Comparative Test: Eleven multifunction printers: Scanners: Drivers, speed, quality, depth of field
Scanner drivers
If you are looking for a perfect scanner software, one of the Epson AIO´s is a must. The software lets you operate on a professional level. The three Canon-AIO´s also operate with excellent and fast drivers. Brother and Kodak come with basic scan-functions, convenient to handle. The Lexmark is neatly arranged with only a few alternatives to make adjustments. But handling is easy. At the bottom of the league comes HP. Handling of the driver is extremely complicated. We strongly recommend a new improved software.
Brother: Easy to handle, fast.
Technical data, functions
| Data | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scan- technology | Twain- driver | max. optical resolution | Scan via network | Scan to | Scan to USB-stick/cardreader | |
| Brother DCP-165C | CIS | yes | 1.200 dpi | no network | yes | yes |
| Brother MFC-790CW | CIS | yes | 1.200 dpi | yes | yes | yes |
| Canon Pixma MP490 | CIS | yes | 1.200 dpi | no network | no | yes |
| Canon Pixma MP560 | CIS | yes | 2.400 dpi | yes | no | yes |
| Canon Pixma MP640 | CIS | yes | 4.800 dpi | yes | no | yes |
| Epson Stylus SX510W | CIS | yes | 2.400 dpi | yes | yes | no |
| Epson Stylus Office BX610FW | CIS | yes | 2.400 dpi | yes | yes | yes |
| HP Photosmart C4680 | CIS | yes | 1.200 dpi | no network | no | yes |
| HP Photosmart Premium Fax C309a | CIS | yes | 4.800 dpi | yes | yes | yes |
| Kodak ESP 5250 | CIS | yes | 1.200 dpi | yes | yes | no |
| Lexmark Impact S305 | CIS | yes | 1.200 dpi | yes | yes | yes |
| © Druckerchannel (DC) | ||||||
Test: Depth of field
All AIO´s in this test are equipped with CIS-scanners (Contact image sensor). They are space-saving and have a low power consumption. Heating phase is short. Disadvantage: Depth of field is very small. A technology with larger depth of field is called CCD (Charged coupled device).
To test depth of field, the lab scans a clock-face, situated a couple of millimeters off the scanners´ glass surface. CCD-scanners are able to scan the clock-face in high definition, CIS-scanner depict objects in high definition only, when they rest directly on the scanner glass. So all pictures are blurred.
Scan-quality: Photos and graphics
Scan quality is tested with an A4-photo developed by a photo lab (picture left side). A special testtarget for scanner tests permits conclusions on color fidelity and resolution.
Our lab scans clippings of the banana with 300 dpi, the test picture (colored squares) with 200 dpi.
Scan quality: Text
Scanners are often used to scan text. Not all of them do that in a satisfactory way. For text recognition (OCR) characters need sufficient contrast and marginal sharpness.
Our lab tests quality of text scans with the cutout word "auf", which is scanned in black and white with 600 dpi.
The reference scan (first photo left side) was generated by an Epson Perfection 4870 photo scanner.
Except for HP´s scanners, all other AIO´s scan with sufficient precision to create a usable source for their text recognition.
Test: Scanning speeds
Scanning speeds are determined for previews and text:
- Scan preview: If you scan texts or pictures, as a rule you start a preview. We note the time it takes the scanner to display a preview.
- Textscan: We measure the time it takes a scanner to read an A4-page of text with 200 dpi.
| Scan speed (measured values) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preview | A4-textscan | |
| Epson Stylus SX510W | 7 sec. | 14 sec. |
| Epson Stylus Office BX610FW | 7 sec. | 14 sec. |
| Canon Pixma MP560 | 8 sec. | 19 sec. |
| Canon Pixma MP490 | 9 sec. | 19 sec. |
| Canon Pixma MP640 | 9 sec. | 27 sec. |
| Lexmark Impact S305 | 13 sec. | 32 sec. |
| Brother DCP-165C | 15 sec. | 20 sec. |
| Kodak ESP 5250 | 15 sec. | 27 sec. |
| Brother MFC-790CW | 16 sec. | 22 sec. |
| HP Photosmart Premium Fax C309a | 19 sec. | 34 sec. |
| HP Photosmart C4680 | 24 sec. | 34 sec. |
| © Druckerchannel (DC) | ||
