Which flatbed scanners have the best depth of focus (ability to scan 3D objects)?

I would like to scan small objects that are not quite flat, such as flowers or carvings. Has anyone tried this with their scanner? Asked by katlian 46 months ago Similar questions: flatbed scanners depth focus ability scan 3D objects Computers > Hardware > Desktops & Laptops.

Similar questions: flatbed scanners depth focus ability scan 3D objects.

No problem! Suppose you feel like taking a break from your camera, or maybe it’s just a rainy day and you don’t want to go out and risk getting the camera wet. Then you can use your flatbed scanner (assuming you have one) to make very interesting still-life pictures.

In this post Kai Virihaur shows you how to get these interesting images using your scanner and everyday objects. Your scanner may have settings for both film (transparencies) and paper – then use the setting for paper. Now find some interesting objects, of suitable size to put on the glass plate of the scanner.

You could for instance use seashells, flowers, seed pods, pine cones, leaves, pieces of driftwood, or even small instruments like old watches or compasses. You put your favorite objects on the plate and arrange them in some way that pleases you. Just be careful not to scratch the glass in case you are working with some hard edgy object.

Ouch, now you can’t close the cover! No problem, just leave the cover open. I recommend putting a piece of cloth over your object arrangement instead.

This cloth then becomes part of the composition, in the role of (hopefully) matching background. A black cloth is pretty safe, it matches just about anything. Now run the scanner, and open the resulting image in your favorite image editing software.

It doesn’t need to be very fancy, but it is an advantage if you can tweak the image a bit, adjust the contrast and brightness and so on, to make it look as good as possible. And perhaps you decide to crop it. Note: if you made the scan at a high resolution, say 500 dpi or even higher, you can crop it a great deal and still have a well-defined image which is suitable for printing on paper.

If you don’t quite like the image you got from the first scan it is very easy to just lift the cloth and rearrange your objects, or remove them and try something new. Keep doing this until you feel absolutely euphoric about the result! In case you are an advanced user of image editing software like Adobe Photoshop, you can make marvelous composites by overlaying several scans and then combining chosen parts from different images.

I won’t go into detail about how to do this, since it is outside the scope of this brief article, but if you are familiar with image editing software you get the idea. The quality of the illumination you get from a flatbed scanner is very special. Since the object is illuminated by a long strip of light traveling across the glass plate, it is bathed in a soft, diffused light which can’t quite be reproduced by other methods.

If you want to really get into it, you can play with adding extra light sources that shine on your objects from the side. Experimenting with alternative ways of making images, like this one, will add an extra dimension to your photographic skill, and hopefully boost your creativity. Kai Virihaur, alias “Sunnyman”, runs the photoblog A1 Photo Tips to share his passion for Photography, which has been one of his many art-related interests ever since he got his first “Brownie” camera some 40 years ago.

Sources: http://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-use-your-flatbed-scanner-as-digital-camera .

3D scanners..... Scanners are devices that can analyze two types of things:- Images, be these photographs, printed texts, or handwriting and drawings. - Objects (which would fit the scanning area, that is)-The scanner processes and converts all these into digital equivalents. One may encounter several types of scanners, nowadays:a) Flatbed scanners (commonly known as desktop scanners) are the most versatile and frequently used scanners.

B) Handheld scanners are basically a more portable version of the flatbed type. However, these ones rely on the user to move them on the surface of the object. This type of scanner is not popular anymore because it provides a poor image quality.It is only proficient at quickly capturing text.

C) Sheet-fed scanners are similar to flatbed scanners except the document is moved by mechanisms in order to be scanned by an immobile head. A sheet-fed scanner resembles a small portable printer. D) Drum scanners are commonly used by the publishing industry to capture high-resolution images in less time.

This type uses an improved technology called a photomultiplier tube (PMT). PMT implies that documents to be scanned have to be mounted on a glass cylinder.At the center of the cylinder there is a sensor that splits light bounced from the document into three beams. Each beam is sent through a color filter (red, green and blue, usually) into a photomultiplier tube where the light is changed into an electrical signal.

A similar technology is to be found in rotary scanners, which are primarily used for high-speed document scanning. This is a derivation of the drum scanner, but it uses a CCD array instead of a photomultiplier. The first three above-mentioned types of scanners use charge-coupled device (CCD) or Contact Image Sensor (CIS) as the image sensor.

Other "exotic" types of scanners are planetary scanners which take photographs of books and documents, and 3D scanners, which produce 3D representations of the scanned objects. We will now concentrate on the drum scanners and the flatbed ones. Drums!

Drum scanners may not be the most popular "breed," but they sure are their best in image processing. One of the unique features of drum scanners is the ability to control sample area and aperture size independently. The sample size is the area that the scanner's encoder reads to create individual pixels.

The aperture is the actual opening that allows light to get into the optical bench of the scanner. The ability to control aperture and sample size separately is particularly useful for smoothing film grain when scanning black and white and color negative originals. Drum scanners are capable of scanning both reflective and transmissive media, but they are presently less popular than quality flatbed scanners when it comes to this issue.

Otherwise, film is where drum scanners continue to be the tool of choice for high-end applications. Film rolls can be wet mounted to the scanner drum and, due to exceptional PMT sensitivity; drum scanners are capable of capturing very subtle details in film originals. Being less popular than flatbed models, drum scanners manage to remain in demand because of their capacity to produce scans which are superior in resolution, color gradation and value structure.

In addition, since drum scanners are capable of resolutions of up to 12,000 ppi (pixels per inch), their use is generally recommended when a scanned image has to be enlarged. Drum scanners continue to be used in high-end applications, such as museum-quality archiving of photographs and print production of high-quality books and magazine advertisements. Moreover, due to the greater availability of pre-owned units, many fine art photographers are acquiring drum scanners.

FlatlandThe typical parts to be found in a flatbed scanner include:* Charge-coupled device (CCD) array* Mirrors* Scan head* Glass plate (a.k. A flatbed)* Lamp* Lens* Cover* Filters* Stepper motor* Stabilizer bar* Belt* PC interface port(s)* Control circuitryI placed the CCD first because it is considered to be the core component of a flatbed scanner. The CCD is the most common technology for image capture in scanners and it is basically a collection of minute light-sensitive diodes which convert light photons into electrons (electrical charges).

The diodes are also known as photosites, which are sensitive to light. This is to mean that the brighter the light that hits a single photosite, the greater the electrical charge that will accumulate at that site. The light reflected from the scanned image reaches the CCD array through a series of mirrors, filters and lenses.

Let us now see how the flatbed scanner really works. These are the basic steps that are performed by all such scanners. Read more: http://news.softpedia.com/news/Scan-the-World-43630.shtml Sources: http://news.softpedia.com/news/Scan-the-World-43630.shtml .

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