Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/05/20
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]At 09:47 AM 21-05-98 +0800, you wrote: >Hi Luggers, > >Is there anyone on this list that have used the HP Photosmart 35mm >negative/slide and photo scanner? > >WOuld appreciate some comments on its usage, performance,e tc. > >Thanks, > >Ferdinand > I use the HP Photosmart scanner. If you asked me a week ago, I would have told you that for most uses the scanner was first rate, but that for slides with excessive contrast, or b/w negs with very deep densities, the scanner would introdice some 'noise' in the shadows or highlight areas, respectively. However.... There is a guy who is developing his own driver for the scanner, and it is currently in 'alpha' stage testing, meaning that it is currently a simple DOS based, command line driven program. One of it's features is a claim that it lets the scanner actually scan at 30bits, wheras the HP softeare apparently only scans at 24 bits (I can't confirm that this is true). In any case, I have scanned some really tough b/w negs with the new software that were impossible with the Official HP program. I am thrilled at the resulting Epson prints. Brilliant highlight detail, without any trace of 'noise'. So as far as I am concerned, the HP scanner is perfect, and a bargain at 3 times the price. Dan C.