Product Specification Details for the ScanPro® 2000
Why integrated equipment design is important
The ScanPro 2000 has been designed for public use applications. It is a sturdy, robust design with no external arms, brackets, lenses, or mechanical adjustments. Studies show that equipment designs that have external brackets, arms, and adjustments are difficult to use in public use applications and result in misadjustments, misuse, and breakage.
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Why a "What You See Is What You Get" capability is so important
A "What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get" (WYSIWYG) capability simply makes working with your microforms so much simpler and so much faster. The ScanPro 2000 WYSIWYG works by using a single viewing screen with integrated software so that you have a single image that you can edit and change while seeing right on the monitor the exact results that you will get before you scan, print or save that image. This is the fastest and most efficient way to complete your look-ups and research. The ScanPro 2000 even lets you make many of these changes automatically, like image brightness, contrast, straighten, and cropping, and you see and evaluate the results right on the viewing screen. Competitive models without the WYSIWYG capability require the patron to make a scan or a print to be able to evaluate any changes. This can make working with your microforms a very time consuming task, especially when working with difficult to read film that may require several changes to get the best possible image.
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Why it is important to view and scan ALL microforms at high resolution
You want to scan all of your microforms at high resolution to provide the best readability and usability of your stored information. The ScanPro 2000 provides 300dpi1 viewing and scanning for ALL of your microforms, fiche, jackets, 16mm roll film, 35mm roll film, cartridge roll film, micro opaques, ultra fiche, and aperture cards. Scans from these microforms can be viewed, printed, saved to your hard drive (local or network), saved to USB pen drives, USB external drives, CD ROM, and sent as attachments by e-mail. Since there are separate buttons (with easy-to- recognize graphics) for controlling each of these features, you can customize the toolbar to add those buttons you want to make available to your patrons and remove any buttons for features that you do want to make available. This also means that you can elect when to have scans remain on the hard drive or removed from the hard drive when the scanning session is complete.
Some competitive models provide high resolution for a few magnifications but provide low resolution "screen shots" and interpolated resolution for most microforms and magnifications. These low resolution scans provide "fuzzy" prints and are not considered usable.
1The accepted method of specifying image quality for scanned microfilm images is to specify resolution in dpi (dots per inch) for the size of the original document ("at document") that was microfilmed. An alternative method of measurement is the "at sensor" measurement. The "at sensor" measurement for the ScanPro 2000 is 7,257 dpi.
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Why a single zoom lens is important
The ScanPro 2000 use the widest range optical lens. This single zoom lens will cover all of your microform applications and magnifications. This means that you can complete your look-ups and research quickly and efficiently without having to stop and change lenses.
Some competitive models require that lens be changed when changing microforms and magnifications, use multiple scanner methods depending on the type of microform, and require separate companion equipment when working with the various types of microforms and magnifications.
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Why Resolution Is Important
Resolution is a measure of scanning Image Quality. High resolution scans provide a "crisp" scan of the original microfilm image while low resolution scans provide a "fuzzy" scan that is difficult to read. There are several ways to express resolution, some of these methods can be misleading. The accepted method of specifying image quality for scanned microfilm images is to specify resolution in dpi (dots per inch) for the size of the original document ("at document") that was microfilmed. An alternative method of measurement is the "at sensor" measurement. The "at sensor" measurement for the ScanPro 2000 is 7,257 dpi.
We have used the industry standard "at document" dpi method to make comparisons. In addition, we have selected the same mid range magnification of 24X and have used the same microfilm image to insure that the comparison scans are made under the same conditions.
The following two scans show the impact of resolution on scan image quality. The first scan was made using the ScanPro 2000 and the second scan was made using a competitor's model.
When making scanner resolution and scan speed comparisons, it is important to make the comparisons using printed copies made from the film that you will be using. This will insure that scanning speeds are properly specified and that viewing screen resolution is not interpreted as print resolution.
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Fast High Resolution Scanning Speed
High resolution scanning speed is the amount of time that it takes the scanner to complete a high resolution scan of the microform image that you are viewing on your monitor. The ScanPro 2000 can complete a high resolution scan of your microfilm image in about a second. Since a scanner can not be used for further look-ups until the scan in progress is completed, it is important to have the scan completed quickly. Some competitive models have scan speeds that take more than a minute. That delay is just idle time for the user.
A high resolution scan of your microform image is required for printing and saving archival copies. Some models claim fast scanning speeds using terms like "snap shot", "instant image capture", "instant capture", etc. These types of scans provide low resolution scans (also called screen shots) that can be used for viewing but are not considered usable for printing and archival purposes
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Why a fast firewire interface connection is important
When you view microforms on a monitor, you want the image on your monitor to move smoothly and at exactly the same time as you move the microform. This is sometimes called live, real time viewing. You also want to be able to scan your microform images in high resolution very quickly so that you can complete look-ups and research fast and efficiently. The ScanPro 2000 can transfer images to your PC at up to 88 frames per second and can scan an image in high resolution in a second. Some competitive models have much lower frame speeds and simply can not duplicate the performance of the ScanPro 2000. Modern equipment uses a fast interface like firewire when the high performance transfer of images is required.
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Patrons report that automatic features simplify using microfilm
The ScanPro 2000 was designed based on the input from many librarians and microfilm patrons. The consistent message that we heard was that "microfilm is difficult to work with" and that the available equipment was "way too complicated". So, right from the start our design goal was to make the Microfilm ScanPro 2000 easy-to-use and to automate as many features as possible to reduce the number steps required by the patron using microfilm to an absolute minimum. Freeze Frame and Image Enhancement are two examples of these automatic features. Freeze frame is important to the patron because it makes it easier to view the image on microfilm. The ScanPro 2000 auto detects when the microfilm is not being moved, automatically freezes the frame for the best readability and then automatically enhances the image to make it even more readable. Competitive models requires the user to first switch to separate software and then to separately apply "filters" after the image is first scanned. These are all additional steps for the patron that add time consuming complexity.
It is rewarding to hear about the positive effect that the results to simplify the software has had on the patron's microfilm experience. A library director recently called to report that the ScanPro 2000 software's ease-of-use was so well received that patrons were coming back "again and again" to use their microfilm".
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The importance of editing features before scanning
The ScanPro 2000 lets the patron edit the microform image on the view screen before scanning and printing. This is a simple and efficient way to work with your microforms. The patron can rotate and mirror the image, straighten and crop the image, adjust brightness, adjust contrast, sharpen the image and see the results right on the monitor before scanning and printing. Additionally, the patron can let the software automatically make the edits or choose to manually make some or all of the edits.
Competitive equipment uses a confusing combination for image editing, some edits are made while looking at the view screen while other edits require separate software to be used after the scan has been completed. This means that re scans will require the patron to return to the viewing software and start over. This is a complicated and time consuming process.
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The importance of a customizable toolbar
The ScanPro 2000 has a customizable toolbar. The administrator, using the password protected "setup" screen, can select which buttons and settings will be available on the toolbar for each microform application. This makes it possible to have the ScanPro 2000 be a reader, a reader/printer, or a full research scanner and anywhere in between and to go from one type of microform to another type of microform without having to make changes in settings like magnification, brightness, film type, etc
A customizable toolbar is powerful capability that provides simplicity and ease-of-use in any microform application. Competitive models do not have this capability
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Saving and restoring settings makes it easy to change microform applications
Once the toolbar has been customized for a particular application, the administrator can SAVE all of the settings using a title or name, sometimes called a "template". The next time that application is to be used, all of the setting on the toolbar can be RESTORED with a single CLICK. This is an easy way to move from one microform application to another microform application.
Competitive equipment simply does not have these time saving capabilities.
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Automatic film advance and centering (framing) of the image
The patron can use a single CLICK to move to the next image or to the prior image on their roll of microfilm. Also, when a patron wants to move from one location to another location on their roll film (for example when searching for a particular image), they can have image they stop on automatically centered on the monitor. This eliminates the need to adjust the film to center the image for viewing.
Competitive models simply do not have these capabilities.
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The importance of automatic scanning
The ScanPro 2000 is a compact, desktop scanner that will fit into almost any location. It is a sturdy, robust microform scanner that is designed for public use applications. It uses steel construction throughout with plastic covers to provide an integrated office appeal. The film carriers use precision tolerance surfaces with linear bearings to provide exceptional positional control for all of your microform images.
The ScanPro 2000 now has the added capability to automatically scan roll film [16mm, 35mm and cartridge (3M) roll film]. The optional Auto-Scan™ plug-in to the ScanPro 2000 software adds a button right to the standard toolbar that adds automatic, unattended scanning capability to any ScanPro 2000 with a motorized roll film carrier. With the addition of Auto-Scan™, you can still use the ScanPro 2000 as a reader, a reader printer, a full feature research scanner, or anywhere in between and switch to automatic scanning at any time.
Auto-Scan™ will scan up to 30 images per minute, it can automatically determine the best brightness and contrast setting for each image (capabilities not available on production scanners), and will automatically straighten and crop each image before scanning. Auto-Scan™ provides for automatic naming of scans, and you can start scanning at the beginning or anywhere within the roll of film and scan to the end or specify the number of scans before stopping. And, you can specify the file type (JPEG, PDF, TIFF, TIFF compressed, TIFF G4). All of these features are provided at a fraction of the cost of a production microfilm scanner.
These ScanPro 2000 features are simply not available on competitive models.
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Operating The ScanPro 2000 Over The Internet
The ScanPro 2000 has all of the controls for working with your microfilm right on the viewing screen so that you don't have to go back and forth between the scanner, PC, and monitor when making look ups and doing research. These controls, also called "virtual controls", are large easy-to-see and easy-to use buttons that control all of features of the ScanPro 2000. Because these are virtual controls, they can be operated remotely from any location using an internet connection and commercially free web connecting software. The ScanPro 2000 provides this remote access capability as standard.
The ScanPro 2000 is the only model to offer this capability at no extra cost.
Hartford, WI 53027