Best scanner for mac?
Some newbie questions...
- What scanner is the best for mac-platform?
- Does one need some special scanning programs in panther (10.3)?
- Is firewire a must or is USB 1.1 adequate?
I am planning on scanning my old photo archive (pictures AND negatives). I have a iMac G4 800 (10.3) with firewire but not USB 2.0. The price of the scanner should be around ~600 US dollars (~500 euros).
Any answer/advice will help.
thanks!
- What scanner is the best for mac-platform?
- Does one need some special scanning programs in panther (10.3)?
- Is firewire a must or is USB 1.1 adequate?
I am planning on scanning my old photo archive (pictures AND negatives). I have a iMac G4 800 (10.3) with firewire but not USB 2.0. The price of the scanner should be around ~600 US dollars (~500 euros).
Any answer/advice will help.
thanks!
Comments
If you are planning on doin negatives, then you will wanna try and get "them" (whoever they might be) to throw a transparency lid into the deal.
- Canon Canoscan lide 80
- Canon Canoscan 8000F
- Canon Canoscan 5000F
- Epson Perfection 2400 Photo
- HP ScanJet 3970C
- HP ScanJet 5500C
- HP ScanJet 4500C
They all have USB 2.0 and 2400 x 2400 or 2400 x 4800 dpi. Does anyone know any of these scanners, which would you recomend, does epson have good drivers for the 2400?
As for your needs (scanner for about 500?), I would certainly buy a firewire one. I've seen these scanners in your range:
- Epson Perfection 3200 Photo
- Canon CanoScan 9900F
They have resolutions of 3200 x 6400 and firewire and cost about 350?.
There's also a new high-end epson with firewire and lots of dpi for less than 500?.
Canon and epson were the ones I was already looking. Somebody in some other forum said that although HP is a good scanner, the bundled scanning software is crappy.
EPSON perfection 2400 photo and Canon 8000F looked good but the lack of firewire (I really don´t know if it matters or not...) made me choose EPSON perfection 3200. I just got it today.
I will try it tomorrow and comment the scanning software and usage.
Originally posted by future-ex-pc-user
I'm also looking for a scanner that works with Windows AND Mac. I've been looking into these modells: (they cost less than 200?)
- Canon Canoscan lide 80
- Canon Canoscan 8000F
- Canon Canoscan 5000F
- Epson Perfection 2400 Photo
- HP ScanJet 3970C
- HP ScanJet 5500C
- HP ScanJet 4500C
They all have USB 2.0 and 2400 x 2400 or 2400 x 4800 dpi. Does anyone know any of these scanners, which would you recomend, does epson have good drivers for the 2400?
As for your needs (scanner for about 500?), I would certainly buy a firewire one. I've seen these scanners in your range:
- Epson Perfection 3200 Photo
- Canon CanoScan 9900F
They have resolutions of 3200 x 6400 and firewire and cost about 350?.
There's also a new high-end epson with firewire and lots of dpi for less than 500?.
I would reccemend a Hp scanner. I have a HP office jet 5510 aio. It can work on mac an windows. I have it running on the first generation of the powermac G4. If not I would also reccemend a epson scanner.
but now, i look around, and any scanner are either usb 2.0 compliant or if they are firewire, they are stupid-expensive for the consumer or prosumer market.
plus, just like printers, drivers can make a mediocre device into something outstanding. whatever you get, i suggest looking into lasersoft's silverfast scanner drivers. i mean, it's usually $99 for a driver which you should be getting for free, but the quality and of the scans is really the gold standard these days, from what i can tell.
that all being said, when i finally plunk down for a scanner, it will likely be an epson perfection variant, with a usb 2.0 card for my g4 and lasersoft's silverfast to go with it. it'll probably run me about $300, but i think it'll be worth it.