Epson F-3200 - been there, seen it.

[Ralf R. Radermacher]

The first day is as good as any to visit Photokina and usually a little
quieter than the others. So I went.

And there it was. Looks neat, smaller than the pictures on the Japanese
website would suggest and a little more solid. Judging from the pics on
the web I had rather expected a big wobbly plastic box. None of that,
fortunately.

The guys from Epson claim it has a considerably higher resolution than
the 4870. I had them scan one of their 35 mm negs at 3200 dpi and what I
saw was rather decent. I won't give any resolution numbers but, well,
decent. Nothing to knock your socks off. Not an LS-9000, as had to be
expected considering the price. But definitely better than my 3200 and
the 4870 I returned after a few days of testing it.

There's the selection of film holders that we already knew from the
pictures we've been looking at for a while but there's something that
wasn't visible on the web: they have glass on the underside and that
even in the tray for framed slides! Other than that, they have a feel of
'solid plastic', the kind that warps if you leave it in the sun.

It comes with the usual Epson driver we've come to know from the
flatbeds and a full version of Silverfast Ai6 with IT8.

It will be available in November at a price of 798 Euros including
Silverfast.

Guess I'll simply order one, then. Bless the German government who've
made this wonderful law that allows us to return everything bought by
mail-order within two weeks and the vendors have to refund the full
price including the postage for sending it back. )

Ralf

 

[Bernhard Ess]

Guess I'll simply order one, then. Bless the German government who've
made this wonderful law that allows us to return everything bought by
mail-order within two weeks

Just for the record - it was the European Parliament - the different
european governments had to adapt it within a certain time frame. Almost 80%
of all laws concerning economics and right are now made on a European level.

reggards, Bernhard

 

[Bart van der Wolf]

SNIP

The guys from Epson claim it has a considerably higher resolution
than the 4870. I had them scan one of their 35 mm negs at 3200
dpi and what I saw was rather decent. I won't give any resolution
numbers but, well, decent. Nothing to knock your socks off.
Not an LS-9000, as had to be expected considering the price.
But definitely better than my 3200 and the 4870 I returned after
a few days of testing it.

Thanks for the feedback. I'll be visiting tomorrow, and if time and
crowd permits, I'll try and get my "slanted edge" slide frame scanned
and written to a CD or floppy. That would allow me to produce an MTF
curve for that particular scanner. No promises (I need their
cooperation), but I'll see what can be done.

Bart

 

[Ralf R. Radermacher]

Thanks for the feedback. I'll be visiting tomorrow, and if time and
crowd permits, I'll try and get my "slanted edge" slide frame scanned
and written to a CD or floppy.

Take a microfiber cloth and some alcohol for the glass in the the film
holders. You'll need it.

Ralf

 

[Ralf R. Radermacher]

Thanks for the feedback.

Bart,

Could you send me a short email with a valid return address, please.

Ralf

 

[Bart van der Wolf]

Take a microfiber cloth and some alcohol for the glass in the the film
holders. You'll need it.

Yes, I do realise they aren't ideal circumstances for a controlled
test, and I would also need enough control over the exposure time to
avoid clipping, so we'll see how it works out. I'll keep you posted
(although it sounded as if you already made your mind up ;-)).

Bart

 

[Julian Barkway]

(e-mail address removed) (Ralf R. Radermacher) spake thusly to the assembled
multitudes, agog with barely concealed anticipation:

It will be available in November at a price of 798 Euros including
Silverfast.

Guess I'll simply order one, then. Bless the German government who've
made this wonderful law that allows us to return everything bought by
mail-order within two weeks and the vendors have to refund the full
price including the postage for sending it back. )

Thanks for the heads-up. Have just cancelled my order for a 4870 as a
result. Am awaiting further news and reviews with interest.

 

[jjs]

It looks like a stand-alone scanner with various media card storage slots.
Is that right?

 

[John McGraw]

The first day is as good as any to visit Photokina and usually a little
quieter than the others. So I went.

And there it was. Looks neat, smaller than the pictures on the Japanese
website would suggest and a little more solid. Judging from the pics on
the web I had rather expected a big wobbly plastic box. None of that,
fortunately.

The guys from Epson claim it has a considerably higher resolution than
the 4870. I had them scan one of their 35 mm negs at 3200 dpi and what I
saw was rather decent. I won't give any resolution numbers but, well,
decent. Nothing to knock your socks off. Not an LS-9000, as had to be
expected considering the price. But definitely better than my 3200 and
the 4870 I returned after a few days of testing it.

There's the selection of film holders that we already knew from the
pictures we've been looking at for a while but there's something that
wasn't visible on the web: they have glass on the underside and that
even in the tray for framed slides! Other than that, they have a feel of
'solid plastic', the kind that warps if you leave it in the sun.

It comes with the usual Epson driver we've come to know from the
flatbeds and a full version of Silverfast Ai6 with IT8.

It will be available in November at a price of 798 Euros including
Silverfast.

Guess I'll simply order one, then. Bless the German government who've
made this wonderful law that allows us to return everything bought by
mail-order within two weeks and the vendors have to refund the full
price including the postage for sending it back. )

Ralf

Hay Ralf,
Thanks for the report. Hope U'll post some mo.
I tend to favor laws that favor the consumer, & god knows that we need
mo than we have here in the USA. But vendors having to refund the
postage too, w/o a good reason, man! That just doesn't seem right.
Best John

 

[Ralf R. Radermacher]

I tend to favor laws that favor the consumer, & god knows that we need
mo than we have here in the USA. But vendors having to refund the
postage too, w/o a good reason, man! That just doesn't seem right.

The idea is to keep those mail order operations whose entire investment
consists of a web server, a phone and a fax machine from killing the
real shops with real buildings, people, stock, rents and all the rest.
Not a bad idea, in my opinion.

Ralf

 

[Jos. Burke]

After my purchase some time back of the original Epson 2450 and my
disappointment from day one with lackluster results I find it hard to
consider another flatbed. I still use my 2450 for 4x5 preview scans and 8x10
contact print scans but since having purchased a used Nikon 8000 for $900
it just serves those purposes. The Nikon is the ticket for 120 film as it is
really impressive. If the multiple format ability of the Epson is the goal
then maybe its considerable but if scanning 120 for other than amateur
printing is the desire I would go elsewhere than the Epson and at the price
consider a used Nikon. You'll never look back!! Scanning MF film with a
budget although versatile film scanner kinda defeats the purpose of shooting
MF doesn't it!!

My 2 cents!
Joseph Burke

 

[John McGraw]

The idea is to keep those mail order operations whose entire investment
consists of a web server, a phone and a fax machine from killing the
real shops with real buildings, people, stock, rents and all the rest.
Not a bad idea, in my opinion.

Ralf

Hi Ralf
Thank you for explaining that. Makes it clearer.
Is England part of the EU? And if so why do they still list prices in
pounds?
I was in a hurry to sign off last night, or I would have said that I
had just received a copy of "zu hause" by Ludwig Schirmer, from my
daughter who returned yesterday (Tue) from 3 months in Germany &
Europe. (2 mo. in Germany) Absolutely wonderful photography. I've read
(well actually studied) it cover to cover. I just wish it had a little
mo text to implement the photos. I.E. what is the couple on the cover
so pissed off about? And I keep seeing the same people in many shots;
what are their relationships? I can deduce quite a bit, but I'd like
to know mo. Also I'm a little curious about his technique. I did
notice that his daughter did the printing. She's very skilled.
Best wishes, John

 

[Jim Phelps]

Hi Ralf
Thank you for explaining that. Makes it clearer.
Is England part of the EU? And if so why do they still list prices in
pounds?
I was in a hurry to sign off last night, or I would have said that I
had just received a copy of "zu hause" by Ludwig Schirmer, from my
daughter who returned yesterday (Tue) from 3 months in Germany &
Europe. (2 mo. in Germany) Absolutely wonderful photography. I've read
(well actually studied) it cover to cover. I just wish it had a little
mo text to implement the photos. I.E. what is the couple on the cover
so pissed off about? And I keep seeing the same people in many shots;
what are their relationships? I can deduce quite a bit, but I'd like
to know mo. Also I'm a little curious about his technique. I did
notice that his daughter did the printing. She's very skilled.
Best wishes, John

England is part of the European Union, but did not partake in the Euro
currency conversion. The have kept the pound for now. Sweden is another
country that comes to mind that did the same thing. Funny, when I bought my
Volvo and picked it up at the factory, it was priced in Euros!

 

[Ralf R. Radermacher]

having purchased a used Nikon 8000 for $900

Lucky you. Find me another one at that price and I'll take it on the
spot.

Ralf

 

[Bart van der Wolf]

SNIP

I'll be visiting tomorrow, and if time and crowd permits, I'll try
and get my "slanted edge" slide frame scanned and written to
a CD or floppy. That would allow me to produce an MTF
curve for that particular scanner. No promises (I need their
cooperation), but I'll see what can be done.

After some attempts getting to the front of the group of people
gathered around a unit in vain, I spotted another unit with only one
sales representative occupied with rebooting the computer it was
connected to. I asked him (when things were running to his
satisfaction again) if he could do me a favor and scan my Gepe slide
frame which holds a slanted cutting blade edge, instead of film.

I noticed most frames in the plastic holder were thin frames, and a
few were standard thickness like mine. The slide needs to be inserted
underneath two plastic clips that will press the frame down in the
cavity for the frame. Well, one of the clips broke off of the plastic
holder (it looked like a one piece plastic mold with clips). We both
examined my test target frame, eye-balling the edge while comparing it
to one of their Gepe mounts, which was exactly the same thickness. He
then tried to slide the frame under the clips of another holding
cavity, and again one of the clips snapped off and it landed two
metres further away on the floor. He then tried to reinsert one of his
own (standard thickness) frames but needed so much pressure to inch in
the last millimeters of the frame edge, that he gave up (we weren't
wearing protective goggles!).

Maybe the sales rep didn't use the holder as it should have been,
maybe it works better with thin slide frames but we stopped further
demolition, I thanked him for the effort, after which we each went our
separate ways...

This means I didn't get my slanted edge crop, so unfortunately no MTF
evaluation was possible. I did notice, as others have mentioned, that
the various holders have a transparent somewhat structured glass or
plastic bottom layer, but Newton rings were visible with 35mm film
strips, as were massive amounts of dust on the different surfaces. It
would seem that extreme cleanliness is required, when operating this
scanner.

Bart