HP Improves There Scanners (HP Scanjet 8300)

Member Name: surj1

Product:	HP Scanjet 8300
Date:	04/02/08 (128 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very Good Quality, Excellent SilverFast Software

Disadvantages: Abit Large, Dust Removal Software Not Good

The HP ScanJet 8300 is a Professional Image Scanner from HP's Scan jet series. This is one of the top end Scanners HP manufacture and is ideal for the business domain. There is also an 8300gp model of this scanner which is a Graphic Arts scanner and has a monitor color-meter calibrator as a added feature ideal for graphic designers.

Now about the HP ScanJet 8300, the scanner has an OR (Optical Resolution) of 4800x4800dpi and will scan high dynamic range in 48bit colour. This is fine for transparency and negative scanning.

The scanner has a max reflection area of around A4 size. HP includes film holders which will hold 3 strips, 6 frames of a 35mm film. The holders can be placed in the base of the scanner for storage.

The ScanJet 8300 is supplied with HP's own photosmart software. I wasn't impressed with the scan pro scanning. It has basic setting which you can't adjust to they way you want. But the SilverFast AI scanning software is much better and more professional, though the dust remover software is not good at all. The scanner has a wide range of functions which include:

-Copying
-Quick Scan (photosmart application)
-Paperport 10 (for document scanning)
-ReadIris (for document scanning)
-Automatic document feeder
-Transparency or negative scanning
-Easy connection via USB

The scanner is really good when it comes to 35mm and high resolution scanning is fast. Around 2 mins for 35mm frame of 20MB. But as mentioned previously the dust removal part slows it all down quite a lot.

Overall it's a good scanner for anyone who is creative and does photographic work. Also this is a big improvement for HP scanners which are usually on the downside. For graphic designers id recommend the 8300gp model.

Summary: A Good Professional Image Scanner

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