WHAT'S HOT: The dual-format Epson Perfection 1650 Photo can scan both photo prints and 35mm filmstrips and slides, and is the only 1600-by-3200-dpi scanner we tested for our August 2002 roundup. Its resolution lets you enlarge small images such as those on 35mm film without losing detail or color quality. This unit also has 48-bit color depth, which produced attractive images with well-saturated colors and visible details in both shadows and highlights. In our on-screen, 100-dpi color photo test, the Perfection 1650 Photo produced accurate color and well-balanced exposure (with adequate detail in dark areas and highlights that didn't look too bright)--earning it one of the top scores.

WHAT'S NOT: Our printout of a color photo scanned at 100 dpi showed noticeable jagginess in areas that scanners from other vendors handled without a hitch.The 1650 Photo doesn't come cheap--priced at $249, it's one of the most expensive scanners among our current small-office batch. And this scanner is designed primarily for graphics work: No optional automatic document feeder is available for this unit, which means that you can't produce a high volume of OCR work or scan legal-size paper. Calls to live technical support are not toll-free and are available only on weekdays.

WHAT ELSE: Newer models have eclipsed the 1650 Photo in speed: While its line-art scanning was fairly brisk at 18 seconds and change, it ranked last in our August 2002 comparison for a gray-scale photo at 600 dpi, taking almost 68 seconds to complete the scan.

Four handy buttons provide shortcuts to common functions: Scan, Copy, E-mail Attachment, and Scan to Web (via Epson PhotoCenter, a free photo-sharing Web site). The Perfection 1650 Photo's built-in transparency adapter is limited to scanning slides and strips of 35mm film negatives (a sturdy film holder is included); however, an optional transparency unit with a maximum scanning area of 4 by 5 inches is available for $99. The software bundle includes two image editors (Adobe Photoshop Elements and ArcSoft PhotoImpression), an optical character recognition application (NewSoft Presto OCR), and a proficient TWAIN scanning driver that offers separate modes (automatic and manual) for beginners and advanced users. For $50 less, the Perfection 1650 (minus the word "Photo") offers most of the same features but excludes the built-in transparency adapter.

UPSHOT: The 1600-dpi Epson Perfection 1650 Photo is a high-quality graphics-oriented scanner--but other models, such as the Microtek ScanMaker 4900, cost less and rival or beat the 1650 Photo on performance, features, and image quality.

SUMMARY

Epson Perfection 1650 Photo USB 1.1, 1600 by 3200 dpi, 10.9 by 17.7 by 4.6 inches (width by depth by height), 6.8 pounds, 8.5-by-11.7-inch scanning area; includes transparency adapter, no optional automatic document feeder. One-year parts and labor warranty; free technical support for 12 hours on weekdays (calls are not toll-free). $249 800/722-6538 www.epson.com