My Scanner Died

[jvgig]

My Epson 3170 Perfection scanner seems to have kicked the bucket leaving me no way to accurately digitize my artwork. I have been doing some research both here and through general google searches and it seems as though Epson scanners seem to be the way to go. The two that I am comparing are the V500 and the V700. The resolution on both is way higher than i will likely ever use so that is a non issue. The scannable area is the same, as is the color depth. however the optical densities are different with the V500 being 3.4 and the V700 being 4.0. Will this matter if I am not scanning many negatives? I cannot find a direct comparison between the two so does anyone have experience with both who would be willing to share some comparisons highlighting scan quality, durability, and speed? I see that the V700 can connect over firewire which should allow for faster transfers to the computer. Does this provide a substantial benefit?

Considering the cost difference between the two units $180 vs $450, is the V700 worth the premium for scanning small drawings/paintings at 600dpi at 48bit?

Any other scanners that can compete with the epsons under $500?

Thanks

[Mirana]

Epson the best? Interesting. I killed two Epsons in the space of a couple yrs back in the day. Then I got an HP and it's still perfect about 9 yrs later. :shrug: Maybe Epson is better now...?

[Ilaekae]

Are you sure the scanner is gone? If the bulb burns out in many canners, it refuses to work until the bulb is replaced--maybe 30-35 bucks.

[RyerOrdStar]

I doubt you'd need to go as high as 600 dpi..unless you're printing art books at home?
For a home scanner to put images on the web 300 should be fine.

And yeah, I've had my HP for going on 8 years now and it's still awesome.

[jvgig]

I have gone through all of the trouble shooting guides and none of them seem to be of any help. It says that the indicator light on the front will flash red if the light is burned out, but it is still green.

How do the HP Scanjet G4050 compare to the epson models?

I am using the digital images more as of a digital archive of my works, and since storage space is so cheap, I cannot think of a reason to go below 600dpi.

Thanks

[Maidith]

I have a Canoscan N1240U dating from 2001, and it's still doing a fine job! :) You can get it on Amazon for less than $80.

[dark eagle]

Yeah HP totally owns on the printer range and it's not too bad when it comes to scanning too.

[jvgig]

Due to the fairly strong support for the HP, I've given them a more serious look. The only thing I am concerned with is their software support as there are many cases of complaints in that area. Has anyone had a problem with the G4050 who knows what they are doing?

Also, does anyone know the relative performance differences while scanning 35mm negatives at 4800dpi on the V500 and G4050?

Thanks

[bitjockey]

I bought a Canon scanner a good ten years ago. The only reason why I'm not using it anymore is because my new computer doesn't have an LTP port.

I replaced it with another scanner that connects to a USB port a few months ago.

[PuppyKitten]

Another vote for an HP.

I've had mine for about four years and I abuse the hell out of that thing.

Seriously, I use it as my foot-rest for hours at a time, and I am always ramming my chair into it (I have a tiny, tiny living space) and it still works very well.