|
|
| Click photo to see images of all the Editor's Choice 2007 products. |
Along with its companion G4010, this model brings something new to the static world of flatbed scanners. It features HP's "six-color" technology, which uses two lamps for scanning instead of the usual one. By sampling each red, green, and blue pixel a second time with the second, complementary light source, the G4050 captures colors that might exceed the gamut of competing models. The scanner's resolution is an impressive 4800x9600ppi, which yields excellent sharpness, and its 32 bits per color provide exceptionally fine gradation. (That 96 bits of total information is consolidated into a 48-bit file.) Its scanning surface can handle reflective originals up to 8.5x12.3 inches; you can batch-scan up to 16 slides or 30 negatives using the transparency adapter; and the dust- and scratch-removal system is hardware-based. Software tools restore faded color, remove red-eye, and enhance shadow detail; four one-touch buttons let you quickly organize, edit, share, and save your scans. About $200.
Pantone huey PRO
|
|
Featured in last year's Editor's Choice, Pantone's original huey is an affordable, easy-to-use monitor calibration tool designed to improve the way your pictures look on screen and in prints. It's also the first such device that automatically adjusts monitor output to match the ambient light in your room. The tiny, pen-shaped huey connects to your computer via USB. In calibration mode it works by measuring software-generated color patches directly off your screen, adjusting monitor tones and colors to achieve a neutral standard and saving those settings as an ICC color profile. Once the job is done, the unit sits in a small base by your computer to measure room light so that the software can adjust the monitor as needed. The new huey PRO is functionally identical to the original but comes with different software that adds extra user controls. These include the ability to manually control monitor contrast and brightness, to select color temperature and gamma independently (rather than with activity-specific presets), and to calibrate multiple monitors on the same computer. You can also save calibration settings with user-defined names and tell the software to remind you when to recalibrate your screen. About $130 (PRO upgrade software costs $40).
American PHOTO Editor's Choice 2007
|
 |
|
|
