The Reflecta x8-Scan is a new device designed to digitise 35mm film. Featuring a 5-megapixel area-array CMOS sensor, the Reflecta x8-Scan comes with ArcSoft MediaImpression software, user manual, a cleaning brush, a mounted slide holder for 3 slides and film holder for up to 6 images. There is a one touch button on the device which connects to Windows and Mac computers via a USB port. The new Reflecta x8-Scan will be available from May in specialist shops at an SRP of £59.04.

Kenro has just launched the Reflecta Super 8 Scanner, which allows users to digitise their Super 8 films in HD or Full HD quality. The device scans a 15m roll of Super 8 (5.78 x 4.01mm) cine film in just over 2 hours and 45 minutes when connected directly to a PC. Key feature highlights include a CMOS sensor, automatic film transport, LED light source, 24-bit colour depth and AVI output. The new Reflecta Super 8 Scanner is now available in specialist shops at an SRP of £1,710 including VAT

The Reflecta ProScan 10T is a dedicated 35mm film scanner with a hardware resolution of 10,000ppi. Capable of scanning loose strips of negative and transparency film as well as mounted slides, the Reflecta ProScan 10T has a claimed dMax of 3.9, infrared and white LED light sources, hardware-based dust- and scratch-removal technology, manual film transport and (sadly) a fixed-focus lens. Scanning a frame at maximum resolution takes 7 minutes including dust- and scratch-removal. The suggested retail price is €469.

Reflecta has launched a new device that enables users to digitise prints, negatives and transparencies with their smartphones. All you need to do is place the smartphone in the appropriate smartphone cradle and insert the photo, slide or negative into the appropriate holder. Place both the cradle and holder into the correct compartment and touch the camera icon to capture the image. using a simple dedicated app. You can even tweak the image brightness and colour, and share the "scanned" image on Facebook. The new Reflecta Smartphone Scanner is now available in specialist shops across the UK at an SRP of £40.50.

The Kenro team will be exhibiting a range of new products at the inaugural Photography Show in Birmingham. Visitors to the stand will have an exclusive preview of the Nissin i40 flash, the new Braun ActionMaster Camera (pictured), a collection of Benro Falcon Camouflage Rucksacks, a smartphone scanner and a Super 8 film scanner from Reflecta, and much more. You can meet the Kenro team at stand L65.

Plustek USA has announced end-of-year deals on a number of its scanners. Of photographic interest are the instant rebates on the Plustek OpticFilm 8100 (pictured), OpticFilm 8200i SE and OpticFilm 8200i Ai 35mm film scanners, which range from $60 to $90 depending on model. Expiring on 30th November, these deals are available online and from authorised Plustek value-added resellers across the United States.

The Doxie Flip is new battery-powered, cordless A6 scanner that flips over to perfectly capture photos, The scanner features a
clever transparent scanning window and quick release removable lid, so you can place it directly on old photo albums, fragile originals, and other objects that are otherwise difficult to scan and see through directly to what you’re scanning. For large originals, Doxie's patented AutoStitch feature (available this December with a free software update) takes multiple, overlapping scans and stitches them together, so you can scan everything – even large surfaces and huge framed prints. The new Doxie Flip is available starting today for $149 / €139 / £119.

 

The Epson Perfection V550 Photo scanner is now available in the USA. Announced a month ago, the Epson Perfection V550 Photo is a new scanner that can automatically remove dust and scratches from damaged film. The V550 can also upload scanned images directly to selected social media and photo sharing sites such as Facebook or Picasa. With a hardware resolution of 6.400ppi, a dMax of 3.4 and built-in transparency unit, the V550 photo scanner can easily scan a wide range of media – from standard photographs, newspapers and A2-sized posters to mounted slides and loose strips of 35mm and medium-format film. The Epson Perfection V550 Photo is now available for $199.

The Epson Perfection V550 Photo is a new scanner that can automatically remove dust and scratches from damaged film. The V550 can also upload scanned images directly to selected social media and photo sharing sites such as Facebook or Picasa. With a 6,400dpi resolution, an optical density of 3.4 Dmax and built-in transparency unit, the V550 photo scanner can easily scan a wide range of media – from standard photographs, newspapers and A2-sized posters to filmstrips, mounted slides and medium format film. The Epson Perfection V550 Photo will be available from September 2013, priced at £179.99.

The Reflecta x7-Scan is a standalone device that enables users to quickly digitise their 35mm slides as well as 110 and 125 format films. Rather than scanning the film frames, the Reflecta x7 uses a 14-megapixel area-array sensor for the digitisation, which promises to deliver similar results to a conventional 3200ppi film scanner. This solution allows the Reflecta x7 to produce a digital image in just 2 seconds. The new addition to the Reflecta range features a 2.4" LCD screen, comes with an integrated SD-SDHC card slot, and boasts a battery operating time of 2.5 hours. The device comes supplied with film holders for three mounted slides, film strips up to six exposures, 110mm film strips up to eight exposures and 126mm (instamatic) film for up to seven exposures. The x7 Film Scanner from Reflecta is available now with a suggested retail price of £136.80.

Yesterday, less than a month after halting shipments of its OpticFilm 120 multi-format film scanner, Plustek USA issued a statement saying it has resumed shipping of the device. "Recently we discovered a component used in the manufacture of the OpticFilm 120 does not meet our quality standards," the company said in a statement issued back in April. Now Plustek are saying that they "will control scanner production to maintain a high level of product quality and customer satisfaction. Each scanner is assembled and tested by skilled technician[s] to ensure the image quality exceeds that of any non-drum film scanner in production or use today." 

Plustek USA says it has "decided to temporarily stop shipping" its OpticFilm 120 multi-format desktop film scanner due to a component issue. "Recently we discovered a component used in the manufacture of the OpticFilm 120 does not meet our quality standards," the company said in a statement, adding that they are working with a third-party supplier to "identify a permanent resolution to this problem." Plustek would not elaborate further on the nature of the issue or the component being involved, but some early adopters have reported certain problems apparently caused by a mis-alignment between the scanner optics and the film plane (the Plustek OpticFilm 120 has a fixed-focus lens). It is not clear whether the temporary halt in shipments is related to this issue. Plustek says it does not "expect this delay to be extensive," but it has declined to provide "a firm date when shipment will resume." Meanwhile, B&H has reportedly sent a note to prospective customers saying the scanner is "discontinued," which evidently isn't the case - but the OpticFilm 120 can no longer be found in its online store. Meanwhile, the scanner continues to be available from a number of UK retailers.

Canon UK has announced the upcoming release of the CanoScan 9000F Mark II scanner. Capable of scanning reflective originals as well as up to twelve 35mm film strips, 4 mounted slides or 120 format up to 6x22cm, the CanoScan 9000F Mark II is a flatbed scanner with a white LED light and a built-in transparency adapter. Maximum hardware resolution is specified at 9600x9600dpi for film, and 4800x4800dpi for prints. New to the CanoScan 9000F Mark II is the included My Image Garden software, which provides effortless navigation between scanning functions, and features a number of photo organising capabilities including face recognition. Canon’s Scan to Cloud feature allows users to scan to Evernote or Dropbox cloud services with a touch of a button, while Stitch Assist enables large A3 documents and photos to be scanned in two parts and stitched seamlessly together. The CanoScan 9000F Mark II is available in the UK and Ireland from April 2013 with an RRPof £219/€240. (Canon U.S:A. announced this scanner in December 2012, with an MSRP of $199.99.)

Hasselblad has launched a new trade-in offer for photographers interested in purchasing a high-end professional film scanner. Between now and 31st May, you can get €4500 off the price of a Hasselblad Flextight X5 scanner and €3000 off a Hasselblad Flextight X1 when you trade in your old scanner, regardless of make or model. These two models represent the pinnacle of CCD scanners, offering extremely high resolution and dMax as well as fast scanning speeds and multi-format scanning. “A vertical optical system allows the CCD to face downwards creating a glass-free optical path between the original and the lens,” the company says. “The patented virtual drum solution produces optimal focusing across the whole of the original and the flexible holder guarantees easy mounting combined with a safe and cautious handling of your originals.”

The recently launched Plustek OpticFilm 120 multi-format film scanner will be on display at the Focus on Imaging trade show held in Birmingham from 3rd - 6th March. Capable of scanning both 35mm and 120 format negatives and slides, the Plustek OpticFilm 120 boasts a custom-designed 8-element glass lens and a high-resolution CCD sensor; and comes complete with adjustable-pitch film holders that feature unique sliding inter-frame dividers to ensure optimal film flatness. The scanner’s hardware resolution - based on the specification of its stepper motor and the number of pixels on its CCD - is 10,600dpi, with the optical resolution (which also takes into account the resolving power of the optical system) specified at 5,300dpi. Other highlights include automated IT8 calibration and a motorised film transport for batch scanning.

Plustek UK has announced the immediate availability of the Plustek OpticFilm 120 scanner, which is capable of scanning both 35mm and 120 format negatives and slides. Boasting a high-quality metal case, the Plustek OpticFilm 120 uses a custom-designed 8-element glass lens and a high-resolution CCD sensor. Capable of achieving a dynamic range of 4.01 - in tandem with SilverFast’s Multi-Exposure technology -, the OpticFilm 120 from Plustek comes with adjustable-pitch film holders that feature unique sliding inter-frame dividers to ensure film flatness. The sliding dividers also enable users to scan various frame sizes from 6x4.5cm to 6x12cm, while the 35mm film holders allow for the scanning of twelve 35mm film frames or five mounted slides in a batch. The scanner’s hardware resolution - based on the specification of its stepper motor and the number of pixels on its CCD - is 10600dpi, with the optical resolution (which also takes into account the resolving power of the optical system) specified at 5300dpi. Other highlights include automated IT8 calibration and a motorised film transport for batch scanning. Bundled with SilverFast Ai Studio 8, the Plustek OpticFilm 120 is available for £1950-£1999.

The Lomography Smartphone Film Scanner offers a convenient option to digitise your 35mm film shots using your smartphone. Small and portable, the Lomography Smartphone Film Scanner comprises a light source, a simple manual film advance mechanism, a rectangular tube and an adjustable smartphone holder. Users can digitise their transparencies or negatives simply by turning on the back-light, positioning the film and taking a photo with their phone. Though obviously limited by the capabilities of the camera module built into your phone, the Lomograph Smartphone Film Scanner provides an easy and efficient way to “scan” and share your analogue pictures. The Lomoscanner app, available for Android and iOS, will allow users to convert negative scans into positives, stitch together scans into seamless panoramas and animate 35mm analogue movies shot using the Lomography LomoKino camera. The device is currently exclusively available on Kickstarter with expected delivery in March.

Canon has launched a range of new Pixma printers and an updated version of the CanoScan 9000F photo scanner. The Pixma MG6320 ($199.99) and MG5420 ($149.99) Wireless Photo All-In-One and Pixma iP7220 Wireless Photo printers feature a stylish and compact design, built-in wireless connectivity and smartphone/tablet support. The Pixma MG6320 and MG5420 incorporate individual dye-based colour and pigment black ink tanks which are part of the ChromaLife100+ ink system. Building on the success of the Pixma iP4920, the new Pixma iP7220 single-function printer ($99.99) has faster output speeds and is capable of producing a 4x6-inch borderless photo in approximately 21 seconds. The CanoScan 9000F Mark II Photo Scanner ($199.99, pictured) comes with a Film Adapter Unit making it capable of scanning 35mm film strips in addition to prints.

Epson America has introduced two new additions to its line of Epson Perfection scanners. The Epson Perfection V37 and V370 Photo scanners both come with a high-rise 180-degree lid for scanning oversized artwork, 3D objects, photo albums and more. For added flexibility, the Epson Perfection V370 Photo includes a built-in 35mm transparency unit for scanning mounted slides, negatives and film strips in 135 format. The hardware resolution of these scanners is specified at 4800x9600dpi. The Epson Perfection V37 (MSRP $89.99) and Epson Perfection V370 Photo (MSRP $119.99) are now available exclusively from Epson.com, and will be available at Staples in mid-November. Both models include Epson’s one-year limited warranty.

Plustek has released three sample images scanned with its brand new OpticFilm 120 dedicated medium-format film scanner at 5300ppi. Shot with a Rolleiflex T Type 2 TLR camera on Kodak Professional T-Max 400 and Ilford HP5 films, the samples have a pixel count of ~121 million (approximately 11,000x11,000 pixels) each. Two of them are presented as TIFFs, while the third one is a JPEG. According to Plustek they were all “scanned using the Auto CCR function of LaserSoft SilverFast Ai Studio 8.” You can download the Plustek OpticFilm 120 samples from the website below but do note that the files are huge and Plustek warns that the “link may be removed at any time if bandwidth restrictions are exceeded.”