Epson Perfection 4490 Photo Scanner | 
| Brand: Epson
List Price: $149.99
Buy New: $129.99
You Save: $20.00 (13%)
New (67) Used (2) Refurbished (3) from $109.99
Rating:  108 reviews
Color: silver
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Shipping Weight (lbs): 14
Dimensions (in): 18 x 11 x 5
nv:Scanner Type: Flatbed
Scanner Element: Charge-Coupled Device (CCD)
Light Source: White Cold Cathode Flourescent Lamp
Optical Resolution: 4800 dpi
Hardware Resolution: 4800 x 9600 dpi
Interpolated Resolution: 12800 x 12800 dpi
Maximum Document Size: 8.5 x 11.7
Color Depth: 48-bit
Gray Scale Depth: 16-bit
Interface Connectivity: USB
Power Source: AC Adapter
Transparency Unit: Built-In
Automatic Document Feeder: Optional
Compatible OS: Mac
Compatible OS: Windows 2000
Compatible OS: Windows XP
Legal Disclaimer: Warranty does not cover misuse of product.
Warranty: 1 year warranty
MPN: B11B176011
Model: B11B176011
UPC: 010343855083
EAN: 0010343854093
ASIN: B000ALCJT4
Release Date: August 21, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Professional level 4800 x 9600 resolution | | • | 3.4 Dmax for wide dynamic range and greater image quality | | • | Powerful Epson Easy Photo Fix to restore faded color photos | | • | Built-in transparency unit with dedicated light source for better scan uniformity | | • | Versatile scanning with film holders for 35mm negatives, slides and 2 1/4 " transparencies |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Includes: Photoshop Elements, ABBYY FineReader Sprint Plus OCR, NewSoft Presto! BizCard, & more. Epson Perfection 4490 Photo Scanner - This flatbed scanner features Digital ICE technology, which gives you built-in dust & scratch removal for film, and Epson Easy Photo Fix, that provides one-touch color restoration. Saving you a lot editing time after you've finished scanning. To accommodate more media, a built-in transparency unit is featured, with a dedicated light source for better scan uniformity. Convenient film holders are included to handle other forms of media, like 35mm slides, negatives, & medium format film. All of which benefits from a 4800x9600 dpi resolution, that makes this scanner an ideal choice for prosumers and professionals alike. Effective Pixels - 40,800 x 56,160 48-bit Color Depth 16-bit Greyscale Depth Optical Density - 3.4 Dmax 2.7 x 9.3 Transparency Adapter built-in lid - 12 35mm Negative, 4 35mm Slide, 1 2 1/4, 6x12cm or 120/220mm (medium format) capacity 4 Buttons - Scan, Copy, E-Mail, PDF 8.5 x 11.7 Flatbed Area White Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp Connects to a PC or Mac via USB 2.0 Unit Weight - 9.1 lbs.
Amazon.com
Quality. Performance. Precision.
A premium value for professional quality scans, the Epson Perfection 4490 Photo delivers extraordinary results with 4800 x 9600 dpi resolution and an impressive 3.4 Dmax. This full-featured performer makes it easy for anyone to quickly restore, repair and renew classic photos, film and transparencies for stunning color reprints and enlargements. Powerful Digital ICE technology offers built-in dust and scratch removal capabilities for film, while Epson Easy Photo Fix provides one-touch color restoration. Together, these two features bring new life to faded or damaged originals. The Epson Perfection 4490 Photo offers fully automatic scanning for increased productivity, plus two advanced scanning modes for greater control. Convenient film holders accommodate multiple 35mm slides and negatives, plus medium format film. And, Hi-Speed USB 2.0 ensures fast data transfer. There's even a fully featured software package that includes Adobe Photoshop Elements, ABBYY FineReader Sprint, and more. Compatible with both Microsoft Windows and Macintosh opperating systems, this scanner provides an unbeatable solution for any task or project. Rich in quality and versatility, the Epson Perfection 4490 Photo will highlight and optimize every detail. When partnered with an Epson Stylus ink jet printer, it's a perfect choice for creating brilliant images made to last. Features include: - Professional level 4800 x 9600 dpi resolution
- 3.4 Dmax for wide dynamic range and greater image quality
- Powerful Epson Easy Photo Fix™ to restore faded color photos
- Built-in transparency unit with dedicated light source for better scan uniformity
- Versatile scanning with film holders for 35mm negatives, slides and 2-1/4" transparencies
- Powerful software package for photo and document scanning; includes Adobe Photoshop Elements
What's in the box
Epson Perfection 4490 Photo Scanner, 2.7" x 9.3" Transparency unit (built into lid), Two Film Holders: 35mm slides and film strips and medium format, CD-ROM with Epson Scan software, productivity software and Electronic Reference Guide, CD-ROM with Adobe Photoshop Elements, Hi-Speed USB 2.0 cable, Epson Setup Sheet, AC adapter and power cable
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| Customer Reviews: Read 103 more reviews...
Finally - a slide scanner that just works! October 4, 2005
gk
260 out of 264 found this review helpful
I purchased this excellent scanner after much frustration with two previous purchases which failed to perform: Canon CanoScan 4200F and the HP Scanjet 4890.
The biggest problem with scanners is not the hardware, but the software.
In the case of the CanoScan 4200F (and similar 8400 and 9950 models, which use the same software), the driver utterly fails to crop slides correctly: in the default 'auto-crop' mode, it cuts off parts of the frame but when 'auto-crop' is disabled, it fails to scan slides separately, forcing you to crop each one manually. What is worse, is that the driver does not remember your settings so you have to reconfigure every detail again, every time you scan. There are many other bugs in this driver too.
The Epson 4490, in contrast, is very sensible about cropping - it allows you to manually adjust cropping, if you like, or to disable it and simply scan each slide as a separate file, capturing the entire frame. This would seem simple enough since both the Canon and Epson scanners employ plastic slide holders to fix the position of the slides in relation to the scanner so the Epson software always knows how to reliably split multiple slides without cropping, whereas the Canon software simply gives up.
Another area where scanner software often fails is in the installation. The Epson installation procedure worked perfectly and did not even require a reboot to begin scanning. The HP 4890 installation was a complete disaster: the giant 'easy install' poster included with the scanner contradicted the installer on when to plug in the scanner: instructions explicitly said to connect the scanner prior to installing the driver, but when I actually ran the installer, it failed to connect and Windows failed to ever recognize the new hardware, even though the installer reported that I could connect the scanner later - which was not true. Even after uninstalling and re-installing and rebooting the HP driver (which took about 40 minutes), although the the scanner appeared to be recognized by Windows and was 'connected', the driver would simply hang forever when attempting to scan.
I recount this detail about the HP scanner because it is positioned very close to the Epson 4490 in terms of price and features, yet is completely unusable. In this regard, another important consideration is technical support: in the case of HP, phone support is strongly discouraged and hard to find - even if you do manage to find the phone numbers, the quality of HP support staff is abysmal, in my experience. Epson, in contrast, publishes the tech support phone numbers prominently on the instructions included with the scanner. Perhaps, Epson can more easily afford to divulge these phone numbers since products that work well require very little tech support. This made me feel quite confident with the Epson product.
Now the big payoff - scanning!
The quality of images you get is directly related to the ease of use in configuring the scanning software. Although the Epson software is not perfect, it is quite usable and powerful. It does a reasonable job of retaining configuration settings and the advanced features of 'dust removal' and 'digital ICE' image correction is very impressive.
The flaws in the software include the following.
1. The ability to 'save' settings is spotty: you cannot assign a name to saved settings; saved settings only configure half of the parameters, prior to preview - you cannot configure use of 'dust removal', 'digital ICE' etc but must manually assign these options on each scan.
2. The prefix used in assigning filenames to scanned images does not allow the valid windows filename character, '.'
3. 'Target size' parameter cannot be saved. Workaround is to use the image 'Resolution' parameter instead (resolution=2400 can be saved and is equivalent to resolution=300, target size=800%, for example).
I have only tested this scanner in scanning color slides so far.
Software Downgrade of fine hardware August 30, 2005
William W. Smith (Basking Ridge, NJ USA)
117 out of 119 found this review helpful
Excellent scanner -- fast and accurate.
Software has been damaged compared to earlier releases. Email function oddly does not work with Outlook and Epson Scan is strangely crippled. Your settings can no longer be descriptively named. They come up "Setting 1" "Setting 2" etc., which is not useful.
The hardware is without fault. While not quite the dynamic range of the pricey 4990, this scanner will be useful for people looking to scan 35mm or medium format film unless they demand very high quality. For most people digitizing the shoebox collection of slides, this scanner will be fine.
I have had excellent results on reflective originals in both color and black and white. Noticeably sharper than my previous Epson scanner.
 Beautiful scans, but weak flimsy plastic breaks too easily March 27, 2006
FlyingPolarBear (Fullerton, CA USA)
105 out of 107 found this review helpful
After using my previous Epson Perfection 1640SU for about 5 years, I finally upgraded to the 4490 Photo. The scans are beautiful, and I expected the same quality workmanship that kept the 1640SU working for many years.
However, as soon as I placed a larger book in the scanner and closed the lid, two plastic tabs broke inside. The scanner made a noisy ratcheting sound and the red light started flashing.
How can the plastic break so easily? When I took the scanner apart with the screwdriver I was amazed at how cheap and thin the plastic is in this model! Epson must be really cost-cutting in their manufacturing process these days.
I searched the web to find out how to fix the scanner. I came across a post by another customer who had the exact same problem. He also broke the plastic tabs, and replaced them with a custom piece of metal.
When I removed the plastic fragments from inside the scanner, it started working again. However I am not sure how long it will last. The glass is held on to the inside with self-adhesive tape, and the glass already started to separate when I placed a heavier object on top.
This is a great scanner for high-quality photos. But it's constructed like a disposable camera. It will do fine if your scan jobs consist of single photos or single sheets of paper. But if you scan a document/book with multiple sheets consider getting a different scanner made with sturdy materials.
I hope Epson will learn that they went a bit too far with the cost-cutting on materials. I am surprised because my experience has always been that Epson creates some of the best printers/scanners.
 SUPER scanner! December 16, 2006
R. Brooks (Abilene, TEXAS)
77 out of 79 found this review helpful
I am an aerial photographer based in Central Texas between Abilene and San Angelo. (I have my own airplane and a bucket truck for doing nothing but aerial photography... I've been in the photography, film and video business since 1973... and I have accumulated thousands of slides over the years... I only share this with you not to brag, but to convey to you that I am probably more picky about image quality than the next guy... and I scrutinized this scanner VERY close before buying it and after making several hundred scans of my slides...)
I bought a 4490 Photo Scanner from Best Buy in Abilene, Texas last month (November 2006) in order to transfer some of my 3,000 plus slides to my computers. I paid about $200 with tax included.
I read several reviews of this scanner before deciding what to buy, and I was nearly scared away. Please don't let the nay-sayers steer you away from this scanner!
As far as the people who say the scanner makes a " grinding noise..." well, these people have not read the instructions and they did not UNLOCK the scanner safety feature after taking it out of the box after their purchase. The scanner is shipped from the factory to the store LOCKED so the internal mechanisms won't be sliding back and forth during shipment. UNLOCK the scanner and it WON"T MAKE THE GRINDING NOISE!
I originally tried to purchase a Nikon V Coolscan because I have been using Nikon products since 1976 and I LOVE NIKON (I MEAN I AM A NIKON FANATIC) but the Nikon Coolscan V wasn't available anywhere. I had to get some slides scanned in the next 48 hours for a website I needed some slides on. I was very desperate and in a big hurry so I decided on trying the 4490 Epson. I figured if I had problems, Best Buy would take it back and give me a refund. I told the sales clerk about the "bad" reviews I had seen in regard to this scanner and he advised, a full refund could be made if I wasn't happy.
Well, long story made short, I have had no problems and I am totally blown away at what this scanner was able to do with my slides, some dating back to 1961, but most taken in the late 1970s and in the 1980s.
With the built-in software (dust removal, color correction and Digital ICE) the control I have is extraordinary. In fact, I have been able to make scans that look better than the original slides (for old slides needing "tweaking.")
I HIGHLY recommend this scanner if you need to preserve your slides like I do. I am a professional photographer and my old slides (from around the world) needed to be preserved and this scanner has done a WONDERFUL job of getting them into a high-quality digital format.
As far as all the people who have complained that this scanner is slow, GIVE ME A BREAK! Scanning a slide at high resolution on any scanner takes time. Go do something else while the machine is busy. NO SCANNER CAN COPY YOUR SLIDE IN A SPLIT-SECOND... be patient!
I've scanned about 300 slides so far with this scanner and I have a few hundred more to go and I am VERY HAPPY with the end results. In fact, I am glad I didn't buy the Nikon V Coolscan because I save a bundle by purchasing the Epson. I have every reason to believe the Epson 4490 makes as good of scans as the Nikon (and I am a Nikon Loyalist using only Nikon cameras in my aerial photography business...)
The Epson 4490 Photo Scanner allows you to scan up to 6 slides at time, and if you scan all 6 at ultra high resolution using the software enhancments, it can take an hour or so. But if you simply want a standard scan of a slide, it only takes a moment, and even in the "fast-mode" the scan looks good.
This scanner is durable, attractive and takes up no more room on a desk than a regular scanner. Is it noisy? Well, does your microwave oven drive you nuts? If so, then go get some ear plugs. This scanner is much quieter than my microwave and for those people who complain of noise, I suspect they are being a little too finiky.
I love this scanner and I bet you will too. I am VERY HAPPY with my purchase and I suspect this scanner will provide years of service.
(UPDATE... January 2008)
I used this scanner on an Apple Mac Powerbook running OSX... And I recently purchased a Pentax 645N camera. This scanner doesn't have a provision to accept the film for a Pentax 645. It can take a 2 inch by 2 inch as in a Hasselblad and the larger image size of a Mamiya RB67, but not the odd size of a Pentax 645...
I have not tried using this scanner with a Windows computer.
It scans documents as good as any I have ever seen, and I am still blown away at how good the scans are of my 35mm slides, both Ektachrome and Kodachrome... Software is great and this scanner MAKES NO NOISE like other complain about... If they would unlock it, the darned thing would be quiet, but if they don't unlock it upon taking it out of the box and prior to first use, it will most likely damage the plastic gears on the slide tray and damage the unit and it will ALWAYS be noisy...
Good luck
EPSON 4490 Scanner Review for 35 mm Film April 2, 2006
Heinz (Edmonton, Alberta Canada)
52 out of 54 found this review helpful
Background History:
I am an avid photographer, but don't really consider myself to be a "Professional". Over the years I have managed to accumulate several 35 mm film albums and have been waiting for a scanner that could scan them at a reasonable price. And this scanner seemed to have fit the bill. Product line scanners I looked at were HP, EPSON, Canon, and dedicated 35 mm Film Scanners ($1000+).
Evaluation on a Panoramic 35 mm (Same Photo used in all):
* Developed at a Photo Lab (Print Film Straight From Canister) - Noticeable Artifact / Flaw = 1
* 35 mm Scanned at a Dept. Store / Burned to CD - Noticeable Artifact / Flaw = 12
* 35 mm Scanned at a Photo Development Chain / Burned to CD - Noticeable Artifact / Flaw = 12
* 35 mm Scanned through EPSON Scanner - Noticeable Artifact / Flaw = Approx. 10 (w / Ice)
Dept. Store / Photo Develop Chain:
Image at 3072x2048 ($1.50 / image at their highest development setting [35mm to digital format])
EPSON Scanner Setting Breakdown:
Professional Mode / 35mm / Colour Negative Film / Batch of 8 Negatives / To JPEG Image / Unsharp Mask / Colour Restoration / Digital Ice
48 Bit / Res 4800 (6656x2495) / Digital Ice (Quality) / Time = 66 Minutes / 10 Artifacts
48 Bit / Res 4800 (6656x2495) / Digital Ice (Speed) / Time = 22 Minutes / 60+ Artifacts!!!
48 Bit / Res 3200 (4437x1674) / Digital Ice (Quality) / Time = 45 Minutes / 10 Artifacts
48 Bit / Res 3200 (4437x1674) / Digital Ice (Speed) / Time = 18 Minutes / 3 Artifacts
48 Bit / Res 2400 (1664x623) / Digital Ice (Quality) / Time = 16 Minutes / 10 Artifacts
48 Bit / Res 2400 (1664x623) / Digital Ice (Speed) / Time = 8 Minutes / 60+ Artifacts!!!
(I have no clue or reason to why the Artifacts are the numbers they are, but that's what I counted?! YES THOSE ARE the correct numbers!)
You can of course have lower resolution / smaller images, but I chose more quality like images.
Product Evaluation:
Pros: Great Dollar Value, Digital Ice, Dust Removal Option, Relatively Quiet
Cons: Cheap Flimsy Film Holder (Has no Teeth Threads which make it difficult to put in 35mm film strips that are "curled");
therefore prone to Finger prints on Negatives. Raw scanned in images are not true to the colour of the image.
Scanned in images are darker than originals.
Undecided: "Relatively" solid, Plastic Hinges / glass could be thicker (good enough for film / paper, bad idea for large books / objects)
Final Thoughts:
Since I purchased this scanner for the sole purpose of scanning my film into a digital medium, this works for me.
I don't have a problem using a photo editor such as Paint Shop Pro or Adobe Photoshop to touch up the images. Brighten them up and remove the remaining artifacts. Digital Ice is a miracle worker on scratched up negatives. You of course can use the EPSON scan software to adjust the colors / saturation / histogram / etc... but I prefer a real photo editor. It will definitely take me a while to scan all my negatives in, but once they've been scanned, that's it, Done!
For those on a budget, I recommend this as a good 35 mm Scanner. It may be slow, and you will need to use software for final touch ups, but that's what you get for a budget scanner.
Recommendation (35mm): Yes
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