Minolta Dimage Scan Dual II
Note that the new Dual IV is out now.. 16 bit, Hi-Speed USB 2.0,Multiscanning. It should be a hot item for the street price of $300.
The Minolta Dimage Scan Dual II is a 35 mm film scanner, in thelow-end price range, under $500 US. It is rather different from theprevious Dual model, this new Dual II is 36 bits, 2820 dpi, and USB, andhas new software, with Windows and Macintosh versions. The 104 pageprinted user manual is very detailed (it is also online in the CustomerSupport section at www.minoltausa.com).
Other features include Auto Focus, Batch scanning, and APS film sizewith optional APS adapter (about $120). It comes with two 35 mm filmholders, for a filmstrip of six frames, and for four mounted slides.Batch scan means it can scan those 4 or 6 images or even 40 APS frames,while you are out of the room.
The Dual II software can run standalone, or as a TWAIN interface tophoto programs. As standalone, it offers TIF, JPG, or BMP file formats(or PICT for Mac), and the index number of each frame is appended to thebase filename specified.
The Kodak company is a company that specializes in image technology. Kodak cameras are one of the first cameras that use film negatives. Rest assured that the Scanza can scan your film, slides, 126, 110, Super 8 and even 8mm negatives (black and white or colored). Scanning with this scanner is not that hard. But in comparison to the majority of scanners, this device’s 35mm film holder offers only one frame cutout. So you need to feed the film through the holder, thus possibly leaving fingerprints and dust on it. In fact, the model isn’t a regular 35mm slide scanner, it is more like a camera. Kodak Scanza shoots every film frame with an. Under the Film Type pulldown menu, select the kind of film you’re scanning. Choose Positive Film to scan positive negatives and slides (the kind that don’t have the colors all backwards). Choose Color Negative Film to scan color negative negatives and slides. Choose B&W Negative Film to scan black and white negatives and slides. Average film and slide scanners scan 14MP images, while more powerful models scan 22MP images. The desktop software included with most scanners can be clunky and hard to use. If manufacturer software is the only way to transfer images from your scanner, you might need to use it, but if you’re looking for photo-editing tools, there are better. XIMEA coupled imec’s hyperspectral sensors with its xiQ camera platform which features exceptional form factor that is unique in hyperspectral imaging: xiQ cameras offer 26.4 x 26.4 x 31 mm in dimension and mere 31 grams in weight. With such size, XIMEA can proudly claim the title of world’s smallest hyperspectral camera.
The software can output 8 or 16 bit data (12 bit data in 16 bit wordsas usual) or 16 bit linear (uncorrected) data. Full frame 35 mm imagesare over 3800x2600 pixels at 2820 dpi, nearly 30 MB if 8 bit, and 60 MBif 16 bits. APS full frame gives about 3200x1800 pixels at 2820 dpi,about 16 MB if 8 bit, 32 MB if 16 bit. You would only output 16 bits forsubsequent tonal processing in programs that can accept it, likePhotoshop, and when that is complete, you would convert to 8 bit mode forstorage and use.
The top toolbar has three buttons with big arrows, these are the scanbuttons. The first button scans a small index image from all the frames,viewed using the Index Tab (as shown). APS film can have up to 40 frameson the roll.
The second button does a preview scan of the selected frame(s). Thedark box shown around the 3rd index image indicates it wasselected by clicking it with the mouse. You can select any number of them(with the CTRL or SHIFT key) for batch scans. There is a preferencesetting to scan the Previews with the Index scan, handy if doing several(about 2 minutes to index six, and over 5 minutes for index and previewfor all six 35 mm frames, without focus).
The third arrow button is the final scan button for the selectedframes. Each frame can have different scan settings, or there is a Jobconcept that can be applied to all. The scanner is not speedy, but speeddepends on many things, image area, image exposure, computer speed,saving to disk, and focusing (auto focus takes 50 seconds each, butmanual focus or VueScan focus is much faster). Plan on 2 or 3 minutesoverall for each scan. With focusing and 16 bit, 2820 dpi and full frame,my 400 MHz computer can stretch one image to nearly 5 minutes.
The 'Input' resolution is for the final scan, and the 'Output'resolution field sets the scaled printing resolution. The scaled outputprint size is shown if the Units are selected as inches or cm, instead ofpixels. A3 and 11x17 inch prints are possible. The 2820 scan resolutionshows here that 240 dpi printing resolution will scale the 35 mm image to11.75 times film size to print on paper at 16.1 x 10.9 inches.
The second toolbar has buttons that vary with the Tabs above it. Youcan rotate selected frames upright, or mirror flip them, or reverse theirorder for APS cameras that wind backwards. Also the index scan data canbe saved to or restored from an Index file, so the data can be reloadedagain later without a rescan (and it includes Preview data too, if soselected).
The Preview Tab shows the selected image and you canmake the window any size you want. It allows cropping and focus andExposure Lock.
The Image Correction Tab has the image contrast and color tools. Thereis an Auto Correction button there, which can modify the processing withthe option choices at right. It often clips heavily and adds considerablesharpening (but less so if one of the keywords is selected). It isdisabled in 16 bit mode or if in B&W mode.
The histogram has another Auto Setting button, which is neverdisabled, and which works like Photoshop's Auto Levels, adjustingthe three RGB Points individually, shown below by the three White Pointsettings. There is much less clipping and sharpening. This is normally myown preference instead of the Auto button.
The Curve tool is fully functional, and it also shows the results ofthe other settings, very instructional to show how things work. The threewhite point settings are superimposed with the original dark curve (thelight lines, shows well on a color screen). I also lifted the center ofthe curve slightly higher to increase brightness (gamma). The midpoint ofthe histogram is Gamma too, shown numerically there. There are eveneyedroppers. The Preview image shows the effect of settings too.It's an excellent tool, fully featured, and it works well.
The Color Balance tool has a non-functional curve toshow what happens. My dummy settings at right show that the red (uppercurve) White Point is clipped heavily, and the green (lower curve) outputlevel is reduced (see Curve Tool).
The Dual II software offers only one generic film type for ColorNegatives. It handles this automatically, and often well, but it is ahard job, and some negatives will need adjustment for color cast. This iscertainly no surprise, it's a simple fact of life for colornegative film. It does provide 16 bit output and Adobe Photoshop LE tohelp with this, and to be fair, color balance of color negatives isdifficult on any scanner. There is another choice too, in that one canalways use VueScan for good automatic colorbalance from negatives, and it is faster too.
Scans of slides are surprisingly good too. Deep shadow slide detail isnot breathtaking, never great in any CCD film scanner, but it is far frombad here, and better than expected for this price. The surprise was thatthere was exceptionally little dark noise, the dark areas were black, butvery clean and nice. One really has to hunt for the noise, and noise wasnot a problem. The Dual II gives very decent scans.
It's a very impressive scanner, especially so if considering thelow price.
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