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Wednesday April 23, 2008
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Hammacher Schlemmer announced the Photograph to Digital Picture Converter ($149.95): a perfect solution to those boxes of old photos in your parents' attic and maybe even in your own place. You can also throw away the ancient scanner that sounds like a fax machine: Hammacher claims that the Converter is quicker, easier, and provides better-quality digital images. It instantly captures the entire image using a 5-megapixel CMOS sensor, the same found in some digital cameras and the newest cell phones.
"With up to 1,800 dpi resolution, 10 bits per color channel, automatic exposure control and color balance, pictures are transformed perfectly with the clarity and color from the original photo," said the company.
All you do is place your photos into a tray, slide it into the converter, and then push a button--the images are instantly recorded. The Converter includes a USB cable that plugs into a PC for power and works with Windows XP and Vista. Editing software is also included.
Hammacher also carries the Slide and Negative to Digital Picture Converter ($99.95), which can convert old 35mm slides and film negatives into digital images. Pretty awesome for photography students who want to keep digital copies of the work they've done with film.
Post by Chris Gampat
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May 6, 2008 4:09 PM
Does this device also work with Apple Computers ?
I would love to purchase this converter, but it must work with Apple computers.
I would appreciate it if you could answer my question as soon is possible.
Thank you for your time and trouble.
May 16, 2008 2:40 AM
What a great idea. If the price is right, I will buy it as a handy one.
May 28, 2008 9:32 PM
I have been trying for hours to install this on multiple different computers trying every trick I can think of and it seems to be the impossible dream. So tomorrow, it goes back to Hammacher Schlemmer.
August 30, 2008 4:26 AM
This is a great idea, but the software that is required to use it is terrible. It constantly crashed my fully loaded Windows Vista computer. Even when it did work, the interface isn't intuitive at all, so it takes forever to figure it out. I have no clue why there is a button on the front marked "Copy" because it does nothing. You must use the software that comes with the machine to acquire the photos. I expected it to be faster than using my flatbed scanner, but the software takes up so much time that it is far easier to do it the old fashioned way and just scan the photos. The quality is OK, not any better than using a cheap scanner. Also, you have to use the correct size tray for EACH photo, so if you have a pile of pictures to convert, consider all the time you're going to waste just getting the pictures in and out of the slot in the tray, which is, by the way, on the underside and difficult to see. Like the reviewer above, I am returning mine for a refund. Great idea, but poor execution.
January 10, 2009 10:15 AM
I purchased this and started using it a few days ago. I have to disagree with Jim and Dave, this is an excellent way to scan in the thousands of photos that my mother has accumulated over the years. I also find that it is the fastest, as I can usually scan about 50 photos in an hour.
I had absolutely no problem installing the software, and the only other technical problem I found was that I am running out of disk space now! As someone who does graduation photo videos for my area, I can tell you that scanning them on any scanner - no matter how fast - is tedious and time consuming work. With the Digital Photo Converter it takes maybe a minute to 'scan' a photo in. I also find that quite often, the software that comes with the converter works so well at cleaning up my old photos that they look better than the original photograph!!!
I have to say that I am completely happy with my purchase ($69 for a refurbished model at Geeks.com) and will finally have all my mom's old photos scanned and ready to share DIGITALLY! Yea!!!!!