I've used the CanoScan 8600F scanner for two weeks now scanning about 300 color photos, size 4" x 6". It works great with my 3 year old Dell PC running Windows XP with only 512 MB of RAM.
I started off scanning negative film of my photos but noticed that even after careful cleaning of each 6 image strip that, more often than not, I'd see specks or fuzz on the scanned image which took a bit of time to correct using the included Adobe PhotoShop Elements 4.0 software (the dust/scratch removal software too often takes off image details that you will want to keep). I decided to try scanning my 4" x 6" prints instead of the negatives and got better results. I couldn't tell much difference in the resolution AS VIEWED ON MY 1280 x 1024 LCD monitor. I don't usually make prints so I couldn't say how the quality for scanning prints vs. negatives would compare in that department. The good thing was that scanning prints almost always gave me a cleaner image than scanning negatives. And prints scan faster than negatives.
You wouldn't think you could scan prints faster than negatives since you can load two 6 image strips (12 images total) into the holder that comes with the unit vs. being able to place only 4 of the 4" x 6" prints on the platten. What happens is that the unit scans negatives ONE IMAGE AT A TIME vs. scanning the prints all in one pass. It takes the scanner about 1 minute per image when scanning negatives. It also takes only about 1 minute to scan 3 or 4 prints so the result is a faster operation when scanning prints than when scanning negatives.
One drawback of the software for me was that I found I could scan only 3 size 4" x 6" prints at a time if I wanted to use the "auto-crop" feature. Putting 4 images on the platten resulted in them being too close together for the software to detect them as individual prints. Yes, I could crop them in Adobe Elements but that added more problems with not having specific EXIF information for each image. Bottom line: I scanned 3 prints, size 4" x 6", at a time and was very happy with the speed and quality. The scanner processed faster than I could load/unload the images (I was pulling them out of a protector sheet-style photo album for scanning).
I've had no trouble with the unit or the software but I can tell you there is a somewhat steep learning curve if you intend on scanning a lot of images. Figuring out how to customize the lid-mounted buttons/screen-based toolbar (they are duplicates of one another) is essential for faster operation.
None of the included software allow you to do any significant EXIF editing. You'll need a different software package for that function. Yes, you can plug-in date of original and a few other items but it is a one image at a time operation and is very time consuming. Get a shareware program like EXIF Utilities to do this on a batch basis.
I'd buy this same unit again if faced with the same decision. It is a good value for what I paid at Amazon.com and it came quickly plus was well-packaged.j
Note also this unit has a one year warranty vs. the 90 day warranty for the error-prone HP models of equivalent specification.
| Manufacturer | Canon |
|---|---|
| Brand | Canon |
| Item Weight | 9.48 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 11.3 x 18.6 x 4.9 inches |
| Item model number | 1307B002 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Manufacturer Part Number | 1307B002 |
