Canon Brings High-Resolution Scanning and Printing to the Desktop!
By
Kim Brady, The Imaging Resource
(Monday, February 12, 2001 - 11:36 EST)
Canon's two new scanners -- the CanoScan 1230UF and CanoScan 2400UF -- have raised the bar in prosumer desktop scanning, providing high-resolution input (1,200 and 2,400 dpi, respectively) previously reserved for higher-end production models. Complementing the two CanoScans is the S800 Bubble Jet printer, with 2,400 x 1,200 dpi output and more than 49 levels of color gradation. Canon's announcements, like many that we have seen this year, are indicative of a growing trend toward convergence of consumer and professional imaging products.
Canon U.S.A. Inc. unveiled three new products today aimed at the prosumer digital imaging and high-end personal computer markets. Two high-resolution flatbed scanners -- the CanoScan 1230UF and 2400UF -- incorporate recent advancements in optical and software technology, providing high-resolution optical scans (1,200 and 2,400 dpi, respectively) previously available only on high-end scanners. The new S800 Bubble Jet Printer features Canon's Advanced Microfine Droplet Technology, providing high-quality, continuous-tone images that are nearly indistinguishable from conventional photographic prints.
Both the CanoScan D1230UF and D2400UF color flatbed scanners feature built-in film adapters for scanning 35mm, medium-format, and 4 x 5-inch transparencies and negatives; 48-bit internal color (externally scalable to 24- or 42 bits); and a USB interface for easy connection to Macintosh and Windows computers.
To speed transfer of large image files, Canon incorporated a proprietary Data Compression Transfer technology that automatically compresses the image data in the scanner and then restores it after the transfer proccess. The resulting scan times are said to be 30 percent faster than with previous CanoScan models.
The scanners' Galileo-class lens systems feature larger-than-normal, high-quality optics, which provide up to 2.7 times more illumination than comparable scanners, according to Canon. The Galileo system corrects chromatic aberration with a combination of crystal and optical class elements with complementary refraction and dispersion characteristics.
The CanoScan D2400UF, with a suggested retail price of $499, features an automatic dust and scratch clean-up option. Canon's FARE (Film Automatic Retouching and Enhancement Technology) detects imperfections with infrared light, in a second scan step. The D2400UF makes the first scan with white light, and follows with the infrared scan, which picks up the dust and scratches. The scanner then compares the two scans and creates a final file free of imperfections.
With a suggested retail price of only $299, the CanoScan D1230UF provides a very affordable solution for 1,200 x 2,400 dpi scanning, with all of the features offered on the D2400UF, except the FARE technology. Both scanners have 25 to 200 percent scalable resolution in 1 percent increments, allowing for a maximum interpolated resolution of 9,600 x 9,600 dpi. Built-in software includes ScanGear (Windows), a Mac Plug-in, OmniPage (Mac/Win), CanoScan Toolbox (Macintosh), and Adobe Photoshop LE. The scanners are scheduled for release in April.
The S800 Bubble Jet printer, priced at $299, replaces the previous BJC-8200 model. At 2,400 x 1,200 dpi resolution, the S800 has approximately 38 percent higher resolution that comparable desktop printers, according to Canon. The 4-picoliter droplets are fired from 1,536 nozzles, using six separate ink cartridges, which can be changed out individually when one color runs out. A ThinkTank System gives users an on-screen warning when the ink is running low.
In addition to USB and parallel port computer interfaces, the S800 features a CompactFlash card slot for reading images directly from digital camera storage media. The published print speed is less than one minute for 4 x 6-inch prints and less than 2 minutes for 8 x 10-inch photographs. Maximum printable area is 8 x 65.7 inches (on banner paper) and the minimum paper size is 4 x 4 inches. Included software: PhotoRecord for Windows and ImageBrowser for Macintosh. Product availability is scheduled for March
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