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"Great Scanner - Terrible Software!" on by stedanrac
Pros: Quick, Great resolution and color quality
Cons: SIlverfast SW is useless and Epson Scan is badly buggy
Summary: I've had this scanner for about a month now, I got it to digitize years worth of 35MM film negatives.
I have the scanner connected to a Windows XP SP2, AMD 64 3800+ CPU with 2 GIG of memory and a 560Gig NVidia RAID5 array. I am running the version of Epson Scan and drivers currently on the Epson website. I've scanned about 1200 individial pictures so far.
The scanner itself is great and the quality I get out of it is all I could have expected. While 800 speed film results in grainy pictures, I've done some 100 speed film taken in good light that results in some stunning digital images.
As I have read notes other places (and I agree) that the film holders are flimsy, but they haven't failed me yet.
The scanning software is the core of my problems. Epson includes Silverfast AI, but as far as I can tell, that will only scan one image at a time (even if you load up 10 images in the film holder...) so I dropped that.
Epson scan works well but I have noted a few serious bugs...
- When you scan past 1000 images in one folder it will begin writing over 001, 002, 003 and not warn you. I lost 30 pictures this way.
- The application crashes with a problem writing a TWAIN file. This problem gets progressivly worse the longer I run the application (i.e. the first pass it will scan 12 images in a batch with no failure, a few scans later it will fail after 7 pictures, then after 3 pictures, then after 1 picture). I end up having to reboot my computer 3 or 4 times while scanning to start the cycle over.
If I leave Epson soft running on the computer for a long time (like over night) it will lock the machine up and require a reset button...)
I like the device, but may have to go out and spend $100+ on scanning sw. Comments from other users are very welcome. I'vr reported all of thsi to Epson without a reply. -
"This thing can RAISE THE DEAD." on by mortso
Pros: DEEP Gamma depth means rich, full scans from dung originals.
Cons: The Epson software is behind current OS X standards, so is cumbersoome.
Summary: After being pleased with the quality of the V500 scans, but tired of waiting for the USB 2.0 interface to deliver the goods,
I purchased this. It is FAST. It is very VERY color accurate using the Epson software on "Professional" mode. Using the 'auto adjust' settings I have brought negatives and reflective scans, almost invisible to the naked eye, back from DEATH.
The results are astounding, and the Gamma range (Dmax 4.0) is the first scanner to really dig into the image and release information heretofore INVISIBLE.
AAAA ++++ This thing just plain ROCKS. Thanks Epson! -
"Don't buy this scanner if you use Vista" on by djkrr
Pros: Works well with Windows XP
Cons: Will not install with Windows Vista
Summary: I've spent hours with Epson and Dell technical support. The support was prompt, patient and detailed, but the scanner is still useless with Vista.
After reading some reviews I find I am not alone. The latest Epson V700 driver is dated 1/23/08. But Vista cannot find the driver. By now Epson should have realized that an update is needed.
A new Samsung printer, an old HP plotter, and an old HP printer all installed from Vista without a hitch. Epson needs to get busy.
I suppose the moral of the story is that I should have stuck with HP. -
"It looks like a rock, and it deivers as such" on by danbrown9
Pros: After scanning in nearly 10,000 slides i was really able to put this guys thru the steps. I shoot many different formats so having a variable setting is very important, and it delivered the goods there as well.
Cons: Sometimes will just freak out for a sec and says it is warming up. Right in the middle of a scan after I have been working for hours. Doesn't to be any rhyme or reason to this.
Summary: i probably could of spent more money on a dedicated scanner for each format I shoot. But as any good photographer will tell you, almost all my extra money goes for glass, never enough glass!!!!!
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"Epson's Support Terrible on this Scanner" on by dwjon
Pros: I can't evaluate the pro's of this item because I am still trying to install it on my Vista PC.
Cons: A PC peripheral is useless if you can't even install it and Epson support has been completely worthless in helping me with a successful installation
Summary: I am not questioning the specifications or operational performance of this scanner because I can't even get it installed on my PC. Epson promotes its support for its product line (including scanners) and when its touted support fails miserably, so does (in my view) the product itself. I feel lack of product support is a legitimate basis for my C-NET review and score (i.e., the product and the company support for the product are integrally intertwined).
I have a new PC with a Vista Ultimate OS. My PC cannot find and install necessary drivers for this scanner. I have gone through several weeks of absolute frustration with Epson on-line support guidance. The instructions are of the "canned" variety and obviously geared toward the XP OS. For someone without great computing skills, following these misleading instructions yielded the predictable failed result. When I pointed this out to Epson my only response was another set of the same XP OS set of instructions I had been given the week before. I have subsequently reviewed related blogs on the Web and come to learn a number of others have experienced the same problem when trying to install Epson scanner drivers on a Vista OS. It should be noted that Epson claims the V700 is Vista compatible. My advice is that unless you are very-very computer savvy, do not purchase an Epson scanner if you run Vista on your PC. It's too late to return the scanner for a refund so my options are to pay a computer professional to (hopefully) install it, or sale the darn thing on E-Bay. In either case, no more Epson products for me. This may be a good product IF YOU CAN USE IT. However, in my view, the quality/character of a company is revealed by how well it backs up its products - in this case Epson has failed miserably! If a product can't be used and company support can't make it work, then it is useless and, on that basis, deserves the nearly unprcedented rating of "1."
Epson Perfection V700 photo scanner user reviews
