Konica Minolta Dimage Scan Dual IV

Review Date
March 4, 2006

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Reviewed by
helical , Expert

Price Paid
$212.00

Photography Experience
6-10 years , Outdoor

Summary
I decided to buy this scanner after reading some enthusiastic reviews. But as it happens all the time, you get what you pay for. This scanner has some limitations, that don't allow to use it for a serious photographic work, especially when it comes to scanning slides. Be sure, that your slides are correctly exposed and they don't have dense areas, where you want the details to be still visible. Scanning at 16 bit resolution does not help at all, for this reason, that this particular CCD chip is not capable of producing signal of adequate range, no matter how many bits the following A/D converter may have. Increasing exposure in the software eventually reveals some details, but can wash out the highlights in an ugly way. Much better results could be obtained from negatives, however it is difficult to get rid of a red or magenta cast. Sharpness is quite good. This scanner wins the competition in this field with an obsolete Nikon LS-30 (but not by much). Only very few Velvia slides made with a prime lens show some detail that could not be found on a scan. Dust and small fibres have really sharp edges on a scan! I get occasionally software crash, when I try to use autofocus, no matter where the USB cable is connected in the computer.

Strengths
- Low price
- Fast scans
- Good sharpness

Weaknesses
- Low dynamic range (actual, not advertised) - may be a problem when scanning slides
- Color reproduction could be better
- Software hangs up sometimes when autofocusing

Similar Products Used
Nikon LS-30, Canoscan 8400

Customer Service
?

Review Date
February 20, 2005

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.96 of 5, 28 votes

Reviewed by
caquino , Expert

Price Paid
$280.00 at B&H

Photography Experience
6-10 years , Outdoor

Summary
This is a great film scanner for the price. If you take care to keep your slides/negs clean and learn to use the scanning software and the included Photoshop Elements package to tweak the capabilities, you will get a great image. Combine this with a good photo printer (I have an Epson R300), and you will get fantastic results. Bottom line, take your time, read the scanner manual (especially for installation and startup procedures). I scanned a slide and made a reference print to take to my local custom lab because I wanted them to make a dum scan and print a 16x24 image on their Epson 9600. The owner looked at my slide and looked at my print and was really impressed with the results the combination this scanner and printer produced.

Strengths
The scanning software does a good job of letting you get the imgae you want before the scan is made. The histogram and image controls allow you to fine tune your image well. The resolution is great up to about 8x12 or 11x14. I got this scanner mostly because I was scanning slides for small prints and greeting cards. If I want a larger print, I know I will have a drum scan made.

Weaknesses
The scanning software can be testy when it comes to installing it. You need to follow the directions exactly.

Similar Products Used
None

Customer Service
None yet