What They're Saying About: The Epson Perfection 4490 Photo Scanner

The Epson Perfection 4490 Photo scanner offers a great deal to those who have a backlog of family photos and want to digitize them: a built-in film scanner, features to help handle problems such as scratches, dust, or fading; and even an optional automatic document feeder. Except for its slightly high price, most reviewers (including ours) though it excelled as a scanner for use by families and photographers.

Price: $175-302
Type: Flatbed scanner
Scan Speed: 12.3 msec/line
Scan Resolution: 4800 dpi
Special Features: Built-in film scanner. Color-restore feature. Dust and scratch removal for film. Automatic document feeder (ADF) option.

About.com Printers / Scanners Review

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Liked: Effortless set-up; wizards make it easy to get started; good bundling of software; third party software is installed; 'a la carte' -- components can be installed or removed separately; plays well with other third-party software; Windows/Mac compatible

Disliked: Scanning slides and/or film can produce long waiting periods; takes up more desktop space than an all-in-one

In Short: This is an excellent choice for anyone -- individual or small business -- who needs to work with transparencies. A strong software bundle adds to the versatility of this sturdy device. It is simple to use, while providing access under the hood for professionals. A good value.

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PC World Review

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Liked: The dual-format 4490 scans both paper and transparencies at a reasonably fast pace. It especially impressed our jury with its on-screen displays of a color photo (scanned at 100 dpi) and black-and-white line art (at 4800 dpi). With its ultrahigh optical resolution of 4800 dpi, the 4490 is an ideal choice for those who want to make huge enlargements from small originals such as 35mm film frames.

Disliked: The 4490's $249 street price makes it expensive for a value model. The 4490's Digital ICE scanning feature can be applied only to film, however, and not to photos.

In Short: The Epson Perfection 4490 is a powerful scanner with versatile image-enhancing features, but its premium price makes it best suited for serious photographers and other detail-conscious users.

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PC Magazine Review

Rating: 4 out of 5

Liked: Scans film in 35-mm and 2.25-inch medium film format. Color-restore feature. Digital ICE dust and scratch removal for film. 30-page automatic document feeder (ADF) option.

Disliked: Dust removal works for slides and film only.

In Short: If you have a large store of 35-mm and 2.25-inch film you want to digitize, it's one of your better flatbed choices right now.

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