Microtek ScanMaker 6100 Pro Specs
| Automatic Document Feeder: | No |
| Automatic Document Feeder: | Yes |
| Flatbed: | Yes |
| Maximum Optical Resolution: | 3200 pixels |
| Maximum Scan Area: | Letter |
| Scanning Options: | Reflective |
| Scanning Options: | Transparency |
| USB or FireWire Interface: | USB |
Company:
Microtek USA, www.microtek.com
Price:
$300 street
Spec Data:
Flatbed, 3,200 ppi maximum optical resolution, 8.5-by-11-inch maximum scan area, reflective and transparency scanning options, USB
Subratings:
Photos: 
Slides: 
OCR: 
Pros:
Among the best flatbed scanners for slide scan quality. Includes conveniences like a built-in light box in the lid for previewing transparencies.
Cons:
No automatic document feeder. When scanning photographic prints, you have to choose between speed and quality, with faster scans using Microtek's software or better scans with the bundled SilverFast scan software.
Bottom line:
In addition to the usual assortment of document types you'd expect for a flatbed scanner, the ScanMaker 6100 Pro handles slides surprisingly well. It also forces you to choose between its own Twain driver and the slower but higher-quality scans you'll get with the bundled SilverFast scan software.
Review
The Microtek ScanMaker 6100 Pro offers more than most scanners. In addition to high-quality scans for photographic prints, a 4- by 5-inch transparency adaptor built into...
A Flatbed for Film
The Microtek ScanMaker 6100 Pro offers more than most scanners. In addition to high-quality scans for photographic prints, a 4- by 5-inch transparency adaptor built into the cover gives surprisingly high-quality film scanning.
The claimed 3,200 pixel-per-inch (ppi) optical by 6,400 mechanical resolution is appropriate for a scanner aimed in part at scanning 35-mm slides. Scan a slide at 600 ppi, then scale it up for 8- by 10-inch output, and the resolution drops to about 65 ppi. Scan at 2,400 ppi, and you can scale up to 10 by 15 inches and still have the 200 ppi you should use as the minimum for printing. At 3,200 ppi, you can scale to even larger sizes.
The second important factor is dynamic range, which is related to bit depth. Either measure tells you how well the scanner can see details across the range from black to white. Like many scanners, the 6100 claims a 48-bit color depth. Unlike most, it largely delivers on that. One of our test slides has a tree line against a bright sky, and most flatbed scanners have trouble retaining the detail. The 6100 did a good (although not perfect) job of retaining detail in both the tree line and the clouds in the bright sky.
In addition to scan quality, the 6100 offers a number of conveniences, including slide and filmstrip holders that coordinate with Microtek's driver to prescan and then scan multiple images, with the driver selecting each image and sending it to a separate file. A light source on the top of the scanner also provides a convenient stand-in for a light box.
The 6100 comes with both its own driver and SilverFast software from LaserSoft Imaging. In tests with photographic prints, the SilverFast scans offered excellent quality, compared with very good quality for the Microtek driver, but they were also slower, taking about 30 seconds for prescans and 31 to 35 seconds for scanning 4-by-6 and 5-by-7 photos. Microtek's own driver took 14 seconds for the prescan, and 9 or 10 seconds for the scan. So you have to choose between speed and quality.
For slide scans, we used the Microtek driver. It took 2 minutes 4 seconds to prescan four slides, and 3:56 to scan at 2,400 ppi, a little less than 1 minute per slide. Even with SilverFast's somewhat lower speed for photographic prints, the combination of speed and scan quality for prints and film makes the 6100 Pro a good choice for those who want both functions in one scanner.
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