Finishing this review I want to offer you real scans made with the help of the reviewed scanners.

A scan of a medium-format slide made with the Epson Perfection 3170
(KODAK Ektachrome E100S film)

A scan of a medium-format slide made with the Epson Perfection 4180
(KODAK Ektachrome E100S film)

Epson Perfection 4180: a fragment of the scan in actual size
(at the scanner’s optical resolution)

• Perfection 3170: scan of a 35mm KODAK target;
• Perfection 4180: scan of a 35mm KODAK target;
• Perfection 3170: scan of a 5x7 KODAK target (without color correction);
• Perfection 4180: scan of a 5x7 KODAK target (without color correction)

Conclusion

I guess the results of my tests have helped you to form your own opinion about the continuators of the glorious traditions of the Perfection clan. I would like to acknowledge the creative approach of Epson’s engineering team who are always coming up with something new in their devices. The new scanners will surely be demanded by novices and professional alike. If you need a functional home machine for high-quality digitizing of standard photographs and illustrations as well as of slides and negatives, the Epson Perfection 3170/4180 might be your choice – just choose the optical resolution you’d like to have.

Highs:

• Excellent case design;
• High tolerance to various interferences;
• High scanning quality;
• Excellent functionality of the driver;
• Nice set of holders for transparent materials (of the medium format, too).

Lows:

• High level of acoustic noise at work;
• No FireWire port;
• Takes much time to perform a scan task at high resolutions;
• Relatively high price.