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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

Fujifilm FineScan 5000
Flatbed Ease with Drum Scanner Quality

TEXT AND IMAGES BY MARKUS KLINKO & INDRANI

Faster and easier to use than a drum scanner and capable of producing even higher quality scans, the FineScan 5000, with flatbed CCD and X-Y technology, gives us total creative control and flexibility.

FAST, FREEING, FLEXIBLE
We had always stayed away from flatbed scanners because of the noticeable loss of quality. But with the latest technology in hardware and seriously intuitive, easy-to-use software, the FineScan 5000 is the ultimate scanner for high-end scans of color and B&W transparencies and negatives, reflective copy, line art, and film separations.
And it's fast—40 scans per hour (based on the Seybold standard) at optical resolutions of up to 5000 dpi with a maximum magnification of 4000 percent—so transparencies can be enlarged to a 46.7x33-inch poster size.
Before we had the 5000, we outsourced the images we shot on our Fujifilm GX680-we're Fujichrome Velvia and Provia devotees!—to a vendor with an Isomet scanner. At the time, it was the highest quality scanner we had found that was so well suited to our work. And although we had an amazing scanner operator, it meant having to work according to someone else's schedule. We much prefer making the creative decisions ourselves.
With the 5000, we're able to play with our images, enhance their quality, and make creative decisions much easier than before because we're doing the scans ourselves. In addition to simplifying the selection process, the 5000 allows us to scan and output as much as we need without incurring any additional costs.
Another advantage is the quality you get when you scan Polaroids—much higher than with high-end drum scanners. Drum scanners have a hard time eliminating a Polaroid's soft or unclear look, whereas the 5000's autofocus lens delivers a smooth, quality image. And since it's a flatbed scanner, you don't have to tape the picture to a large drum. It also eliminates the need for oil mounting, another factor that affects the image.

END-TO-END COLOR MANAGEMENT
Because everyone sees colors differently, the ColourKit lets you optimize the color quality of your images by creating and editing individual ICC color profiles for your scanner, monitor, and printer, instead of using generic profiles.
The ColourKit provides a full range of editing and color management tools as well as an auto-selection process that's really advanced. It gives you the option to scan once and output many—an invaluable tool. Having the ability to repurpose our images without compromising the originals' integrity frees us to be even more creative. Traditional scanning software just doesn't let you do this.
The overwhelming advantage of ColourKit is batch scanning with the Queue management feature. Basically, it means we can line up all our scans at once without having to start over each time. This is an enormous time saver.
For those who want to have a good starting point established for them, the software is a terrific tool. It does the work that a scanner operator would otherwise do. What's great is that you're given the flexibility to override that part of the operation if you prefer. Personally, we like to make our own color curves.
We absolutely love the FineScan 5000. We never imagined there could be a flatbed scanner of this quality.

For more Markus Klinko & Indrani images,
visit www.markusklinko-indrani.com

For more information on the Fujifilm FineScan 5000,
visit www.fujifilm.com