Scanning made cheap and easy

Further details on Kodak's experiment in cheap and easy scans of your prints.

If you are in the Rochester, New York, area, there are two Wegmans supermarkets with Kodak i660 scanners:

Wegmans Penfield

2157 Penfield Road

Penfield , NY 14526

585-248-3200

Wegmans Latta Road

3177 Latta Road

Rochester , NY 14612

585-723-8260

The scanners handle photos from 2.5" x 2.5" to 11"x17". The 300-dpi images are burned to a Kodak Picture CD that includes Kodak EasyShare software. This software lets you crop shots and perform basic image editing. It also makes e-mailing, home printing, or store/online printing easy.

The scanner is incredibly fast, and even with burning the images to a Kodak Picture CD, it can be a while-you-wait service; but don't count on it. When we called the Penfield Wegmans, we were told that it would take "A couple days. Maybe three days."

When we told the people at the Latta Road store that we were in Rochester for just the day, we got 80-minute turnaround.

At press time, prices were:

Up to 40 prints with a CD and index prints: $19.99

A duplicate set is $4.99

Up to 500 prints with a CD and index prints as well as an album $49.99

Duplicate set with album: $24.99

Up to 1,500 prints with CDs and index prints as well as an album $99.99

Duplicate set with album: $49.99

Up to 4,000 prints with CDs and index prints as well as an album $199.99

Duplicate set with album: $99.99

As we go to press, Kodak's plans for this expanding this program are still up in the air. If it is expanded, we will post details in the Breaking News section of www.PopPhoto.com.

In Irvine, CA, 30 Minute Photos Etc. offers this service to both walk-in and mail-order customers. Company President Mitch Goldstone said that it is "incredibly successful," with orders coming in from around the world. Prices start under Wegmans, with Goldstone charging $49.95 for up to 1,000 scans. And he promises very quick turnaround. For details. go to www.shoeboxreprints.com.