Compulsary price increase by Imacon on 646X1

[wang]

Please check if it is true on this. Imacon announced the two new scanners X1 and X5. The specification of X1 is the same as my 646 but the price is more than 2000 Euro higher. Perhaps Imacon believe there is room for price increase, so they change the appearance and the name of 646 and mark up the price. I am glad that I brought my 646 a few months ago.

 

[fotografz]

I agree. The spec's appear the same. No active cooling is the clue.

Are the scan speed specs the same?

They recently dropped the smallest scanner, and now there is no 838 equivalent.

Only a more expensive, renamed 646 and a replacement for the big, high end scanner.

I guess if you want to play, you gotta pay.

This is clearly gear intended for more commercial use and for institutions, not individuals.

 

[wang]

According to www.Hasselbladusa.com

for X1, max scan speed

35mm 60mm
7.15min 6.02min


for 646, I tried it with my scanner

35mm 60mm
9mins 6mins

They are similar.

I suppose I can fit a cooling fan to my scanner. It will reduce the temperature of the sensor and hence the noise. It could impove the Dmax.

 

[fotografz]

You did good getting that 646 when you did Joseph : -)

I doubt you would need a fan. The 848 and 949 were designed for more commercial level use
where the scanner may be working all day long. The 949 in particular is designed for commercial batch scanning, and scans a 35mm film with a 4.9 D-Max in under 2 minutes.

I still haven't made the leap to an Imacon scanner myself yet. Investments in MF digital backs have been the priority. Hasselblad just offered a discount on a few remaining 949s and I am looking into what my dealer can do for me on one of those.