Epson Perfection 4990

It's pitched at photographers, but that's not all

A versatile and inexpensive model for producing high-quality scans of photographs and film.

Epson's latest top-of-the-range flatbed/film scanner may be large and relatively pricey but you get plenty of bangs for your buck. The Perfection 4990 Photo combines 4800dpi resolution with a bit depth of 48, and Epson claims its high 4.0 optical density produces scans with smooth and accurate colour and subtle grey gradations. Features of the new model include a MatrixCCD scanning head with microlenses that ensure even light coverage. A blue-toned lamp compensates for the base masking in colour negatives, providing faster scans with better colour accuracy.

Of course, the one most compromised kind of scanning, and the greatest challenge to a letter-sized flat-bed, is 35mm film. With the previous 4870 model a considerable achievement was made with the introduction of an optical resolution of 4800dpi. That remains the same with the 4990, but the improvements in the process that were incorporated by extending the film scanning area and using a new, tube-type moving cold cathode light source has resulted in scans that include the reproduction of finer detail, and the improvement in the dynamic range. This has improved

The Epson Perfection 4990 Photo has lots of great included retouching software, as well as the ability to scan many sizes of transparencies on its large, 8-by-10-inch transparency unit.

Epson Perfection 4990 Flatbed Scanners user reviews : 3 out of 5 - 3 reviews - photographyreview.com

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The Epson 4990 offers outstanding performance for both images and film, albeit at a price