review: Umax Powerlook 1000 Legal-Size Scanner a winner

[BronzeBruce13]

Excuse the redundancy, but I get the feeling people in the market for a 14" scanner may miss my post on the other thread (that does not mention scanners in the title.) Original thread with previous discussion

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In case anyone still gives a crud...

 

I receved an tested my NEW Umax Powerlook 1000 Legal-Size Scanner

cots ($379) and can highly recommend this scanner (and Magicscan software) to those that are interested and OK with spending $150 or so more (than the cheapest legal -sized scanners) to receive the additional quality and speed.

 

This scanner is MUCH better (professional use quality) and lacks the "intense glare" the "$200 Umax Astra 4000u" had (and other $200 range scanners seem to have). There is no glare anywhere. There are no problems scanning either the transparent portions of the slab, nor the area with the comic in it. I also noticed that the few slabs I tested that had a slight "warping" or "not quite flat" comic... did not produce those "glare spots" in the middle of the slab (bonus!).

 

I'm betting many of the scanner lamps on the $200 range scanners are really inconsistant and don't scan semi-transparent media well.

 

This scanner is:

•MAC/PC

•USB or firewire

•scans a 300 dpi slab in 50 seconds (with firewire).. the 4000u was over 2 minutes.

NOTE: Scanning time could be reduced if I scanned at web resolution (72 dpi). However, I scan at 300 dpi, then reduce the image to 75 dpi... you capture more detail that way before the resolution reduction.

 

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Can anybody recommend a cheaper scanner that does not show "glare" anywhere on the slabs?

[Shield]

I scan with a UMAX 6450 Firewire, which turns out scans pretty well. Only problem I have with UMAX is that you have to pay for the scanner drivers, in the event you lose the CD, or you're like me and bought a product before the WinXP drivers were finished. Boo, hiss, UMAX....

[BronzeBruce13]

Sample Scan for FF

 

[Bugaboo-migration]

Sample Scan for FF

Where?

[bubbles-migration]

Sample Scan for FF

Where?

 

we interrupt this thread to ask Bugaboo," What page of the OFFICIAL GUIDE TO CGC POSTING", does it say you can't send racist PMs to other board members?

 

You don't know that one too do you?

 

If you hate me so much, stay out of my friggin threads you @#d #@$n weirdo. bwahahahahahah. oh and happy birthday. I hope you and your right hand had a nice time.

 

 

 

[BronzeBruce13]

give a brutha' a moment eh?

 

Sweet book. This is my horribly undergraded (originally a) 9.4... that received a 9.6 when I sent it in for a resub. I still say its a 9.8 structurally. Its just as nice as both 9.8's I've owned. Sometimes a book that gets what it deserves the 2nd time around, (if it was less originally) is NOT always a book to avoid based just on the fact it was lower at one time. This is a book to be proud of even at 9.6. Solid 9.6

 

Its heading out soon... (hard to let this one go)

[BachelorOfComix]

we interrupt this thread to ask Bugaboo," What page of the OFFICIAL GUIDE TO CGC POSTING", does it say you can't send racist PMs to other board members?

 

You don't know that one too do you?

 

If you hate me so much, stay out of my friggin threads you @#d #@$n weirdo. bwahahahahahah. oh and happy birthday. I hope you and your right hand had a nice time.

 

[bubbles-migration]

we interrupt this thread to ask Bugaboo," What page of the OFFICIAL GUIDE TO CGC POSTING", does it say you can't send racist PMs to other board members?

 

You don't know that one too do you?

 

 

well.well. If it isn't Bugapoos right hand. Whats the latest on that autobiography? I bet you can tell us all about the real estate business.

[bubbles-migration]

Sample Scan for FF

 

 

 

Dude that comic kicks [!@#%^&^].

[PovertyRow]

Rotate on your behind, Bubbles. Don't want or need this kind of tripe scattered all over different threads. This WAS an interesting thread with some value until you came along with your childish bullshet.

 

The less you post the better this place is. So do us all a favor and make this the best place you can.

 

::typo edited thanks to BOC::

[BachelorOfComix]

well.well. If it isn't Bugapoos right hand. Whats the latest on that autobiography? I bet you can tell us all about the real estate business.

If you are insulting me in the above statement can you please explain it to me in a PM?

[BachelorOfComix]

Rotate on your behind, Bubbles. Don't want or need this kind of tripe scattered all over different threads. This WAS an interesting thread with some value until you came along with your childish bullshet.

 

The less you post the better this place is. So does us all a favor and make this the best place you can.

One of the Top 10 Best Posts Ever!!!

[BronzeBruce13]

Now back to our regularly scheduled scan review...

 

[BachelorOfComix]

[PovertyRow]

First, thanks BOC!

 

2nd - Bronze - these scans are coming through very nicely indeed. They seem to transcend pixels and have a real "feel" or "texture" to them (does that make sense?). I think you hit it on the head with the lighting. Very even and consistent. Would you mind posting a plain 100dpi scan as well?

[BronzeBruce13]

those are 72 dpi scans Pov!

 

I just start out by scanning at 300 dpi, then I reduce down to 72 (for quality reasons explained). I put the scan through a minor enhancement in Photoshop to better have the scan represent the original (contrast, despeckle, sharpness). The "unsharpmask" may be the crispness of the image you're enjoying.

 

The point is though that the scanner produced an excellent quality initial scan that was not far from what I adjusted it to. The Hulk 182 had some minor warping within the slab. My old scanner (a $700 Epson Expression 636...only 11" ##@#!!@) produced some highlights and "light spots" which the Umax PL1000 didn't. I was not expecting it to be that even and compensate somehow. The label is curled on the Hulk 182 as well in the upper left hand corner, but still it looked better (flatter) than the Epson.

 

Did that info make the 100 dpi scan moot? or did you want to see it for another reason?

[PovertyRow]

No - I understood you started at 300 and then reduced but I really would like to see to see a raw, unenhanced 100 DPI scan, if that is convenient!?

 

And I do thank you!

[fantastic_four]

Hey Bruce...if you're gonna post some scans, try to at least make them of halfway decent books next time. Most people won't run their pics thru PhotoShop, so it'd be more useful to them to see images from the scanner using default software settings. I've always thought my legal Microtek ScanMaker V6 UPL did a nice job with default settings. Scanner is discontinued, but you can still sometimes buy used ones for cheap on ebay. Here are some 100dpi scans leaving all other settings at default:

Click for larger image

Click for larger image

[BronzeBruce13]

Well here's a rare, top census SA DC...

 

scanned RAW at 100 dpi, 100%, quality 5 jpg. no enhancements

 

(However, I'm confused?? Why can I get this image larger?? My 72 dpi images were smaller files and saved as quality 5 jpg's too??... AND I had to reduce the size down to 12" from 13"... what gives? It shouldn't matter what resolution I started from, it should matter what resolution I ended up with. I always wondered how people made those large scans load here...help? This makes no sense to me)

 

[greggy]

Well here's a rare, top census SA DC...