The 4870 in use.
The 4870 scanner would seem to be the ideal scanner to match all your scanning needs, especially with its 4800dpi film scanning capability, before I put this scanner through some film tests I will use the on photographic prints. As with the 3200 review I have used a reference file and carefully controlled print made from the same file. The reference file and print are part of the Colour Confidence Studio suite.
The maximum document size is 216 x 297mm (8.5 x 11.7 inches) or A4 & US Letter size. This is standard on most A4 scanners, although I have know a couple to have a larger area (Microtek). There are ruler markings on the top and right hand side of the document table, but no figures other than B5, LTR and A4. Documents have to be aligned with the white arrow on the top right corner. This is the recommendation in the electronic manual, but further down the page it states that there is an unreadable area of 1.5mm on both edges (see illustration below), for most practical purposes this should not be a problem. The scanner lid (the Transparency Unit, TPU) is still not sprung (I mentioned this in the 3200 review), this will mean an expensive slam down if you let go of it. The TPU can be removed with ease, handy for scanning thick books or objects. As previously mentioned, I felt that Epson could have come up with a better connector arrangement, especially as the lid stays in place for both film and reflective scanning.
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Make sure you know what's in the scan |
Film takes the central "Sweet Spot" |
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Result of placing a test chart at the corner (L) and at the centre (R) of the document table |
Illumination is fairly even across the whole document table with just a small loss of contrast at the edges, as can be seen in the above scans. Although I have included a small section of a test target, (this has been magnified beyond the recomended size). I tend to avoid testing for resolution numbers in my reviews, I will be testing for visual appearance of pictures, colours and sharpness, in other words real world usage.
Colour test.
The reference print test below is supplied with the original digital file. This reference print is produced in small batches which are spectro read for colour accuracy, in other words the print is as accurate as you can hope to get.
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The original file |
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2. Scan with no colour corrections |
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3. Scan with Auto Exposure selected |
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4. Scan using the colour controls in Epson Scan |
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5. Scan with Epson 4870 profile applied |
The first picture is the original file, was supplied on CD as a 38mb file, it has been reduced in size to match the scans. Picture number 2 was made with No colour correction selected in the Epson Scan Configuration panel. This mode would be the equivelant of shooting in RAW mode on a digital camera. Although the scan looks dull and lifeless, it does contain a lot of untampered with information. You would use this setting if you wanted to apply a custom profile to the scan. Picture number 3 was made using the Auto Exposure, this gave a nice looking scan which would be sufficient for most scans. The last scan, number 4, has been tweaked using the controls in Epson Scan software, this could be further improved in an imaging application. Scan No 5 was the No Colour correction scan with Epson Perfection 4870 profile applied in Photoshop. This last sample has kept all the detail throughout. I will cover custom profiles later in the review.
The auto mode has produced a very good result with good detail in the highlights, whilst still retaining the detail in the shadows. The adjustments in No.4 were made using the curves and Histogram in Epson Scan, these could be improved.
Before moving on to the next test, I will clarify using custom profiles with this scanner. When you use the scanner in its normal mode the scanner automatically applies a profile to the scan. The profile is based on which options you have selected, i.e, reflective or transmitted light. Any adjustments you make are applied on top of the profiled scan, this is a seamless "under the bonnet" operation which you don't have to think about. When you select No colour correction, the scan is performed without any profile being applied. You can't make any colour adjustments to the file at this stage as the buttons are all greyed out. Once the scan is in Photoshop you have to Assign a profile, from the menu select Image > Mode > Assign Profile, select the Profile button and choose your custom profile from the drop down list. You would of course need to create a profile using a application such as Monaco EZ Color or other.
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Use No Colour Correction in the 4870 Configuration panel and Assign a profile in Photoshop |
© Vincent Oliver 2004 www.photo-i.co.uk
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