The Astra 6700 is an cheap , 2400 - dpi , flatbed digital scanner that connect to your Mac via USB 2.0 . It does a good job of scanning exposure and other reflective media , but when using the included international transparency arranger , celluloid and slide CAT scan were noisy .
Reflective scan of photographs and test chart came out well . Our standard Picnic test prototype was a lilliputian bit on the cerise side and some of the shadow point was lost — but it was really not bad for a crushed - end scanner . The transparence scans were not quite as good as I carry .
Without using any of the include filter , the transparency scans looked noisy , specially in darker areas of the look-alike . In addition , the software ’s Auto Sharpen background is on by nonremittal , which contributed to the randomness . SilverFast ’s randomness reduction tool , GANE , helped take away some of the disturbance , but also removed some item , giving the scan a slightly muzzy , unfocussed look . Handwritten textual matter on a menu poster , for instance , was not legible .
The scanner ships with a becoming collection of software system for Windows , but with the Mac it ships only SilverFast SE 6 , a light interpretation of its computer software that has fewer features . For model , SilverFast SE ca n’t output 48 - act color or 16 - fleck grayscale files ( otherwise cognise as high - snatch files ) . The computer software can read at a high - bit charge per unit , but it either gives you a unsanded , uncorrected image ( SilverFast calls these High Dynamic Range , or HDR , scans , but the result file are well-nigh unusable by this scanner ’s target audience ) or downsize the image to 24 bits before saving the single file .
Not all image editing applications can form with high - bit Indian file , but Adobe Photoshop and Elements 3 can and , though it may not be a huge deal for some accounting entry - level exploiter , almost all flatbed scanner in this class and at this toll now offer high - bit scanning . In fact , the Windows software included with this Astra can output high-pitched - bit file . For 48 - bit , non - HDR scanning , Astra purchaser can kick upstairs to SilverFast Ai for $ 99 , which include this ability among others .
While SilverFast is well documented and even include QuickTime tutorial for most of the controls , the software is not quite as intuitive as Epson ’s or Canon ’s scanning software .
Jury Tests
scurf = Excellent , Very Good , Good , Flawed , Unacceptable
Timed Trials
time are in bit : endorsement . * These results can not be compared to other scanner bench mark .
Specifications
Macworld’s Buying Advice
The Astra 6700 does a good business of scanning broody media ( photograph and clip pages ) , but scans of slides , using the included transparency adapter , were noisy . Umax offer Mac compatibility by including a light ( SE ) version of SilverFast 6 software , which works well , but does not patronise the scanner ’s 48 - bit capabilities . Folks appear for an cheap flatbed scanner with canonic transparence capabilities would be well-chosen with Canon ’s CanoScan 8400F (; January 2005 ) .
[ editor program ’S note of hand : This revue was updated on May 12 to elucidate selective information on 48 - bit scan . ]
