LARGE FORMAT Scanner at very low price!!!

[quicksrt]

I've been eying a new scanner for over 2 years now. The one I have works well, but is the standard legal size, and for album covers and large magazines, etc. you need the professional designer model. For my efforts, scanning two sections of an album cover and "stitching" the two halves together in a photo editor program is for the birds. I am up to my a** in little projects I wish to do this decade. Between a web site, dvd mastering of my rare laser discs, dvd-a mastering of my rare rock radio shows, selling on ebay, work and life, who has time to stitch picture helves together?

The big problem that I was seeing with the larger models by all the major manufacturers is that they are priced at around $2,000.00. I finally found a company that makes the larger ones costing only slightly more than the standard scanner.


The Mustek LARGE FORMAT Scanner 11.7" X 17" A3 USB is priced at $179.00 direct from the manufacterer.

http://www.mustekdirect.com/products/prod_scan/a3usb/index.html

I placed my order at 2AM on Monday morning, and the damn thing arrived at 11AM on Tues. That was a major shock to see this thing make it to my house in one day!

Anyway, LP covers are still about 4% too large (in one direction only) for these scanners. But I am finding that most albums have no text on top, bottom, or one or both sides of the album art, and look wonderful when scanned with this scanner. A little trimming on two sides, and the scans are wonderful.

I hope to do a really good LP Picture Disc web site someday soon, and I will have to have scans and not photos, for the best detailed look. And for my ebay auctions this is going to offer a really nice presentation of the LP covers.
This is the best deal on earth for a large professional size scanner.

[AudioEnz]

Nice price for a big scanner!

Stitching together multiple scans for a LP cover isn't really that hard. First, make sure that your scans are squared up straight. In a program like Photoshop you can alter the opacity of layers, which enables the scans to be easily aligned. It took me around 10 minutes to stitch together four scans to make a complete cover.

[MagicAlex]

Funny you should bring this up. I was just thinking of posting to see if anyone knew of a fair priced scanner like this. I need a second one like yourself for larger images. This might be the ticket. Thanks for posting the link. :)

[MJM]

I've been online since 1996, and using computers even longer, but I don't have a scanner at all these days. I might be in the market for one in the not too distant future. Glad you like this one.

MJM

[JonUrban]

Wow! That's pretty cheap. Nice find....

[Grant]

This is great! I always wondered why manufactures won't offer low-priced scanners with a large scanning area. Certainly, there is a demand out there. But, then, people always want things slim and compact.:rolleyes:.

[Danny]

Sounds great, let us know how it holds up with the more rigorous scanning you're planning to do. The price almost seems to good to be true, and I've never heard of the company.

[quicksrt]

This is great! I always wondered why manufactures won't offer low-priced scanners with a large scanning area. Certainly, there is a demand out there. But, then, people always want things slim and compact.:rolleyes:.

The Cannon/IBM/HP name makers don't make a lot on standard size scanners, so they jack up the price very high on the large format ones, because they know the pros need and have to have them.

It can't cost much more to make them a few inches larger.

This company is simply taking advantage of the open market.

[quicksrt]

Sounds great, let us know how it holds up with the more rigorous scanning you're planning to do. The price almost seems to good to be true, and I've never heard of the company.

This scanner is well rated around the internet, not a total no-name p.o.s. So far it feels sturdy, and the scans look super. I'll post a couple here soon.

Jeff

[Danny]

This scanner is well rated around the internet, not a total no-name p.o.s. So far it feels sturdy, and the scans look super. I'll post a couple here soon.

Jeff

Sounds great. I may have to invest in one myself.

[RetroSmith]

Hey Jeff!!!

Thanks a bunch for posting that link. I just bought one.

I was looking for a product exactly like this. And that price is terriffic!!!


Thanks again.

Mikey

[quicksrt]

I guess they upped the price, as Monday it was $179.99, and today I see it is 199.99. Still the best buy on this size scanner you will see out there.

And like I said, they had it out on it's way to me the day they got my order. That is worth something.

Jeff

[thxdave]

I've never bought from these guys and I'm not even sure what the prices are on their big scanners, but they "replenish" their supply from time to time. Also, it looks like the platen area is slightly larger so it might not cut off the edges. Keep checking back with them:

http://www.bigscanner.com/

[quicksrt]

I've never bought from these guys and I'm not even sure what the prices are on their big scanners, but they "replenish" their supply from time to time. Also, it looks like the platen area is slightly larger so it might not cut off the edges. Keep checking back with them:

http://www.bigscanner.com/

Yes, those are also a good deal for a used one! But they are $800.00 with shipping. Still out of my price range at this time.

[quicksrt]

Here are a few scans using this model:

[quicksrt]

I have a copule more samples I would like to post, but files are on the large side. I need to see how I can shrink them donw some.

Jeff

[quicksrt]

these signed albums are important to me that they are done right. These are trimmed a bit, but it is not too noticable.

[Danny]

Nice autographs Jeff.

[quicksrt]

Thanks. Ok, here is a sample of why I bought this scanner in the first place. I want to have a high end record collectors site, and feature uncommon Picture Discs in one of the main sections. This is a good example of one of them. LPs scan enough information with this scanner that the L & R edges are nearly complete. In other words, while the LP jackets get slightly cropped, the LPs are complete enough nobody will notice those edges.

[PMC7027]

The pictures look great, but why aren't they square?

[JonUrban]

Jeff,

Are you still happy with this scanner? I am thinking of getting one to scan quad LP covers for the QQ webpages. It's a pain to have to "stitch" them together.

:-jon

[RetroSmith]

Not Jeff, but I did buy one of those scanners. It does the job. its GREAT for doing the Lp jackets scan, but you HAVE to scan to Adobe Photoshop and tweak the pictures. i have still to find out what the highest resolution this guy will scan at. I have the software set for "fine" but it still really isnt all that great.

Still, this was worth the $$$ for the Lp jackets alone.

[JonUrban]

Not Jeff, but I did buy one of those scanners. It does the job. its GREAT for doing the Lp jackets scan, but you HAVE to scan to Adobe Photoshop and tweak the pictures. i have still to find out what the highest resolution this guy will scan at. I have the software set for "fine" but it still really isnt all that great.

Still, this was worth the $$$ for the Lp jackets alone.

Hey Mikey! Thanks for chiming in. I think I may get one, and yes, I do have Photoshop, although it's 7 and not CS.

There is a guy selling new ones on eBay for $165 plus about $18 for shipping, so I may try him. He's got 5!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5161577285&fromMakeTrack=true

NOTE: Link is not an endorsement by me! :agree:

[RetroSmith]

Cant beat that price dude, jump on it!!!

[quicksrt]

Jeff,

Are you still happy with this scanner? I am thinking of getting one to scan quad LP covers for the QQ webpages. It's a pain to have to "stitch" them together.

:-jon

Hi Jon,

Yes I have been very happy with this scanner. And as mentioned, you have to build out one (or 2) edge that get cropped. I have found that to be no big deal at all.

The quality is very very nice as is the price. The resolution can be set to 600 in the twain control. The scaning software is where it is at 300 for fine, which I use for ebay LPs I list. And they look beautiful and its a fast scan at that setting.

I use this scanner a bit on the heavy side, and it seem to be holding up well indeed. Even if it does burn out early, I will have gotten my money out of it in one year.

Go for it!

Jeff