Espon V750-M Pro Vs Microtek i900

After posting a notice back in february on some new scanners by Epson, I was asked recently if I had any comments on the Espon V750-M Pro and how it compares to the Microtek i900, unfortunately having not seen either scanner in action and having no reference files to compare between the two I really cannot accurately comment.

I can make some assuptions though, and those are, that manufacturers claims on DMax are usually generous. So the difference between the Epson and the Microtek will most probably be small. There is an excellent review of the i900 at The Photography Blog and there is also the factor of resolution the V750-M Pro has a higher optical resolution 6400 vs 3200 and the fluid mount technology which I eagerly await seeing results from reviewers lucky enough to get hold of this unit.

You can also read some interesting comments from Ovidiu Predescu someone who has had experience with the V750-M Pro. One other thing to consider is investing in some third party film holders which allow you to optimize the distance between the scanning head and the film. Better Scanning creates custom film holders for a variety of devices including the V series of scanners.

I was going to post this as a response to one of my earlier posts but I needed to post some links and some information which would have been lost. If you are lucky enough to have a friendly digital technology vendor who carries these models you can perhaps arrange to take or send some samples for scanning. Given the difference in the age of the technologies and the differences in optical resolution I'd take a good look at the Epson, also feel free to contact me directly if you have a more specific question relating to the type of media you are using.

Although these types of flatbeds are quite competent as all round units they are not a replacement for dedicated transparency scanners, some of which like the Minolta Dimage Scan Multi PRO claim a DMax of 4.2. In all cases, it is only when you can accurately compare scanned images side by side, when the true capabilities of a scanner come into play. The Wet scan capability of the Epson looks to be a good capability but I'm wondering how much difference it would actually make in comparison to Microteks E.D.I.T.™ and glassless SnapTrans™ solution.

All manufacturers are notorious for making all sorts of claims about their equipments capabilities and it is best to try the scanners you are interested in, if you've been looking at the Epson and the Microtek also look at the Canon flatbeds and Nikons Transparency Scanners. I'm going to follow this up with an article on DMax and just what it means.