Umax Astra 2200 review

Having said that, the quality of scanned transparencies is still usable. If you adjust the TWAIN controls accordingly, you can reach a happy medium, and at the end of the day you can't really complain at getting a transparency adaptor included in the modest £149 price tag.

The TWAIN software provided is VistaScan 3.51, which has both a user-friendly and an advanced mode. I found that the advanced mode contained all the features I wanted, including an impressive descreening option, which faultlessly eliminated all the textured patterning on a magazine scan. There are also controls for blurring and sharpening, brightness and contrast, shadowing and highlighting and colour balance. The latter is a circle of blended colours, where you click the area of colour you want. This is quicker and easier than having separate red, green and blue sliders, but at the same time can prove fiddly if you're after a precise control for attaining exact balance. The software is, however, comprehensive and easy to use, and you don't have to rescan the preview to see your alterations either.

The Umax Astra 2200 offers good value for money, especially with its transparency adaptor and both USB and SCSI interfaces for just £149. The picture quality or resolution isn't as good as that offered by the Epson Perfection, but it is cheaper and could also be faster if you choose to use the SCSI option. Speed and quality levels are ahead of Umax's budget range, making the Astra 2200 a reasonable mid-range scanner with some good features.

Author: Ben Hardwidge