Agfa's mid-range model is a prime choice for graphics fans craving accurate colour
Agfa StudioStar desktop colour scanner
For: Text and image scanning
Pros: Plug and play. Good software bundle, including Photoshop 4.0, OCR, fax, copy and print software. Excellent color accuracy.
Cons: Skimpy printed documentation.
Price: C$750 (street price) w/ Photoshop LE; C$980 with full Photoshop
Although you'd never know it by looking at the Agfa StudioStar's skimpy documentation, the StudioStar is a 30-bit color scanner with 1200x600 optical resolution, excellent image quality and a solid collection of color-calibration and image-correction tools.
The StudioStar eschews the consumer-oriented software bundle of Agfa's lower-priced models for a package that includes Photoshop 4.0 (our box included the full version; a less expensive package is available with Photoshop LE), OmniPage Limited Edition, and Agfa's suite of "Foto" software: FotoTune Scan, FotoLook, FotoFlavor, and FotoSnap. A Fax/Copy/Print utility is also provided, along with an IT8 (color calibration) reference target.
Our package also included a SCSI terminator, power cables (inexplicably, a strange-looking European one as well as a standard North American three-pronger) and a four-foot 25- to 50-pin SCSI cable.
As it did with the original SnapScan, Agfa has chosen to include a cheapo ISA SCSI interface (an Adaptec 1505AE) card as part of the PC bundle. While Adaptec continues to be our favorite provider of SCSI cards, the fact that this card has caused us difficulties in the past (see our reviews at http://www.tcp.ca/gsb/net/scanning.html or www.tcp.ca/gsb/reviews/graphics/scanning2.html for a couple of Agfa-specific examples) made us a little apprehensive about it.
Fortunately, the card "plugged and played" as it was supposed to, and we were able to connect and configure the scanner without incident. Note, however, that this interface lacks support for internal SCSI devices. If you wish to take advantage of SCSI's ability to connect several devices such as SCSI hard drives, CDROMs, Jaz drives, etc.), we continue to recommend substituting a good quality PCI SCSI interface, such as the highly rated Adaptec 2940UW.
As with other plug-and-play devices, it is best to install the software drivers before connecting the scanner (or, if it is already connected, before turning it on.) When drivers are pre-installed, Windows 95 or 98 knows what driver(s) to load when its plug-and-play routine detects the new hardware. The StudioStar is also compatible with Windows 3.x, Windows NT and Macintosh, if your OS preferences lay outside the Win95 mainstream.
It's also worth mentioning that the included SCSI terminator block should be connected to the back of the scanner (or the last device in your SCSI chain, if you choose to connect other SCSI devices to the second SCSI port on the scanner) in order to avoid unpredictable behavior and crashes.
The included FotoLook software automatically installed and configured a TWAIN driver that allowed scans to be directly imported into Photoshop. The software (shown in detail here) conveniently allowed previews to be zoomed, rotated and colour-adjusted, and image optimization was performed automatically. Based on our experience with Agfa's less expensive models, we'd have to say the extra money spent on a StudioStar is cash well spent for those who want a scanner with good color accuracy and trouble-free performance.
And, for those who value image quality above pocket cash, check out Agfa's higher-priced DuoScan model. It sells more than twice the price of Epson's Expression Pro or the Microtek Scanmaker III, it proves the old adage, "you get what you pay for."
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