Imacon's Flextight 343 Provides Under-$5000 Option

The newest addition to Imacon's Flextight line of scanners is the Flextight 343. Priced at $4995, the device was developed to make high-end scanning more accessible to a greater number of photography and graphic-arts professionals.

Like the Flextight 646 and 848, the Flextight 343 uses Imacon's flexible magnetic holder to avoid the use of gels, tapes, or glass plates. The magnetic holders “flex” the original during scanning to form a “virtual drum” that enhances the quality of information received by the CCD. Compared to the 8000 ppi and 6300 ppi optical resolutions 4.8 and 4.6 Dmax offered by Imacon's substantially higher-priced 646 and 848 models, the Flextight 343 offers a respectable 3200 ppi optical resolution and 4.3 Dmax.

The scanner can capture files of up to 100 MB from a 35 mm original and 384 MB from a 6 x 6 cm original. Maximum scanning speeds range from 15 to 30 MB/min, depending on bit-depth. The FlexColor software can be instructed to automatically archive images to selected file sizes (e.g. 40 MB).

The 343 can accommodate 35mm to 6- x 18-cm film formats and Holders for customized formats, such as panoramas, are available.

The Flextight 343 lists includes a FireWire interface for PCs or Macs, FlexColor software, and the 3F digital-image-management system. Imacon's 3F (Flexible File Format) simplifies the process of reusing captured images for print, the Internet, and other applications. With 3F, every scanned or captured RGB image is stored as a raw file, and then saved as an extended TIFF file that can be “repurposed” without affecting the integrity or quality of the raw data. The extended TIFF file created in FlexColor includes capture shot profiles, metadata tags, copyright, and keyword search information for input and storage. This data provides a comprehensive image history. Using a plug-in, operators can transfer 3F TIFF files to Photoshop or digital asset management systems outside of the 3F system. The 3F Flexible File Format feature also can automatically generate color-corrected, 72dpi contact-sheet previews from raw files. (Imacon: 800-367-6434, www.imacon.dk)