Imacon Shows New Flextight 848 Scanner
By Mike Pasini, The Imaging Resource
(Tuesday, February 26, 2002 - 17:09 EST)

Scan 40 transparency an hour at 100-MB each...

Danish manufacturer Imacon has introduced the Flextight 848 as "the most powerful high-end CCD scanner in the world," citing its speed and quality.

The Imacon Flextight 848

Built on Imacon's virtual drum principle, Imacon said the speed and quality of th848 exceeds any other product on the market place today.

"For instance," Imacon managing director Christian Poulsen said, "with the ability to scan 50-MB of data per minute, the Flextight 848 is five times faster than even the recently-launched Flextight Precision III. This is a tremendous leap forward in productivity. It means that a user could easily scan 40 transparencies an hour at a resolution of 100-MB each."

Features

• Speed up to 50-MB per minute
  
• Resolution of 8000 dpi
  
• Active CCD cooling (noise reduction)
  
• True 16-bit color 4.8 Dmax in a single pass scanning
  
• Batch scanning
  
• Firewire and SCSI interface
  
• Clean, no artifacts or extra data generated, Digital Ecology
  
• Auto frame detection
  
• Auto focus
  
  Source: Imacon
  

What is being hailed as the most powerful high-end CCD scanner in the world has been launched by Danish manufacturer Imacon, following the development of the Flextight 848. The new scanner builds on the award winning design of the previous Flextight models and adds a level of productivity and resolution that places the new Flextight 848 at the top of any high-end CCD scanner available today.

"Because we've based the Flextight 848 on the very successful Flextight virtual drum design, the new scanner has a similar appearance to existing models," says managing director Christian Poulsen. "However, people should have no illusions that the Flextight 848 is not a totally new concept in CCD scanner technology."

"For instance, with the ability to scan 50 Mb of data per minute, the Flextight 848 is five times faster than even the recently launched Flextight Precision III. This is a tremendous leap forward in productivity. It means that a user could easily scan 40 transparencies an hour at a resolution of 100 MB each."

Productivity is increased even further by the introduction of batch scanning for transparencies in sizes from 35 mm to 4 x 5 inch. This new device holds up to ten magnetic holders, which can be placed quickly and simply in the unit either on-line or off-line to the scanner. The unit automatically feeds each transparency in turn once the previous scan has been completed, freeing the operator to carry out other tasks. The user has the option of setting up the system to automatically prescan all originals at the same settings, or to scan at a predetermined level eg 100 Mb per image.

The Flextight 848 offers non-interpolated optical resolutions from 80 dpi - 8,000 dpi and can handle positive and negative film originals from 35 mm to 12 x 17 cm, and reflective copy up to A4. The Flextight 848 offers true 16-bit colour with a 4.8 Dmax possible in a single pass.

"All Flextight scanners are exceptionally good at picking out detail in shadow areas and in handling originals which are difficult for other CCD scanners," says Mr Poulsen. "However, our research and development team here in Copenhagen have pushed forward the frontiers of digitisation technology and the Flextight 848 achieves new levels of quality on all types of work. Whether it's the accuracy of colour reproduction, sharpness or definition the new Flextight 848 comes out top."

The scanner is supplied with both FireWire and SCSI connections, giving users the freedom to integrate the system into earlier workflow configurations (SCSI) or more recently purchased technology (FireWire). Flextight scanners have all benefited from having external electronic controls, which ensures that the heat source is kept outside of the scanner. With the Flextight 848 Imacon has taken this a step further and incorporated computer controlled active cooling facility.

This technology relies on the use of CCDs which heat up on one surface only, enabling the CCDs in the Flextight 848 to be designed so that heat is taken out of the scanner. "You can't cool the internal workings of a scanner below room temperature or you risk the formation of condensation," says Christian Poulsen.

"However, by maintaining the sensor at room temperature we are able to reduce noise and improve colour stability, even though the Flextight models are already efficient in these areas. On a job that included, for example, a colour negative with a blue cast, the quality that can be achieved over other makes of CCD scanner on the market are incredible."

Other new features incorporated within the Flextight 848 include an automatic focus facility, automatic frame detection and an extended magnification range from 20 - 3,800 per cent. The maximum file size possible is 1.2 Gb, while scan modes can be; colour (24, 32 or 48-bit), greyscale, line art, batch scanning and batch image processing.

The Flextight 848 utilises the award winning FlexColor software. There is currently a version for use with Macintosh platforms and a PC compatible package will be available from Imacon in early 2002.

Like the other Flextight scanners the new Flextight 848 incorporates the unique magnetic holder design which eliminates the need for mounting originals on glass. Thus, there is no need for gel or tape and the operator does not have to clean each transparency after scanning. The design also enables scanning to be carried out quickly as originals are simply placed within the holder, while the built-in light table and grid means that originals can be aligned simply.

As the magnetic holder retracts automatically into the scanner it is fed around a virtual drum, which creates a perfectly flat surface directly underneath the CCD. Scanning the surface of the original without the use of glass negatives removes the danger of Newton Rings or moir, as well as colour flare and registration errors. Ease of use is also a major selling point of all the Flextight scanners and the new Flextight 848 is no exception.