Help Wanted for artistic work...

[imported_devnull]

Hello...

I would like some help as I'm interested in buying a scanner and a digitizer (pen).

I am mostly interested in scanning drawings (my graphic designs on plain or aquarel paper), photos and 35mm films from my photo camera. From what I have seen around, I consider buying a flatbed scanner from Microtek - the 4900. Does anyone has this scanner? Would you recommend it? What is the quality of film scanning?
Reviews mention that although that the quality of the scanned images is superb, it is really slow. The question what scanning speeds should I expect in real life?? I consider quality a much more important factor than speed, but I don't know if a really slow scanner would be practical. Is the difference in price with the faster Microtek 5900 worth it??

Now, about the digitizer, I should mention that I'm a complete ignorand of the field. So whatever you can say to spread some light would be welcomed. What I would like to do with it, is photo-editing and drawing mainly in 2-d programs like CorelDraw and Photoshop.

Thanx in advance

 

[Flexicon]

Hi, Devnull. When purchasing a scanner, the software the scanner comes bundled with is almost as important as the scanner itself. All things being equal, the software can make all the difference between an 'okay' scan and an 'excellent' scan... especially if you're planning on scanning film/negatives. This is the reason why I wouldn't hesitate to recommend any scanner that bundles Silverfast with it. Silverfast AI is serious software and, imho, nothing comes close to the results you can get when you learn how to harness it's power and properly use it. It can be intimidating because of it's advanced features, but there's a book out by Taz Tally that explains pretty much everything in fine detail. The latest version of Silverfast also has a really cool feature built in where, if you are frustrated or confused, you can click for additional help and a Quicktime movie will walk you through the steps. I can't say enough good things about Silverfast-- this company is constantly updating it's software (free of charge to the user) and has top notch customer support, both in their forums and via email. I wish more companies would learn from their sterling example.

That being said, I've used several generations of Epson and Canon scanners for the purposes you've mentioned, but no Microteks, so I can't give you my opinion there. Canon scanners however, no matter how much money you spend, are pure cr@p as far as I'm concerned. Perhaps I've just had bad luck, but every Canon scanner I've ever owned -- from the mid-priced to the top of the line pro versions-- have had, or developed flaws so serious that I either returned them to the store (multiple times) or junked 'em after the warranty ran out. Most of the issues had to do with the scanner glass being foggy or having dust embedded inside or producing unwanted color casts. I'd also found their software extremely lacking, even on the pro models.

Epson scanners are very, very good; and some, like the 3200 series and above, are excellent. If you don't want to splurge for the Silverfast scanning software (which comes bundled in certain Epson Pro models), Epson's software is quite decent. Epson speeds are very good, too, but that shouldn't be your top consideration when making a purchase (unless you do a lot of batch scanning); as you already know, quality of the scanned image is what counts. Do a Froogle search for the Epson 3200 Pro or 4870 Pro and see what you come up with. The 4870 comes with built in Digital Ice and can be a real timesaver if you're scanning tons of photos and/or negatives.

As far as the drawing tablets go, there are several brands on the market, but most people agree that Wacom is the best. The things you want to look for in a drawing tablet are responsiveness, the feel and grip of the pen, and the bundled software. Wacom excels in all of these areas above all others and that's why so many people prefer and recommend them. Wacom's Graphire series are small and affordable; very good if you're just starting out, but if you're serious about your art and want the cream of the crop, then invest in an Intuos 2 (6x8 is the most popular size; not too big and not too small). Your life will never be the same!

Academic Superstore has the cheapest price, as far as I know, but check your favorite shopping engine to be sure. Amazon's customer reviews is a good place to start when comparing features of the various products you'd like to buy.

Good Luck!