cabbiinc
Slightly Irregular
Some things just take a while to get to production, although I'm no expert on vaporware since I've never seen it.
Any news on the new Plustek 120 scanner?
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bwcolor
Veteran
It certainly looks like the project has been put on hold, or canceled. I'm sure that projects like this look great on paper, but then the reality of procuring the components, testing and perhaps even marketing can kill/delay. My only interest is should my 9000ED die.. but it would have been nice to have an alternative.
mdruziak
Established
Think of how boring life would be without vapor!🙂
Ok here is a little more on what has transpired since late last year.
At about the same time the CES press release went out we learned the sensor we were going to use was end of lifed. Rather than do an all time buy and go to market with an obsolete sensor, we decided to select a new sensor. As you can imagine, these sensors aren't plug and play so we issued a new CES press release that did not mention the OF120.
Fast forward to February... The first time that you really should have heard about the scanner was in the CeBIT press release in February. We had confidence that the re-design was far enough along to show the scanner at CeBIT. It's only been a month since CeBIT.
I have seen images scanned by the scanner. In fact, they were on Flickr for a while with the EXIF intact. I asked that the images be taken down because they were only snapshots.
So, nothing is on hold or cancelled. Last week we made some decisions on MSRP and content for marketing materials and we are moving forward like any other product launch.
I know everyone wants to know "The Date". As soon as I can say something about "The Date" I will.
Mark
Ok here is a little more on what has transpired since late last year.
At about the same time the CES press release went out we learned the sensor we were going to use was end of lifed. Rather than do an all time buy and go to market with an obsolete sensor, we decided to select a new sensor. As you can imagine, these sensors aren't plug and play so we issued a new CES press release that did not mention the OF120.
Fast forward to February... The first time that you really should have heard about the scanner was in the CeBIT press release in February. We had confidence that the re-design was far enough along to show the scanner at CeBIT. It's only been a month since CeBIT.
I have seen images scanned by the scanner. In fact, they were on Flickr for a while with the EXIF intact. I asked that the images be taken down because they were only snapshots.
So, nothing is on hold or cancelled. Last week we made some decisions on MSRP and content for marketing materials and we are moving forward like any other product launch.
I know everyone wants to know "The Date". As soon as I can say something about "The Date" I will.
Mark
david.elliott
Well-known
Thanks for the update! Can you say anything about the price?
Bobfrance
Over Exposed
brbo
Well-known
I'd much rather know about the performance of the optical path of the new scanner. Reflecta MF5000 or Nikon CS9000 range? You can pretty much guess the price from there...
Jamie123
Veteran
What everybody wants to hear is that this will be twice as good as the X5 Flextight at half the price of a Nikon 9000ED. 🙂
mdruziak
Established
You mean "The Performance".
I have heard from a couple internal sources that resolution and DMax exceeds the SC9000 based on their testing of both scanners.
Benjamin Marks
Veteran
Good lord. I think Mark has been incredibly forthcoming with useful "inside scoop" information and has done a good job of defending his brand here where someone with a couple of keystrokes could have started a rumor that the scanner was not actually forthcoming. I don't know how any company manages in the so-called "information age" ("disinformation age" is more like it). Now someone thinks that Plustek's grand marketing strategy is to announce the MRSP here, on RFFF? Brilliant.
mdruziak
Established
It depends on how you define "twice as good" and what you use to determine the price of the 9000!
mdruziak
Established
Thanks for the support Benjamin.
I realize that people are pretty anxious to get a chance to try this scanner out. And I also realize that many people may not know much about Plustek and we have all seen vaporware products in the past. So why should you trust Plustek?
Let me just say that Plustek is a legitimate company. We have been in business for over 25 years designing and manufacturing scanners. Many Plustek employees have been with the company since it started! We currently sell about 60 different scanners (document, mobile, book, photographic and graphic) that are Plustek branded and many more when you consider our OEM business. I'll just say that this product launch is going very similar to our other new product launches other than the sensor issue.
Jamie123
Veteran
What I meant to say is that people probably have unrealistic expectations and are going to complain no matter what 🙂
That being said, I'd really be interested in hearing how you think the scanner compares to the Flextights. I have a Nikon 9000 and it's a fine scanner with more than enough resolutions. However, it just doesn't have that drum scanner look that scans from the X5 have.
david.elliott
Well-known
There is absolutely nothing wrong with inquiring as to details regarding the MSRP. Nothing wrong with asking about any aspect of an upcoming product. If Mark does not want to or cannot answer a question, then no problem, but no harm in asking.
Any number of responses could have been posted, e.g.
-- We cannot divulge that information at this time.
-- No price has yet been set.
-- The MSRP will be in the range of x to y.
-- The MSRP will be x.
-- The price will be similar to that of other Plustek film scanners.
etc.
Don't get all worked up. 🙂
Jamie123
Veteran
I don't think anyone is implying that Plustek isn't a legitimate company. We all know that products can get delayed for various reasons and some people can get a bit anxious about it whether it's a large company like Canon or a smaller one like Plustek.
Personally I'm just curious to see the quality of the scanner but since I'm already set in that department I'm not really a potential customer. As far as I know Plustek produces (and re-brands?) a wide range of scanners in various price ranges and varying degrees of quality so it's hard to know what to expect from this new release.
wblynch
Well-known
Too many words.
A little less conversation, a little more action. -please
A little less conversation, a little more action. -please
X
XFer
Guest
Ok, but the CeBIT press release was only available in German!
So for many people, most specifications were not understandable.
We still don't know basic figures like maximum *actual worst-axis* optical resolution (not a 2x figure like in other Plustek scanners), *actual* DMax, availability of some kind of focusing system (I work with scanners since 1996 and can't believe a hi-res scanner worth his name can do without, sorry), ability to accept glass holders.
You are late to the market vs. your direct competitor, so we all expect your product to best the MF5000 in price/performance ratio; this is a given.
But please, at least let us know something about the actual technical specifications!
brbo
Well-known
It WAS hinted by mdruziak that it would be more than 4000dpi, and more than Nikon-claimed-4.8DMax.
Personally, I'm not buying any of this, but I would love to be proven wrong.
Plustek or Reflecta haven't beaten any of the better 35mm film scanner of the old generation (Canon FS4000, Nikon V/5000, Minolta 5400...), and now they've decided to make a Nikon Coolscan 9000 killer?! 10 years after Nikon realized there is not much money in this market?! Ultra hi-res MF scanner although resolution is not as important in MF as in scanning 135?! Unprecedented DMax when slide film is virtually dead?!
It doesn't make sense to me. Unless they made a real pro scanner that is out of the reach of many of us (as is a Nikon 9000 or an Imacon Flextight).
If I was Plustek I would make a 3200dpi, 3.X real DMax scanner with easy operation (i.e. DOF of the lens large enough to handle some film curvature, so no need for glass holders (yes, I know this is easier said than done)). Something like Reflecta MF5000 but cheaper and with good or at least acceptable software.
Again, I would love to be proven wrong and would love to see Plustek make a superb inexpensive MF scanner.
Jamie123
Veteran
It'll either be superb or inexpensive but surely not both.
Also, your analysis is a bit off IMO. Firstly, just because a large company like Nikon decided there isn't much money in this market doesn't mean it's not worthwhile for a smaller company like Plustek.
Secondly, they don't have to make a 'Nikon Coolscan 9000 killer'. Nikon killed the 9000 already. At best Plustek is competing with a very limited amount of used 9000s that are selling for twice the price of what it cost new.
I think if they made a scanner at the quality level of the Nikon 9000 with decent film holders at a price of around $2k they'd have an attractive product.
Matus
Well-known
I agree about that.
I only hope that once the scanner is out, that Plustek will actively try to get it into hands of a few reviewers/photographers so that we all can actually get to see some real performance.
Kudos to Mark to try to keep us informed as much as he can. I appreciate that very much (and I am not asking about MSRP, did you notice? 😉 )
brbo
Well-known
I actually think that a scanner that equals or betters Nikon 9000 (as hinted by Mark) for $2k is both superb and inexpensive (considering the market).
But the market is extremely small. Lets hope that readily available parts market (optical path, film transport and software (I left out sensors as good enough sensors should be cheap enough by now)) permits to put together an inexpensive high quality scanner, because I really doubt that MF film scanning market can bare much R&D costs associated with coming up with own solutions. It's clear that 135 format scanner market could not justify such costs.
Can enthusiast/semi-pro MF market?
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