Wide Format Imaging

Contex has released an entirely new scanner line with new features and enhanced performance, replacing their existing scanner line from the 25" wide TOUCAN G25 to the 54" wide MAGNUM G600 scanners. The new scanners are also available under Contex' different brands of GTCO Calcomp www.gtcocalcomp.com and Vidar www.vidar.com. They utilize Contex 8th generation scanner controller technologies and all are compliant with Restriction on Hazardous Substance (RoHS) and Energy Star compliances. In Europe the RoHS standard is now mandatory as of July 1st 2006, and the US will soon follow with similar requirements. California is expected to make it mandatory by January 1st, 2007.

Contex has also improved their scanning technology. They are using new camera lenses with considerable less color aberrations and they have improved their digital enhancement of the image data. This is giving Contex scanners a boost in scan quality. Most of the new scanners are available from August 1st, 2006. The two copy scanners Puma and COPYmate will be in limited quantities until their successors are available in the beginning of October 2006 under the new names of PUMA G600 iJET and COPYmate G18 iJET.

The new series retained their name from their predecessor with an added suffix G600, G25 and G18 to indicate the added image enhancement and speed. Some of the previous 36" scanners have been widened to a 42" scan width and enhanced to a higher optical resolution. With the exception of the new 25" wide scanner, the remaining wide format line have been aligned using the same CCD sensor and controller board and they have very similar specifications. The scanner speeds now tops at 12"/sec in Black & White and 3"/sec in 24 bit color. The 25" scanner tops at 4.0"/sec Black &White and 1.5"/sec color speed.

With the new release Contex is shifting away from specifying optical resolution in their scanners. Instead they just use the term "resolution" as for what quality the scanner is capable of delivering. The term Optical resolutions only tell the physical capability of the scanner sensors. According to Contex, image quality is dependent on the lenses, light source and the digital image enhancement of the capture data, hence optical resolution is not an adequate term to describe the image quality in a Contex scanner. All the new 36", 42", and 54"scanners with the exception of the 36" HAWK-EYE has an optical resolution of 508 dpi but with the Contex enhancement is should be equivalent or surpass any 600 dpi scanner in the market. The new scanner name suffix G600 on these scanners is an indication of the new naming convention.

Another interesting note is that with all color scanners you get the full black & white speed usually around 12"/sec in the base model. That is a break from the past where full Black & white speed could only be reach in the Plus model. In regards to color speed most models tops at 1.5"/sec in the base models and 3.0"/sec in the plus models. While this looks like a great speed enhancement it will be limited by the capacity of the connected PC. Most PC can't handle a data load of more than half that speed at 400 dpi scanning resolution making Contex base model an excellent choice for blending price with performance for most buyers.

All new scanners support USB2/Firewire with the exception of the COPYmate and the PUMA which support USB2 and LAN.

Here is what has changed

The top of the line the 54" MAGNUM is replaced with the MAGNUM G600 with a top speed of 1.5"/sec color and 12"/sec in B&W. The price remain the same and the model is available in both a Base and a Plus version. The plus version improved the color speed to 3"/sec for an additional of $2000.