correction you can do on your own.
My tests indicate that sharper images will be obtained by placing the
transparency or negative on the glass plate with the emulsion side down,
touching the glass. You will get an image which is reversed left to right,
but if you have Photoshop or similar software it is easy to set this to
reverse the image. While the Vistascan Software with the scanner has
sharpness and other settings, I prefer to do this touchup work later after
the scan. I use the following software - COLOR IT! 3.0, which has many of
the complex features of Photoshop, but which is far simpler to use and
which does its adjustments far faster than Photoshop or Adobe PhotoDeluxe.
I am using a MAC and I have found that some of the scans will not open in
COLOR IT!, so I have had to convert these original TIFF files to a proper
MAC TIFF file, using Adobe PhotoDeluxe, which then will work fine in COLOR
IT!.
While most of my initial tests have been made on 6x6cm materials, I also
scanned in a 4"x5" Color transparency, which was dark and defied my
previous scanner tests, and I got good results. I have not been as pleased
with the results from 35MM slides, although if small images are needed for
brochures and such, this scanner will make do. I think that dedicated 35MM
film scanners are really needed for this purpose and I intend to
eventually get one, while I feel I am covered on medium format for the
time being.
My purpose in scanning these images is to be able to deliver them to my
artist on a ZIP disk for use in various design projects. I only have a
black and white printer, but can make black and white proof prints, which
I can mark cropping on to send to my lab for the making of final prints.
When I get a good color printer I may be satisfied with the prints I can
make by myself.
For anybody needing a scanner for medium format and being scared away by
the high prices, I suggest investing the $100 or less in buying the UMAX
ASTRA 2000. You will not be disappointed. Please note this is now being
closed out and unless you move fast may not be easy to get in the future.
Mine is now working very well in scanning 2 1/4" square Color and Black and White Negatives and Color Transparencies, in addition to scanning
photographs at higher quality than my older scanner model.
I am now successfully using this scanner for some commercial work for Movie/Video and DVD box designs.
Unfortunately Umax knows very little about this product, when it comes to scanning negatives.
Their instruction book and website information/support tells you nothing.
Their tech help on the phone knows even less.
When I encountered a problem in scanning 2 1/4" color negatives - they said it was the AC converter which
was bad and replaced that. Then they said the scanner was bad and replaced that. UNTRUE!
The problem-
If one is using 120 square (6x6cm) negatives in a strip of 3 - one has to place them horizontally - which is okay if they are from a Pentacon 6 - but
not okay if from a Hasselblad - as you will have to rotate the final scan in your Photoshop or
other software to get the image right side up.
Placing the negative strip vertically will allow part of the negative to cover a thin open horizontal strip on the
black bed mask which is vertically ahead of the 4" x 5" transparency scanning bed area. This thin open strip
is used to present clear white light which calibrates the scanner through the CCD chips used to receive the image and
the internal software. Covering this strip with part of the negative drives the entire unit crazy and it produces
bizarre, contrasty, grainy images with vertical scratch-like stripes.
Nowhere is there a warning that this strip MUST be left clear with nothing covering it. This same problem may
also be present on other Umax models and other brands too.
Since few people use this type of scanner for other than scanning photos (not color negatives) - Umax has had few complaints about this problem.
Further they have no idea how to deal with it.
This is a simple solution which makes this inexpensive scanner a fine quality unit to work with.
- Sam Sherman
I have been doing some excellent scans with this scanner for commercial uses- which include scanning 6x6cm black and white and color negatives and transparencies for use on VHS and DVD box covers. Furthermore- I got an email from the publishers of BIZARRE magazine in England, who requested some scans of movie scene still photos from films directed by my late partner Al Adamson, for an article on his career. They requested 300DPI scans sent to them as jpeg files in email. They did not want actual photos or files on ZIP disks (as the better TIFF files) shipped to them by mail. I just got some copies of the finished magazine and was I amazed. The magazine is a large size high quality publication on quality glossy stock. My 300DPI jpeg files were all very sharp and some run in very large sizes. Further tests of mine revealed that although the JPEG files were smaller than TIFF files - they were not less sharp and did not pixilate until greatly enlarged the same as the TIFF files which can take up 10 times the space. Photoshop 5.0 (LE) which came free with the 2200, is still another wonderful piece of rather complex software capable of great color correction, sharpening and many other uses. I still find it hard to believe that I bought such a professional tool for only $79.00. - Sam Sherman
Editor's Note:
Some UMAX Astra 2200 Technical Specs:
Hardware resolution - 600 dpi x 1200 dpi
Interpolated Resolution - 9600 x 9600 dpi
Maximum Scan Size - 8 1/2" x 11.7 "
Lighted Transparency Scan Area - 4" x 5"
Bit depth - 36 bit color, 12 bit greyscale
Ports - USB or SCSI2
Software O/S - Windows 98, Windows 95 (OSR2 or later), Mac 8.0
Original Street Price - $249 US ($319 $Can)
Date: Sat, 14 Apr 2001
From: fyimo clubs-mail@yahoo-inc.com
To: rmonagha@post.smu.edu
Subject: Prime 1800-U Film Scanner [Yahoo! Clubs: Classic 35mm Compacts]
Off topic - but it might be of interest.
I bought a Prime 1800 U 35mm Film and Slide scanner this week for $149.00
at CompUSA and I'm very impressed with it. It does 1800 DPI optical
resolution and 19,200 interpulated resolution. I had it up and running in
45 minutes and it does an excellent job on scanning. It's not a pro model
but it certainly meets my needs. On the film negative side you select the
film type Kodak, Agfa, and it adjusts the color balance accordingly. It
has a full range of adjustments in the image manager software and it scans
a slide in 35 seconds. It has a USB interface so it's easy to set up and
quite fast.
Art
From: flexaret2@aol.com (FLEXARET2) Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.medium-format Date: 28 Dec 2001 Subject: Re: Can I scan MF film using a flatbed scanner? Re- Umax Astra 2200 What I have written about this scanner is not hype and I get nothing from it. My review tells my experience with it and the addendum tells of my poor experience with the Umax company. FYI - several friends have gotten this scanner at my suggestion and they are doing great work with it. Further - I am using SCSI on MAC as is one friend. The other is on PC and is a real photographic pro - so is doing fantastic work with it. If you are scanning film, are you scanning 120 negatives or 35MM? This scanner does a fine job with 120 negatives and chromes. It does a passable job with 35MM if not used too large. If you are using 120 color negatives be sure to lay them horizontally across the open 4"x5" space in the black mask to be use on the scanner glass. If you run the negative vertically and cover that clear slit at the top - grainy and crazy bad results can be expected. While on auto scanning, Vistascan can correct for the orange mask in color negatives - if the negative is very dense it does not do a good job. This scanner works well with normally exposed color negatives to thinner color negatives. On manual adjust before scanning there are brightness and contrast adjustments and a color wheel with an infinite variety of color corrections. After scanning you can correct more in Photoshop. I have made good scans from old 35MM color negatives, which must have had some fading. If you are having problems my advice is to start over slowly and don't use the instruction book. I am using this scanner successfully for commercial work on Movie/ DVD/Video box covers for product release by major companies and the quality is excellent. This scanner can be found new for under $50 today. Yes, it may take some learning curve and getting used to. But, if you prefer to buy a $5000 scanner - go right out and buy one! - Sam Sherman
From: Stephe ms_stephe@excite.com Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.medium-format Subject: Re: Boy, there seems to be a Hasselblad boon here Date: Mon, 18 Mar 2002 Mxsmanic wrote: > "Martin Francis" Mcsalty@btinternet.com wrote > >> You can get an Epson flatbed w/light lid for >> the price of a good light table & loupe.... > > I don't need to buy a computer to make a light table work, however. Obviously you already have a computer! Go find a umax astra 2200. It has a built in trans adapter, uses scsi or usb so it works easily with linux/unix via scsi. Xsane found it with no setup using a $20 PCI scsi card I bought off ebay. These scanners go for like $60 new or less. 1200 optical but I normally use 600 and get a 1500X1500 image to view. Makes looking at B&W; negs simple as I don't have to make contact sheets, just reverse them when scanning. Then I print the ones that look promising. Or if you wanted you can get the ones you like "pro" scanned etc. Then you can burn a ton of B&W; film, develope it yourself for cheap and look at the results! -- stephe http://www.geocities.com/kievgurl/
End of Page
Broken Links:
Umax Astra 2200 Homepage was at
http://www.umax.com/scanners/standard/products/astra2200.cfm (broken as of 2/2003)
CNET Review was at (pre 2/2003):
http://computers.cnet.com/hardware/0-2295735-405-799450.html?tag=st.co.2295735-404-799450.rev-rev.2295735-405-799450