Entered CNET Catalog: 09/04/2003
SKU: 0010343846630
Manufacturer: Epson
Manufacturer description
The Epson Perfection 3170 Photo scanner offers powerful, one-touch color restoration and remarkable image quality. With leading-edge technology, this high-value performer instantly restores faded photos, slides and negatives. Innovative Epson Easy Photo Fix technology, exclusively from Epson, even provides an incredible dust removal function for optimal scanning of slides and negatives. This product makes restoring images a snap, with three levels of control, including fully automated scanning and two advanced modes with individual setting selections. For added versatility, the Epson Perfection 3170 Photo includes a built-in 35mm slide/film strip and medium format adapter. Scan in a negative or slide and give new life to moments from the past. This product delivers all these convenient features, plus 3200 x 6400 dpi resolution for fine detail and professional results. With convenient PC and Macintosh compatibility, it offers multiple connectivity options, including hi-speed USB 2.0. Add the optional automatic document feeder for quick, easy scanning of multiple-page originals. Or, use this product with an Epson ink jet printer for extraordinary reprints and enlargements. With all this, plus a full suite of photo software titles, the Epson Perfection 3170 Photo offers a complete photo imaging solution - at a truly incredible value.Product summary
The good: Produces high-quality scans; easy to install; comes with adapters for slides and 35mm or medium-format film; nice price; lets you save scanning presets.
The bad: Annoying software package; no manual; scans slowly at highest optical resolution.
The bottom line: The Epson Perfection 3170 scans like a champ--and it's cheap, too.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 04/13/2004
At 9 pounds, the Epson Perfection 3170 isn't especially portable, but it's solidly built. Black-and-silver styling gives it a sleek and sophisticated look, and the lid opens and closes smoothly. Three buttons on the front control panel take you to frequently used functions: Copy, Scan To Web, and Scan To E-mail. At the back are three ports, one each for a USB 2.0 connector, a power adapter, and a connector for the Transparency Unit adapter (the TPU is built into the cover). The scanner also comes with adapters to hold slides and 35mm or medium-format film strips. You can scan up to four slides and as many as 12 frames of negatives at a time. If you want to use this scanner for business-oriented tasks, such as scanning a batch of legal files, you can buy an accessory document feeder for an extra $200--a little pricey for an accessory, in our opinion.
Installing the Perfection 3170 takes no time at all. Just load the drivers and Epson's Smart Panel software, and you're good to go. We had no problems installing the Smart Panel software, but we were less keen on using it. The interface could use some streamlining; instead of incorporating all of your scanning options in a main interface, Smart Panel serves up task-based windows, which we found annoying. The Epson Perfection 3170 also comes with Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0, which helps offset our irritation with Smart Panel.
You can choose from three configurations: Full Auto (for the staunch newbie), Home, or Professional mode. Professional mode gives you the most freedom to make adjustments, such as applying Unsharp Mask. The Perfection 3170 automatically recognizes the type of original you want to scan, whether it's a photo or a text document--nice for beginners. We really like that you can save option presets, such as output resolution and target size.
The Perfection 3170's test scans of color graphics and photographs looked sharp, with pleasingly saturated yet relatively accurate colors. Our slides came out well, with very little noise, but they were a bit too soft. Text scans were right on the mark. Numbers and letters looked perfectly rounded and sharp. While the 3170 scanned at a generally reasonable pace, it did slow down considerably when scanning at the highest optical resolution: 3,200x6,400dpi.
All in all, our complaints about this scanner are fairly minor. For its street price of around $150, the Epson Perfection 3170's scanning talent is hard to beat.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41out of 41 user reviews
run away from EPSON
Pros: good hardware
Cons: software absolutelutely a joke
out of 41 user reviews
OK Scanner -- Terrible Software
Pros: Price is reasonable, scanner quality OK
Cons: Software is terrible: definitely not user-friendly.
out of 41 user reviews
I bought this quite a while ago
Pros: this is the best scanner that I have ever owned
Cons: non that I can think of
out of 41 user reviews
exceptional
Pros: Built solid, excellent artwork and medium format film scans.
Cons: Slow at max res, 35mm film scans a little soft
out of 41 user reviews
Great scanner for 22 months
Pros: Excellent photo quality, fast USB 2.0
Cons: Mine broke after 22 months
Investigation (I did myself) revealed that a tiny piece of plastic which holds the drive pulley assembly snapped off. This piece of plastic is an integral part of the case, and cannot be replaced without replacing the entire lower part of the case. Seeing how flimsy this was, I am surprised the scanner lasted as long as it did!
In today’s age of high-tech and low prices I am not surprised that products are made this way. So much integral quality has been removed so that a product can be sold at competitive prices. We are wowed by the technology, only to be disappointed by the flimsy mechanical construction.
I never abused or over-used my Epson 3170. It was used at home in a home (not home-office) environment. I expected much more life out of this unit.
Now I’m looking for another scanner, and I am hard pressed to find a decent one from someone other than Epson. So what do I do? Buy another 3710 (with an extended warranty)? Perhaps that would be the best option.
I am just happy that I did not pay the $55 minimum charge that a service center would have charged me to open up the unit and tell me that it was un-repairable. I was able to pop it open myself to find that out in a matter of a few minutes.
Unless Epson has changed the design of it's scanners, I would expect that many of their models will have a similar flaw, and will break after a short time. If you do buy one, I highly recommend an extended warranty that will last for at least 2 years, preferably longer.
out of 41 user reviews
Works great with Apple's OS X (10.3)
Pros: Low Price! Compatible with my Mac.
Cons: Higher scan resolutions slow.
out of 41 user reviews
worth the wait and the money
Pros: i dont know what all the other guys are complaining about, but this is one solid scanner. the images are great and the software is very useful. installation was a breeze, JUST FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS,
Cons: it is a little slow, but i really didnt notice because i usually multitask, it gives me just enough time to tend to other projects.
out of 41 user reviews
Good PROFESSIONAL scanner, novices need not apply.
Pros: Inexpensive, reliable scanning power, high resolution, quiet, fast.
Cons: Lid is a bit flopsy, nneds better calibrated sidebars on scanning bed.
Despite what others have said, I have had no compatibility problems with this scanner using either Mac OS 9, or OS X. It works perfectly with either. I believe the reasoning behind the compatibility problems other may have had come down to a lack of knowledge of how Macs deal with hardware. I have managed to get reliable performance from all the units my company have.
That being said, if your experience with graphics involves using an "auto" mode to scan, or the concept of a Moire is alien to you, go with something cheaper. This is not a unit for pedestrian use. The sheer number of settings and resolutions one would have to be familiar with to make this highly customizeable scanner put out consistant quality makes this not so end-user friendly.
If there is anything this scanner lacks, well, I could think of a few options that would make my job easier, like maybe being able to control the color bulb filters during it's scanning pass. Sometimes scanning in an original with lots of yellows or light blues into a black a white plate would be easier if I could scan the art in with a red light pass.
Take this to heart, consumer. If Photoshop intimidates you, this is NOT your scanner.
out of 41 user reviews
I just got my 3170 and it works beautifuly
Pros: It does great for me. No problems yet
Cons: I would like to have had a 2 1/4 X 2 1/4 carrier that would hold a mounted transparency.
out of 41 user reviews
Slow software
Pros: nice scans
Cons: Vary Slow scanner. Support seems to only recomend reinstall xp. I use built in scan software in xp control panel- fast but can't scan multiple images at once.
out of 41 user reviews
Works Great most of the time
Pros: Just finished scanning over 300 slides and it did a good job on most of them. Decent software package. Overall a very good value.
Cons: A few slides like fields of flowers confused the scanner and it tried to scan them as color negative. In the copy center the Auto Document Enhancement has to be turned on each time you use it, come on Epson let us save the settings.
out of 41 user reviews
doesnt work with mac os 10.3
Pros:
Cons: epson would not stand behind the software for this product which does NOT work with mac os 10.3. after 4 attempts to fix the software (a complete waste of time) they had the nerve to refer me to a third party sofware maker who said it just wont work on my
out of 41 user reviews
Don't buy this ^%@%#$^&
Pros: Well, the reviews I read promised the heavens. It did scan artwork and photo prints well. Until I also added a new Epson printer to my new Dell PC.
Cons: Slow Terrible scan quality of 35 mm negatives and slides. Then I added an Epson printer and everything just crashed. Awful tech support and no real documentation. Neither Dell nor Epson helped at all. Dell support was only useless gibberish from a noisy a
out of 41 user reviews
Biggest paper wieght ever
Pros: high quality scans
Cons: Spent lots of time with the epson tech trying to make the dam thing work. XP and service pack 2 may be an issue.
out of 41 user reviews
Good For the money
Pros: I've been using with Vuescan and it works good. Allows me to do multiple passes. Excellent choice for the money
Cons: Slows down at full resolution
out of 41 user reviews
God but not the best
Pros: very easy to use. nice options under the professional mode. works flawlessly under winxp pro. scans very fast using 24 bit and anything under 600 dpi. If scaned with these measurments in mind the files are very minimal.
Cons: does take a bit of ram, but most newer computers should be fine, I would say to have a minimum of 512mb ram installed. Scans do come out a little dark, but it's nothing a good editor can't fix. I recomend using ACDSee 7.0
out of 41 user reviews
easy and good canner
Pros: scaned old 35mm slides looked good, easy photo fix software helped make pics look clean.
Cons: no manual but still could figure out how to use it
out of 41 user reviews
Fast scans and great image quality!
Pros: Really fast scans. I must admit that this is my first USB 2.0 scanner but compared to my 2 previous ($500+) scanners this thing is awesome. The images quality (for prints) is fantastic!
Cons: The bundled OCR sucks.
out of 41 user reviews
I can't get it to work to its full capacity
Pros: It's not terribly expensive. The operations that I can get it to do produce good scans.
Cons: There are three modes of function, from "full auto" to "professional". I can really only run it on "full auto". In any mode I can only scan at low resolutions; the program tells me I have "insufficient memory" if I try to run medium or high resolution.
out of 41 user reviews
Doesn't work well with Minolta 2300DL
Pros: Scans nicely to file and email.
Cons: Does not copy to Minolta 2300DL color laserjet printer. It enlarges and streches out the image. Epson technical support could not help.
out of 41 user reviews
Good For Professionals
Pros: This Scanner is the perfect model for the Professional. I am in computer graphics and this scanner does what it is supposed to do...and more. i suggest you buy this..can get it for around 160.
Cons: It's a little bulky...just a little.
out of 41 user reviews
great scanner - stupid software
Pros: At about $199 it really is a great deal. The unit installs easily, XP found it without any problem. The image quality is very good, especially color slides. Being able to scan medium format film is a real plus for advanced amateur photographers and pros.
Cons: But that software is really a pain to use. I still can't figure out where the images go in scan and save mode - and talk about slow when scanner at or above 1200 dpi. Go to lunch or take a nap.
out of 41 user reviews
3month old. thrilled with it.
Pros: for the price you can't beat it. I 've taken back a canon & a visioneer.Takes decent reprint & negatives. haven't tried slides. i have a canon i560s that does a nice job with Epson 3170.
Cons: none so far. but who knows. maybe the shadow knows.
out of 41 user reviews
The best I have seen so far.
Pros: When I scan my pictures, they look better than the orginal pictures. The pictures look almost 3-D, they're so clear. I was amazed at the difference between this scanner and my old HP scanner. I am very please with the all over results. Also, the progr
Cons:
out of 41 user reviews
My Second Epson Scanner
Pros: Fast, even on USB 1.0. Excellent scans of photos and slides, easy to use.
Cons: Software CD wouldn't work in my CD-ROM, professional mode requires a couple of different steps in order to name and save scans in a particular folder.
out of 41 user reviews
Quality Scans
Pros: Scan quality is very good for price/value range. Tech support responsive to email (problem with power supply adapter, replaced under warranty)
Cons: Interface gets some getting used to.
out of 41 user reviews
I recommended this product 100%
Pros: Great scanner. It's cheap, easy to use, easy to setup. Great images. Works perfect for transparencies. And with a great printer, it's work as a copy machine.
Cons: none by now. (believe me, I'm a computer freak).
out of 41 user reviews
Very user unfriendly
Pros: The quality of the scans are good for the settings.
Cons: I have been scanning for years. This is the most user unfriendly scanner I have ever purchased. There are too many hoops to jump through if you want to preview your scan before sending it to the application. It is slower than my older HP.
out of 41 user reviews
Doesn't Work With Windows XP
Pros: This seems like a very nice scanner, when it works.
Cons: I have had nothing but problems getting this scanner to work with Windows XP, despite having downloaded the latest drivers and patches from Epson and Newsoft.
out of 41 user reviews
ok but..........
Pros: excellent quality on photo's and negatives
Cons: gives me a blue cast on all my slide scans, especially noticable with slides that have a white background, it comes out blue which i have to correct in my image editing software.
out of 41 user reviews
Hopeless instruction manual
Pros: Superior technical quality
Cons: Virtually impossible to figure out how to do anything with their on-line software. No manual to help either.
out of 41 user reviews
does a great job
Pros: great on 35mm slides and all photos,and color restoring is good also
Cons: a bit slow and noisey
out of 41 user reviews
Focus on photos is "soft" - no manual fine tuning of focus is available
Pros: Relaiable scanner, easy set-up and a good value for under $200. Document scanning works OK, & OCR recognition is acceptable.
Cons: Photo scanning gives less that optimal results (I've tried 2 of the same model). I find the auto focus to be unexceptably "soft" Although the "help" menue indicates that manual focus is available, I've been informed by tech support that it isn't availab
out of 41 user reviews
The best consumer slide scanner on the market
Pros: The software is just flat out INCREDIBLE compared to what HP is offering. It scans 12 slides at once, automatically names them, you can access them one by one after they are scanned, and the quality is FANTASTIC. Whereas HPs software causes HUGE grainy, o
Cons: None that I can see.
out of 41 user reviews
OK, but not reliable
Pros: Good quality scans, fast on USB 2.0 Service great, scanner repaired via courier in 2 days each time. 5 minuites on the phone and its taken care of, same day pick-up.
Cons: 3 Service calls in 3 months. Scanner had black spots on inside of glass brand new out of the box. Belt tensioner has now failed twice.
out of 41 user reviews
AWESOME SCANS! Hands down, Best quality for the $$. Works GREAT on MAC X.2.8
Pros: Sturdy, rugged construction. Simple set-up. Can scan up to 10, 35mm pics at once. Supurb, quality scans. Nice software bundle includes basic OCR app, Copier app, and drivers. Scan software has Beginner, intermediate, and Professional modes to accommodate
Cons: If you're using MAC X.2 and up, you should download and install the latest drivers, as the ones on the included disk are dated. NO PRINTED MANUAL, pdf format only. Frustration with scanning multiple 35mm pics, you have set the settings for each pic indivi
out of 41 user reviews
This scanner works GREAT on transparent media!
Pros: Wonderful quality scans of negatives and slies. Scans as many as 12 frames of negs at a time and four slides. Great color reproduction from negs. All images needed to be furter processed in Adobe Elements 2.0, which is provided, to bring them to better th
Cons: Thumbnails of four-framed strips of negs (as opposed to the six frame space offered on the neg holder)came out un-divided. That is, instead of eight thumbnails, I got two...one of each strip. To remedy this, I merely stuck blank neg stips in the remaining
out of 41 user reviews
Good scans on photos
Pros: Good and understandable software, choice from automatic to 'professional' in which many options can be pre-set. Several pre-sets can be saved and it will open exact the same way as you want it. Photo scans are, in my opinion very good.
Cons: Problem with scanning negatives. Although the scan itself is good the sides of all scans that I made from negative slides are darker on both left and right side. The middle is lighter and allright. Have no clue on what is the answer to the 'dark side' sca
out of 41 user reviews
Fantastic scanner at a terrific price
Pros: Easy setup. 3200 dpi for under $200. I wanted a good scanner to my slide and negative work and for the price, nothing could beat this. I considered a dedicated scanner, which had a higher resolution, but it didn't have 2 1/4 in. capabilities, nor could yo
Cons: Box says that USB 2.0 currently does not work on Macs; however, running at USB 1.0 seems acceptable to me. A 3200dpi scan of a 35mm slide will take about 2 1/2 minutes.
out of 41 user reviews
Great Budget Scanner
Pros: I have used this scanner for Film slide and Negitive scanning. The resolution and qulity is excellent at this price.
Cons: Slow scan, takes lot of memory , I will suggest scan one Slide at a time at higher resolution ( 3200 dpi).
out of 41 user reviews
THIS IS THE ONE!!A terrific package for restoring and archiving all your family treasures
Pros: Fast and easy setup. On screen hints(recipes)are easy to follow. Slides scanned 4 at a time wow! Color fix and restoration with one button is magical. Scan-to-email and web is just too easy. The clearest detailed print copies I have ever seen. No problem
Cons: Cons: NO written MANUALs for scanner or software. But, lots of on-screen help available. No toll-free Technical Support.
