Sample Images - Howtek 4500 vs. Imacon Precision II

Hold your cursor over these images to switch from the Imacon to the Howtek. With cursor off the image, scans are from the Imacon. With cursor over the image, scans are from the Howtek. If you are on a device without a mouse, click on the image to switch from the Imacon to the Howtek.

All images were scanned at maximum resolution of both scanners. No sharpening or post processing was applied except for applying scanner colour profiles.

B/W and C41 samples to come.

Comparison A - 6x6 E6 - Tonality and Sharpness Consistency

In this comparison the Imacon images were scanned at 3200 dpi, and the Howtek at 4000 dpi.

Looking at the full image, notice the different tonality between the two scanners, especially in the skin tones. On the closeup of the eye, both scanners offer great sharpness, with perhaps a slight edge to the Howtek. On the closeup of the feather, the Howtek is much sharper. This is due to the different ways that film mounts in both scanners. As the Imacon is a “Virtual Drum Scanner”, the film can still have slight variations in height across the frame, possibly affecting sharpess. With the Howtek, the film is mounted directly onto the flat drum, ensuring even sharpness throughout the entire frame.

Comparison B - 6x6 E6 - Scratch Removal & Sharpness

In this comparison the Imacon images were scanned at 3200 dpi, and the Howtek at 4000 dpi.

Starting with the full image, the two scanners are very similar in this example. Looking at the closeup of the strawberries, we can see that there are some scratches on the film picked up by the Imacon. Moving to the Howtek scan, the scratches are gone. The scratches are not visible on the Howtek scan due to the film being wet mounted. The fluid fills in any scratches on the film, causing them to be invisible to the scanner. Another benefit of wet scanning is that visible dust is greatly reduced as well. On the closeup of the tablecloth, notice the Howtek is slightly sharper. This is due to the higher scanning resolution of 4000 dpi vs 3200 dpi.

Comparison C - 35mm E6 - Skin Tones and Shadow Definition

In this comparison the Imacon images were scanned at 6300 dpi, and the Howtek at 4000 dpi.

Starting with the full image, the two scanners are again very similar, with slightly better skin tones and overall tonality on the Howtek. Moving to the closeup of the models eyes, we can see that although the Imacon has a scanning resolution of 2300 dpi higher than the Howtek, they are almost identical in sharpness. Although the Imacon has a higher resolution than the Howtek form 35mm, it’s often the case that the Howtek outperforms the Imacon in terms of perceived sharpness. Looking at the second closeup of the models hair, we can see that the Howtek has slightly better definition and less blocked-up shadows.

Comparison D - 35mm E6 - Resolution and Sharpness.

In this comparison the Imacon images were scanned at 6300 dpi, and the Howtek at 4000 dpi.

Starting with the full image, the two scanners are again very similar, with the Howtek producing a slightly more crisp looking image. On the two closeups, observe the higher acutance and lack of dust on the Howtek.