Microtek Artixscan 120tf Mini Review

Microtek Artixscan 120tf Mini Review

 

I am feeling very negative towards my new purchase. I have had the scanner for only a

week and have been plagued by numerous problems.

 

I purchased the scanner originally because it seemed like the value priced champion for

scanning my medium format transparencies. I purchased it because of my familiarity with

the awesome Silverfast software I use with my Epson 3200 Pro, the inclusion of a 6X7 IT8

transparency target, and of course the price.

 

I am using a Powermac G4, OSX (latest), PS7 and have spent some time downloading all

the updates from the various manufacturer�s websites and doing careful installs and

reinstalls (which have been a pain in themselves).

 

This is what I planned. Since my transparencies are generally well exposed (my clients

would fire me if otherwise), I would simply would need to create a scanner profile using

Silverfast (which I�ve done before on the Epson with no problem) set the scanner software

to embed the scanner software I created, open in Photoshop Adobe RGB 1998 and be

stunned with 4000dpi resolution and 4.2 Dmax.

 

The main problem with the scanner is that the software support for the scanner is still

amazingly buggy. I am having many problems getting the scanner to calibrate using

Silverfast- it took a recent update for it to read the target patches properly. Even with the

update, the generated ICC profile is terrible. All my images are coming out dark when

opened in Photoshop, and the IT8 calibration process should have them opeing gloriously

with the correct color management settings.

 

I should also mention that I noticed these problems the day I purchased the scanner. I

also found out that if you want technical support from Silverfast, it�s going to be slow

email or $1.99 per minute with a 900 number, even if you�ve just bought the product!

And this isn�t just the price they�re charging some doofus wasting customer supports

time- it includes all professional users who are calling in to report the bugs!

 

Since Silverfast is not working for me with this scanner, I have been relegated to using

Microteks�s Scan Wizard 7. This software also isn�t up to speed for the new scanner.

Neither is the tech support. The tech I spoke to didn�t even have the manual when I asked

him why the monitor compensation in the color settings control panel wasn�t working. I

wanted to direct him to a visual example in the manual, and I couldn�t because he just

didn�t have it.

 

Forget medium format for a minute and let�s talk 35mm mounted slides. In it�s current

state, Scan Wizard is unable to accurately detect during prescan, the orientation of the

slide. It may prescan your slide properly, or it may scan your verticals as horizontals, and

vice versa. If ScanWizard can�t figure out your landscape goes from left to right instead of

up and down, you�re screwed. Currently there is no way in the software to reorient the

prescan window.

 

Personally, I think the Microtek Scan Wizard 7 software interface is horrible. With Silverfast

not working properly, it is the environment I�m being forved to work with this week. It is

an incomplete development, full of critical pro features that are not currently working.

 

Hardware issues. The scanner is pretty slow. It�s also pretty noisy. In order to get the

things going you have to �shove� the neg carriers into the throat of the machine. The

action is very rough, you can hear grinding and a �crunch� as the carrier roughly bites into

the connecting transport gears. It would never be confused for a precision device despite

the advertisements for the Micro step drive or whatever it is.

 

I have not tried to scan negatives yet. Why should I? I�m having enough god-damned

trouble scanning the positive artwork through the crappily ill conceived, underdeveloped,

under supported software packages bundled with the scanner.

 

My advice is to stay away from the scanner until they fix the interface software. And don't

expect a Hasselblad or Leica styly product- try cheap Yashica point and shoot.

I have also recently purchased this scanner, but have quite a different impression of it.

 

I was running it on an old Pentium III machine (just got a new P4 with 2GB of RAM!), and only have a couple complaints:

 

1. I don't like having to force the carrier into the scanner

2. Not detecting the orientation of the 35mm slides(not a big deal, just put them in the way it is expecting)

 

Had no problems with installation at all with the scanner drivers or Silverfast on either my old PIII or the new P4.

 

As far as creating a profile, I just use the one that comes with the scanner and the results seem great. The fresh scan looks identical to the slide without any corrections. Initially I was getting the too dark scans, but then noticed the check mark to embed the included profile.

 

I also don't think the scanner is slow. I can scan a 35mm slide in 1.5 minutes (not including prescan) at 4000ppi. I don't know about the speed of the 3200, but my 1640 would take around 3-4 minutes at 1600ppi. So, that's okay with me.

 

I have yet to try the medium format slides, but I don't think I will be disappointed.

 

So, I would recommend this as a much more affordable option than the Nikon or Minolta (which is only a 3200ppi scanner for medium format).

 

The problems you have experienced might be due to issues with the Mac/OSX though I don't know much about the Macs.

Try using vuescan with it. The scanner is supported and if it works as well with this scanner as it does with my older minolta scan speed and epson 2450, you don't need silverfast, which I do have for the 2450. Way cheaper too.

Just can't hang with the buggy software interfaces and spotty support on the Microtek

Artixscan 120tf scanner and Silverfast.

 

Discovered today I can't batch scan medium format in Scan Wizard which is "sort of"

working. The program doesn't realize that the spacing on medium format cameras are all

different and forces you to scan where it thinks your film is. That did it.

 

I feel an overwhelming sense of relief that I have returned the scanner. I was feeling some

serious buyer's remorse the last two days.

 

My IT8 calibration software issue is still unresolved with Silverfast. I am tired of emailing

instead of talking to a human being. These companies don't need my money.

 

In retrospect, I should have tested the scanner thoroughly at Calumet LA before I

purchased it. After all, I've rented all my cameras or borrowed them before I purchased

them.

 

But all the stats on the scanner looked good, and the software bundle seemed top notch,

so I just went for it. Last time I do that.

I don't understand the problems with Silverfast. I believe that this is the same hardware as the Polaroid Sprintscan 120 and I have run Silverfast on it without any of these problems. Unlike many, I like the Polaroid software (which they continue to support), find it works well. I don't think it detects slide orientation, but I leave slides in strips rather than mount them.

 

I wonder if anyone has tried running the scanner with the Polaroid software. It might not identify it correctly though and not run. It's also possible that some of the bugs come from firmware problems in the Microtek version. As a Polaroid-branded product, I find it to be excellent.

I just wondered if any one is still using this scanner and how they feel about it now. I am contemplating buying one and checking out what it is like. It costs around �1200-�1400 inthe UK compared to over �2000 for the Nikon or �4500 for the cheapest Imacon.

thanks.

John

John,

The scanner is fantastic and silverfast does much better job than the native software. I was happy with the output thought ICE would have been nice.

I haven't used mine in quite a while now since I've almost given up on film. I haven't had the time needed to deal with it and have gotten seduced by the convenience of digital. My scanner is collecting dust right now, but I did just see an e-mail from Silverfast about an update to their software which has me thinking of pulling it out to play with some more.

 

I think you'll be happy with the results especially considering the price difference between other options.

 

Good Luck

Shawn

For the record, and for the next person to google this to decide if they should buy the

Microtek 120tf, my perspective:

 

I've owned the 120tf for well over 3 years now. In that time I have always had to struggle

with the machine and the software to behave together. Overall the results are superb, but

they come in an inconsistent way and a LOT of time is needed to coax those superb results

out of this big noisy machine.

 

SilverFast, though it seems to be the only reputable "Pro" scanning solution out there that

everyone seems to rave about I have a fair share of misgivings with the software.

Cosmetically the software GUI is a mess, far from streamlined and very unintuitive.

Settings do not "stick" from one session to the next. Getting the software to properly line

up the edges of a negative for cropping is by far one of the more "duh" experiences with

this software - there must be 15 better ways to do this task but SilverFast's method is by

far the least productive. The biggest problems I sighted are a unexplained limiting on

multispampling. With SilverFast it is only possible to multisample 4 times. 16 times

multisampling causes your scans to come out looking like a portion of a fun-house mirror.

The other major "no go" problem I have with SilverFast is the banding that occurs in

grayscale scans. This can be remedied by scanning in 48 bit RGB though, then converting

to 16 bit grayscale in PS.

 

I've recently switched to Scan Wizard software and it is perhaps not as buggy as SilverFast

(but it does crash and often enough to call it buggy, but not as much as SilverFast). With it

I am able to perform 16 pass multisample scans, I am able to do all of the correction that

is possible in SilverFast, and the 16 bit grayscale scans do not show any banding

problems. This doesn't mean all problems are solved - if SilverFast's interface design

scored a 1 then Scan Wizard pro gets a 3 on a five point scale - its better and a little more

intuitive but still a little wonky. The batch scanning feature works well. One major gotcha

that I still cannot figure out is that I cannot find black and white film stock negative

profiles anywhere - there are a few profiles of major stocks for color negatives in Scan

Wizard Pro (SilverFast's NegaFix beats it hands down there) but in the profiles department

it is lacking. You do have the ability to create your own profiles, so I may go in to

SilverFast and copy it's film profiles (by hand) then put that information into Scan Wizard

to create my own profile for TMX.

 

Hope this helps anyone who is considering purchasing a film scanner. I know I have

shouted at the top of my lungs, many times, "I'm going digital!" as a result of working with

this scanner (as it costs about the same as a Canon D30 - wouldnt that be nice!) but then I

see the other scans I made, and they're all great and I love film. Until they make a sub

$5000 106 megapixel camera (which is about the size of the scans from the 120tf) I think

I'll continue too struggle with this scanner. If you do get one, be prepared to spend a LOT

of time working with it. Don't set aside a few hours here or there, set aside entire

weekends.

 

Enjoy

Brett

<I>Until they make a sub $5000 106 megapixel camera (which is about the size of the scans

from the 120tf) </I><P>

 

Huh? Is that a typo?

<i>Huh? Is that a typo?</i><br>

<br>

Well, at 4000dpi for a 6x7 negative that sounds about right.<br><br>