The 8200 Ai ($499.99) is Plustek's top-of-the-line model for 35mm dedicated film and slide scanners. The next step up from the Plustek 8200i SE, it offers the same 7,200 pixel-per-inch (ppi) resolution and hardware-based dust and scratch removal, along with a less-robust, but faster, software-based alternative. In fact, the scanner itself is virtually identical to the Plustek 8200i SE. Where the two differ is in their scan utilities. The 8200i Ai comes with software that lets you color calibrate the scanner for images that are truer to the originals.

As with the Plustek 8200i SE, one of the 8200i Ai's obvious competitors is the Epson Perfection V700 Photo, which offers several advantages to go along with its higher price. Among the most obvious are the Epson V700's ability to scan up to 12 slides or 24 frames of film at once, scan transparencies (meaning slides or film) as large as 8 by 10 inches, and a selection of software that includes an option for fully automated scanning with surprisingly good results. The 8200i Ai offers at least two advantages over the Epson V700, with color calibration and 7,200 pixel-per-inch optical resolution, which can potentially provide more detail in scans than the 6,400ppi Epson V700, or the less expensive Editors' Choice Epson Perfection V550 Photo Scanner, also 6,400ppi. Color calibration can potentially give scans with the 8200i Ai better color fidelity.

Basics
A key difference between both Epson models and the 8200i Ai is that the Epson models are flatbeds, suitable for general-purpose scanning, while the 8200i Ai is a dedicated film scanner. Because they are flatbeds, the Epson models can scan photographic prints and documents, as well as transparencies. The 8200i AI is limited to 35mm transparencies.

Limiting scanning to 35mm slides and film helps keep the scanner size down, too. The 8200i Ai measures only 4.7 by 4.7 by 10.7 inches (HWD), so it won't take up much room on your desk. You can also use the padded case to store it away when you're not using it or to carry it to a different location.

For scan software, you get the same Plustek QuickScan utility as with the 8200i SE, but with LaserSoft Imaging SilverFast Ai 8.0, rather than SilverFast SE Plus.

SilverFast, which also comes with the Epson V700, is to scan utilities what Photoshop is to photo editing. It's one of the most capable choices for professional photographers and serious amateurs, but it's not particularly easy to use. SilverFast Ai is the high-end version, adding the automated color-calibration the SE Plus lacks. Also included with the scanner is a standard IT8 target slide, so you can take advantage of the calibration feature in the software.

Setup and Scanning
I tested the 8200i Ai on a Windows Vista system. Setup was standard, with little required beyond installing the software and plugging in the supplied USB cable and power cord. Typically, you would also calibrate the scanner as part of the initial setup.

To calibrate, you first go to the LaserSoft Web site to download the appropriate comparison file for the particular slide that comes with the scanner. You then choose the IT8 calibration icon in SilverFast, and scan the slide. The program will compare the colors in the scan to what they should be according to the comparison file and then create a calibration file to adjust for the differences.

The first step for scanning is to mount a strip of film with a maximum of six frames, or one to four slides, in the appropriate carrier, then insert the carrier into a slot on the side of the scanner. The carriers each click into place for each frame or slide, so you can easily line the original up correctly. After you finish each scan, you manually reposition the carrier for the next one.

To start the actual scan, you press either the QuickScan or IntelliScan button on the front of the scanner. With the QuickScan button, the software will, by default, scan and save to a file. With the IntelliScan button, SilverFast will open on your PC.

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Unfortunately, neither utility offers the kind of sophisticated algorithm that will prescan, analyze the image, and then set assorted features to reliably give you a high-quality scan. You have to set everything manually, or you'll most likely wind up with a poor-quality image. QuickScan offers only a limited number of settings, so you're well advised to skip the QuickScan utility and use SilverFast instead.

Once you're familiar with SilverFast, you'll probably want to simply adjust settings as needed. Until you learn the program well enough for that, you can use the Workflow Pilot feature in Silverlight to walk through the process step by step. Depending on which Workflow you choose, however, the program may leave out some steps you need to get a good scan. If you're new to SilverFast, plan on investing some time learning how to use it before you scan many images.

Speed and Scan Quality
Given that Plustek rates the 8200i Ai at the same speed as the Plustek 8200i SE, it's not surprising that it delivered similar overall speeds in testing. However, there was some variation between them, most likely because of minor differences in scan settings and related processing time for the computer. With the 8200i Ai, I timed prescanning a single slide or frame of film at a consistent 18 to 19 seconds, and actual scans ranged from 33 seconds at 1,800ppi to 6 minutes 49 seconds at 7,200ppi.

If you take advantage of the SilverFast Multi-Exposure feature, the scans take significantly longer. Multi-Exposure takes two scans using different exposure times and then integrates the information into one image. The result is an increase in the scanner's effective dynamic range (the ability to distinguish detail based on shading) particularly in dark areas of the image. With the 8200i Ai, I timed a scan at 7,200ppi with Multi-Exposure at 14 minutes 17 seconds.

Overall scan quality was also similar between the 8200i Ai and the 8200i SE. For both models, the scans showed appropriate detail for the resolution and also maintained detail based on shading in both dark and light areas of the image. On one of our standard test images, with a bride being walked down the aisle, the 8200i Ai handled skin tones well, and showed both the white-on-white detail in the bridal gown and the two levels of black in the tuxedo. As with the Plustek 8200i SE, however, to get that level of quality, I first had to get familiar with the settings choices in SilverFast.

Benefits of Color Calibration
Because the color-calibration feature is the primary difference between the 8200i Ai and the 8200i SE, and the only reason to spend extra to get the Ai version, I made a point of scanning several slides and negatives before and after calibration.

Note that the color calibration is primarily meant for slides and other positive film images, rather than negatives. And, indeed, most of the scanned negatives showed little to no difference between the versions scanned before and after calibration. In contrast, all of the slide scans showed obvious differences in color after calibration, with significantly better color quality in every case.

When I tested the Plustek 8200i SE, I wished it shipped with software that would deliver good scans with little to no effort, like the point-and-shoot modes in most cameras. The same comment applies here, although I'm more inclined to forgive the oversight with the 8200i Ai, since it's clearly aimed at the kind of professional or serious amateur who's willing to learn a complex program to get the best possible scan.

If all you want is easy automated scanning, you'll be better off with a scanner like the Epson Perfection V550. And even if you want the full capability of SilverFast, but with the option to use an easier approach at least some of the time, you should look at the Epson V700. Also keep in mind that if you need to scan at larger than 35mm film size, the V700 can go all the way to 8 by 10 inches.

If 35mm film and slide scanning is all you need, however, and you're willing to spend the time learning SilverFast and using it on every scan, the Plustek OpticFilm 8200i Ai could be a good choice. More than that, between its 7,200ppi resolution, its hardware-based dust and scratch removal, and particularly its color calibration, it may be the best choice.