Customer Rating: 
Summary: Fantastic scanner
Comment: I did a whole bunch of research and settled on the CanoScan 8800F. I used it to scan old color slides from my childhood. The only problem was that the slides are very dirty and the scanner is so good that it picked up all the dirt and scratches... I'm planning on cleaning the next batch of slides first. I also used the scanner as a copying machine (direct to printer) the other day and was very impressed. I'm very happy with this scanner.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Velly nigh
Comment: I've used a few other scanner models (Microtech, Canon, etc.) but this one is by far the best. The scans have been awesome so far (pictures only). The best feature is the no warm up time of the LED. The scans are fast! The only negatives are the button features are not intuitive, though I have never been a button fan instead always using the functionality through the software so no biggie. Also, learning to put photos in the upper right hand corner of the scanner is kind of reverse engrish. Other than that, nice looking and great functioning scanner. Would purchase again.
Customer Rating: Summary: Canoscan 8800f
Comment: Previous reviews of the Canoscan 8800f were very helpful in deciding which multi purpose scanner to purchase to replace scanners I've been using for years. I have 100's of personal and old family slides to scan, as well as needing to scan sketches and drawings for my own art work. In the few days I've owned the Canoscan 8800f, I've scanned several line drawings (8.5" x 11"), and over 150 35 mm slides. For both purposes, this scanner seems is more than adequate and will continue to be as I gain more knowledge of all it can do and consequently place more demands on the scanner. I am extremely impressed with the quality of the slide scans - the first time I've seen such high quality in other than a Nikon dedicated slide scanner. the software options seem to have enough user control to handle what I need to do. As with other positive reviews, color, quality, grain handling, unsharp masking all seem to work fairly well, especially given the price of the scanner.
One review discussed light artifacts in the upper corners when doing slide scans, which I also experienced. They suggested putting paper under the slide holder tray, covering the finger cutouts. This was an extremely useful tip, as I began to notice the artifacts on my scans. Paper under the slide holder tray, covering the finger cutouts works. thank you to that reviewer.
I bought the 8800f because of lack of warmup time with the LED lights. With previous scanners, warmup times quickly discouraged me from continuing the effort to scan all my slides. Quality has not been this good before on scanners I've used before, either. While not lightning fast (4 minutes for 4 slides @ 2400 dpi), the lack of warmup time eliminates a major frustration in batch scanning. Eventually, I'll scan the majority of my slide collection.
Regarding resolution, it is my understanding (though I'm no expert) that the emulsion on most 35mm film is equal to about 3200 (plus or minus) pixels in the longest direction. Scanning at 2400 dpi yields approximately 3224 pixels in the longest direction. In my estimation, while scanning at higher rates may be useful for larger printing, it may not be necessarily useful for screen viewing, or normal printing up to 8" x 10". Higher resolutions may, in fact, make images appear `blurrier' due to exceeding the effective resolution of the slide film emulsion. Given that it takes significantly more time to scan at higher resolutions, it may not be worth it for most users in most circumstances.
Overall, this is a great scanner.
Customer Rating: Summary: Great Value
Comment: I had a Nikon Coolpix scanner and it produced fantastic scanned film images but at great expense and time. I would never live long enought to scan all my film images. So I tried the Epson Perfection V700 Photo Color Scanner for about $500. I returned this Epson product because it wouldn't automatically recognize the film images for auto thumbnails. I then bought the Canon 8800F for only $175 and it is easy to use, produces images just as good as the Epson but at 1/3 the price. It too fails to automatically recognize the images on 35mm film for thumbmails but it is much easier to just crop what you want from the total film strip produced on your computer screen. Further, you can easily zoom in on the film strip image to make cropping much easier before you scan. The software provides an excellent human interface so it is natural to use. This is a GREAT value.
Customer Rating: Summary: canoscan 8800f
Comment: I am very pleased with the Canon CanoScan 8800F Color Film/Negative/Photo Scanner (2168B002).The ease of use borders on incredible.And the quality is more than adequate.The price is very reasonable for what you get.I have worked with and on photofinishing equipment for more than thirty years and have printed millions of photographs b&w and color from negs and slides and I would not hesitate to recommend the canoscan 8800f to anyone. Mike Polak
