Epson 3200 vs 3170

[Brian Dipert]

The 3170 is now $177.74 at Amazon, with free shipping, no sales tax,
and a $30 gift certificate on a future Amazon purchase also tossed in.
The 3200 is $299 plus tax and shipping, refurbished, on Epson's
website. Unless I need a) the slightly bigger scanning area or b)
Firewire connectivity, can anyone else give me a compelling reason to
pay almost 2x for something that's not brand new? Thanks in advance!

Brian Dipert
Technical Editor: Mass Storage, Memory, Multimedia, PC Core Logic and Peripherals, and Programmable Logic
EDN Magazine: http://www.edn.com
5000 V Street
Sacramento, CA 95817
(916) 454-5242 (voice), (617) 558-4470 (fax)
***REMOVE 'NOSPAM.' FROM EMAIL ADDRESS TO REPLY***
mailto:[email protected]
Visit me at http://www.bdipert.com

 

[-]

Hi Brian -

If your main intent with this scanner is medium format, I think you are on
the right track for a budget scanner. With the gift certificate, that
really makes the price hard to beat. These scanners used to be handicapped
by their inability to work with Silverfast and Vuescan. Now both software
companies produce versions that work with the 3170.

Doug

 

[Brian Dipert]

Thanks Doug, I had a suspicion you'd be first to respond! I still have
the 3200 review unit Epson sent me, and along with it the medium
format holder I bought from you. If I want to keep the 3200, Epson's
proposed charging me the refurb price. If I send the 3200 back and get
the 3170 instead (which I know is now supported by VueScan too) will
your holder still work? Any issues with deinstalling the 3200 software
and putting the 3170 stuff on Windows XP in its place?

Hi Brian -

If your main intent with this scanner is medium format, I think you are on
the right track for a budget scanner. With the gift certificate, that
really makes the price hard to beat. These scanners used to be handicapped
by their inability to work with Silverfast and Vuescan. Now both software
companies produce versions that work with the 3170.

Doug

Brian Dipert
Technical Editor: Mass Storage, Memory, Multimedia, PC Core Logic and Peripherals, and Programmable Logic
EDN Magazine: http://www.edn.com
5000 V Street
Sacramento, CA 95817
(916) 454-5242 (voice), (617) 558-4470 (fax)
***REMOVE 'NOSPAM.' FROM EMAIL ADDRESS TO REPLY***
mailto:[email protected]
Visit me at http://www.bdipert.com

 

[-]

If I send the 3200 back and get the 3170 instead (which I know is now
supported by VueScan too) will your holder still work?<<

Yes. See the 3170 Notes Page for more info. though:
http://home.earthlink.net/~dougfisher/holder/3170notes.html
on Windows XP in its place?<<

I don't have any direct experience with this but I wouldn't think so. If
you go to the Epson page for the latest Epson drivers and look at the latest
3200 and 3170 driver, they are the same version number with the same
description:

Twain Driver and EPSON Scan Utility v1.25A
Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows Me, Windows 98
epson10966.exe - 7.5MB - posted on 12/30/03

Doug

 

[Burt]

I have the 3170 and it works extremely well for medium format b&w negs, b&w
prints, and color prints. Color 35 mm negs are just adequate and with
reasonable color reversal that photoshop easily tweaks. 35mm slide scans
are not great. if I needed to do a large volume of 35 mm slide scans I
would get a dedicated slide scanner. The few 35 mm slides I digitize and
print are duplicated with my digital camera, closeup lens, a slide viewer
light box, and a copy stand to stabilize the camera at a fixed distance with
the "film plane" parallel to the slide surface. Excelent result.

The 3170 is now $177.74 at Amazon, with free shipping, no sales tax,
and a $30 gift certificate on a future Amazon purchase also tossed in.
The 3200 is $299 plus tax and shipping, refurbished, on Epson's
website. Unless I need a) the slightly bigger scanning area or b)
Firewire connectivity, can anyone else give me a compelling reason to
pay almost 2x for something that's not brand new? Thanks in advance!

Brian Dipert
Technical Editor: Mass Storage, Memory, Multimedia, PC Core Logic and

Peripherals, and Programmable Logic

 

[Perttu Luukkanen]

: The 3170 is now $177.74 at Amazon, with free shipping, no sales tax,
: and a $30 gift certificate on a future Amazon purchase also tossed in.
: The 3200 is $299 plus tax and shipping, refurbished, on Epson's
: website. Unless I need a) the slightly bigger scanning area or b)
: Firewire connectivity, can anyone else give me a compelling reason to
: pay almost 2x for something that's not brand new? Thanks in advance!

My 3170 review has been around for a while but if you haven't read it
yet, take a look. It's hard to beat for the money.

Perttu

http://personal.inet.fi/private/luukkanen/3170_review.html