 |
| The
5300Cse has both USB and parallel ports
(the USB port can be used to connect to
both PCs and Macs). |
SPECIFICATIONS:
Price:
$299(srp). Resolution: 1200 ppi optical. Color
bit depth: 36-bit internal/24-bit external. Maximum
scan size: 8.5x11.7in (14 in. w/optical auto feeder).
Scan speed (8x10): 47 sec for 300 ppi scan. Connector:
USB and parallel. Film adapter: Optional 35mm
and 5x5" transparency adapter. Dimensions:
12x20x4in. Compatibility: WIN 95, 98, NT 4.0,
2000 Pro., MACOS8.5 or later. Bundled software:
HP PrecisionScan 3.0, Adobe PhotoDeluxe Business
Edition, Internet Design Shop Gold 4.2, Hemera
PhotoObjects Gallery 2.5, Hemera NetGraphics.
Phone/web address: 800-722-6538, www.hp.com.
TEST
RESULTS: Color
Accuracy: Extremely high (Overall Delta
E: 10.0, best 90%: 8.2, worst 10%: 26.2). Shadow
Detail: Normal. Highlight Detail:
High. Image Quality Rating: Normal. Speed:
Fast.
FEATURES
& COMMENTS: This
scanner appears to be designed for the home
office user who will occasionally scan high-res
photos, and not primarily for the photo enthusiast.
The three buttons located on the 5300Cse simplify
tasks with one-touch access to scan, copy, e-mail
and fax documents. PrecisionScan software automatically
optimizes scanned images, converts black lines
into vector files, and creates editable text
from scanned documents.
The
scan-to-web button enables users to upload images
to the Internet easily with the single push
of a button. The copy button works directly
with your printer to scan the image and output
it directly to your desktop printer without
having to bring it into the computer. Optional
accessories include a 25-page document feeder,
5x5" transparency adapter, and a 35mm slide
adapter.
The
5300Cse has the ability to recognize images
on a scanned page containing both photos and
text, but it lacks many of the sophisticated
image correction controls found in the other
scanner driver packages. Every time you try
to scan an image with a setting larger than
150 ppi, the scanner warns you that you don't
need that much resolution to make a photo print.
Annoying. Also, the scanner light seems to stay
on all the time, but scans always start out
with a "lamp warmup" message. Image
quality was affected by noticeable noise in
the shadows and moderately high contrast.
HP
SCANJET 5370C
 |
| The
5370C has both parallel and fast USB ports
and is compatible with both Mac and PCs. |
SPECIFICATIONS:
Price: $299(sp). Resolution: 1200 ppi optical.
Color bit depth: 42-bit internal/24 bit ext.
D-range limit: N/A Maximum scan size: 8.5x11.7.
Scan speed (8x10): 47 sec for 300 ppi scan.
Connector: USB and parallel. Film adapter: Yes;
active lighted transparency adapter scans negatives,
35mm slides, and up to 5x5" transparencies.
Dimensions: 19.9x11.9x4.1 in. Compatibility:
WIN 95, 98, NT 4.0, 2000 Pro, MACOS8.5 or later.
Bundled software: HP PrecisionScan Pro (w/OCR
for PC), Read IRISOCR (Mac), Corel Print Office
2000, Caere PageKeeper (PC), and ScanSoft PaperPort
(Mac) document management, Boomerang Internet
DesignShop Gold Web-Site creation software,
eFax for receiving faxes via e-mail. Optional
Document feeder accepts up to 14-inch-long letters.
Phone/web address: 800-722-6538.
TEST
RESULTS: Color Accuracy: High
(Overall Delta E: 10.9, best 90%: 9.1, worst
10%: 26.8). Shadow Detail: High. Highlight
Detail: High. Image Quality Rating:
High. Scan Speed: Fast.
FEATURES
& COMMENTS:
The 5370C's optical resolution of 1200 ppi provides
twice the resolving power of standard 600 ppi
scanners, and this unit's internal 36-bit color
depth helps deliver decent color accuracy and
overall image quality. Included with the 5370C
is HP's PrecisionScan Pro 2.5 software with
OCR features that let you convert text documents
into editable electronic text files (it can
even read foreign languages). The software also
has scanning controls to optimize quality and
provide guidance for the novice. Setup is simple,
and the install software guides you through
the steps and methods for using the three front
buttons to access e-mailing controls, or post
to the web, make copies, or fax.
With
the included transparency adapter the user can
scan 35mm positives or negatives, and other
transparencies up to 5x5 inches. Overall, it's
a much better scanner for photographers than
the 5300C, with support for color profiles,
a quiet scan engine, and decent software bundle.
However, it lacks sophisticated pre-scan controls
found in other drivers, and it adjusts levels
every time you change cropping.
