Topic: Refurbished scanners

[Andrea.]

I was wondering if any of you have bought an Epson refurbished scanner. Seen a 3170 for 45 english pounds [scottish ones too as it happens :-) ] and wondering if its worth it.
My scanner still works but think some pixels have departed!
See in this neg scan
[kiev II - S. Uist]

[Sorry, image deleted during forum software upgrade. Please re-upload if so inclined.]

[Francois]

I don't see any problems with that lo-res scan...
Scanners tend to make image long streaks... these are often caused by dust in the imaging system (or at least used to be since the optics were an open system in the old days).

Random pixels can be a faulty cable (the scanners come with a ferrite filter... it's the round tumbler on the cable), or faulty electronics.

[Heather]

The only thing I see wrong with that scan looks more like a speck of dust. 

[moominsean]

i have enough problems with new scanners, i'd be afraid to get a used one! but for the better price, it will probably last just as long. typical, a scanner from 1988 that scans 72dpi in 15 minutes still works, but anything new only lasts a couple years.

my last scanner got worse and worse. dust on the mirror, lines, yellow scans. after taking it apart like 5 times over a couple years, i finally couldn't find any way to fix it anymore. that was a canoscan. now i have an epson 4490. i guess it's 'acceptable'. it's not a bad scanner, but it does a lot of things that bug me. and the canoscan did a much better job of scanning poorly exposed images that i could correct in photoshop. the epson doesn't pick up a lot of things.

mid-level scanners are going to become extinct, i think. it's going to end up being those crappy copier/scanner/printer combo things and high-end scanners for businesses. they are already relegated to a back corner at fry's and best buy doesn't have any on the floor.

[Skorj]

My scanner still works but think some pixels have departed!

I would be pretty happy with those results myself! Great color, and enough def for web use, that's for sure... I would have to see a high-res element before I ditched the machine you have.

Sometimes though, and I hate to admit it, you just got to buy some new hardware, just for the fun of it. I am sure there is a bit of a lens-polisher in all of us. Skj.

[Andrea.]

Thanks for all the replies. The issue revolves around the blue line [in this scan] just above the horizon and a scratched glass. I don't really want to buy more 'stuff' unless there is no option. Is there anything I can do with  this 3170 Epson that may help?
The flippin company that advertised the refurbished one now has emailed to say they cannot send to here anyway. Really bugs me that since our Post Office works the same as theirs - at no extra cost.

[Heather]

I had the blue line on some of my scans with my old epson. It's usually solved by turning off the scanner, wait 5 minutes, turn it on again and try again.

[Andrea.]

Thanks Heather. was beginning to think it was the Blue men who had come 0ut of The Minch! [ http://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/scotland/outerhebrides/ouh6.html]