Firewire or USB 2 for Epson 4870

[im5150too]

Howdy,
Is there any performance difference between the USB2 or Firewire when
using the Epson 4870 with a PC?

Also, the Digital Ice feature on this scanner has been underwhelming
for me so far. I have to look carefully to notice any improvements,
nothing like the examples online. Am I doing something wrong? I've
been scanning prints so far, at mostly 600 dpi.

I'm getting a Nikon Coolscan V ED this week. Will the Digital Ice be
any better on that unit?

Don

 

[Campbell, Scott]

Also, the Digital Ice feature on this scanner has been underwhelming
for me so far. I have to look carefully to notice any improvements,
nothing like the examples online. Am I doing something wrong? I've
been scanning prints so far, at mostly 600 dpi.

I'm getting a Nikon Coolscan V ED this week. Will the Digital Ice be
any better on that unit?

I too was rather disappointed with the DIce for prints on the 4870. Having
owned a Nikon Coolscan 4000ED for a year or so, I was expecting near the
level of improvement that DIce on the Nikon gives. Nowhere close. As
DIce for prints was the main reason I got the 4870 over the 3170, had I
been aware of this I would have saved the cash and gone for the 3170.

You are going to love the Nikon unit. So long as you are not scanning
Kodachrome or "true" black and white negatives, you will definitely notice
the difference DIce makes.


Scott

 

[-]

ICE usually shows much better results when used on films. The would apply
to both the 4870 and Nikon V.

Doug

 

[KA]

Howdy,
Is there any performance difference between the USB2 or Firewire when
using the Epson 4870 with a PC?

Also, the Digital Ice feature on this scanner has been underwhelming
for me so far. I have to look carefully to notice any improvements,
nothing like the examples online. Am I doing something wrong? I've
been scanning prints so far, at mostly 600 dpi.

I'm getting a Nikon Coolscan V ED this week. Will the Digital Ice be
any better on that unit?

Don

Technically connection at USB2 is little faster than Firewire.

Digital ICE with prints work on scratched picture. Look like it don't help
on dust spots.
But with scratched picture it is good, it reduce time to handy work much.
But Digital ICE with prints work on Epson Scan only. It wont work Silverfast
or VueScan.

With film Digital ICE clear also dust spot, work on Epson Scan and VueScan.
For scratches on film I had have best results with Epson Scan.
Those with VueScan I have sometimes problem,
IR read and RGB read don't meet on correct spot.
IR read is little moved to side of RGB read.
Not always, but You newer know when it do that.

And sorry but that Nikon Coolscan V ED, it won't help You
It works only with film, it won't scan prints.
On film it is good.

KA

 

[Hecate]

Technically connection at USB2 is little faster than Firewire.

Real world, however, throughput is faster, and more stable on
Firewire.

 

[JWSM]

Have my 4870 connected via USB2, and can see no delays. In fact, at
600dpi scanning it's a fairly instantaneous transfer, to specified folder
or Photoshop.

And the USB2 cable comes with the scanner.

 

[David C.]

Real world, however, throughput is faster, and more stable on
Firewire.

In the real world, the scanner probably isn't fast enough that you'd
notice any difference between the two.

(FWIW, I use FW with it on my Mac, but that's because I have an older
Mac where the USB is only 1.1.)

-- David

 

[Robert M]

In the real world, the scanner probably isn't fast enough that you'd
notice any difference between the two.

It is faster and more reliable to use FireWire than USB,
although it is only noticeable with medium or large format hi-res
scans...
With leica format you probably won't see any difference...