New Epson V500 Photo Scanner

[ehrentitle]

Well the wife gave me the green light to buy a scanner for my Birthday and it arrived today. My excellent old HP scanner just couldn't adapt to Vista when I got my new computer in Dec. So I had to put off several scanning projects including that of Ausceichnungen der Warschauer-Pakt-Staaten Band 1/Teil 1 DDR on East German medals and badges published by the West German government.

A dozen folks over on the Gentleman's Military Interest Club swore that Epson was the best scanner to scan 3 dimensional items like medals and badges. I purchased a reconditioned Epson V500 Photo direct from the company for a substantial discount. It was in factory fresh new condition and came with some outstanding software like Adobe Photoshop Elements and ABBYY Fine Reader 6.0 Sprint which does an outstanding job of taking German printed documents and converting them to MS Word in the exact format of the printed document with photos.

I also purchased ArcSoft Scan and Stitch from them which does an amazing job of connecting severals scans into one image.

Here is an example of the Scan and Stitch on a copy of Volksarmee:

[ehrentitle]

Here is Scan and Stich on a sample of a large format NVA Calender I've never been able to scan before:

[ehrentitle]

The scanner also does a great job on slides:



and photos:

[ehrentitle]

Last but not least here is a test page from Ausceichnungen:

[ehrentitle]

And a sample of the first column of text from Volksarmee above using ABBYY Fine Reader 6.0 Sprint:

(ADN/VA). Der Generalsekretär des Zentralkomitees der SED, Erich
Honecker, Vorsitzender des Staatsrates und des Nationalen Verteidigungsrates der DDR, empfing am 14. September in Berlin die diesjährigen Absolventen der Militärakademien. Im Amtssitz des Staatsrates beglückwünschte er die Offiziere der Nationalen Volksarmee, der Grenztruppen und der anderen Schutz- und Sicherheitsorgane der DDR sowie der Streitkräfte der UdSSR und der CSSR zum erfolgreichen Studienabschluß. Diese Meldung kündet von einem traditionsreichen feierlichen Zeremoniell, das bei jedem der Beteilig-ten unvergeßliche Eindrücke hinterläßt. Mit Beifall und Hochrufen begrüßten die Absolventen Erich Honecker, die Mitglieder des Politbüros des ZK der SED Willi Stoph, Vorsitzender des Ministerrates der DDR, Werner Eberlein, Kurt Hager, Armeegeneral Heinz Keßler, Egon Krenz, Armeegeneral Erich Mielke und Günter Mittag. Zugegen waren weitere Mitglieder des ZK der SED, unter ihnen Hans Albrecht, 1. Sekretär der Bezirksleitung Suhl der SED, und Wolfgang Herger, Leiter der Abteilung für Sicherheitsfragen des ZK der SED, sowie der Sekretär des Staatsrates der DDR, Heinz Eichler, Mitglieder des Kollegiums des Ver-

and the Babel Fish translation to English which I have not changed and which turned out better than I expected:

(ADN/VA). The Secretary-General of the central committee of the SED, Erich Honecker, chairman of the Council of State and the national defence council of the GDR, received the graduates of this year of the military academies on 14 September in Berlin. In the seat of the Council of State he congratulated the officers of the national People's Army, the border troops and the other protection and safety organs of the GDR as well as the armed forces of the USSR and the CSSR to the successful study conclusion. This message tells of a steeped in tradition solemn ceremony, which leaves unforgettable impressions to the involved one with everyone. With applause and cheers the graduates Erich Honecker, the members of the Politbüros of the ZK of the SED Willi Stoph, welcomed chairman of the Council of Ministers of the GDR, Werner Eberlein, Kurt Hager, army general Heinz Keßler, Egon Krenz, army general Erich Mielke and Günter Mittag. Present further members of the ZK of the SED, among them Hans Albrecht, were 1st secretary of the semidirect line Suhl of the SED, and Wolfgang Herger, director/conductor of the department for security questions of the ZK of the SED, as well as the secretary of the Council of State of the GDR, Heinz Eichler, members of the Kollegiums of the en

[ehrentitle]

Medals -



Medal Close Up:



Extreme Close Up:

[Mike G.]

Kevin,

Very impressive scanner. It does a remarkable job of scanning 3-D.

[ehrentitle]

Thanks Michael - Folks probably are thinking why get so excited about a scanner. But I've been using a HP multi-system printer, scanner, fax for the last 6 months and it sucks at anything other than an absolutely flat piece of paper. Going to the Epson is like going from a Model - T to a to Mercedes.

[Kartofelpreußer]

The medal scans are breathtaking... they look exactly like professionally lit, high quality photographs.