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Scan Features (5.50)
The Kodak EasyShare 5300 can accommodate up to A4-sized paper. The lightweight door lifts easily and stays in place at its most open position. The 5300 uses a charge coupled device (CCD) sensor, much better quality than the contact image sensors (CIS) typically found in other all-in-one printers in this price range. This should result in greater image quality. Consumers usually have to pay an extra $100 to get a CCD.
The scanner makes some noise when it’s performing its function, not nearly as noisy as the HP Photosmart all-in-one scanners, but louder than the very quiet Canon Pixma models.
Computer interface with the ES5300’s scanner is via the AIO Home Center. Settings can be adjusted in the Configure main window. Like the printer driver, this is also a 3-tabbed menu—General, Document, and Picture—with options to set scan type, resolution (75 to 1200 dpi), file type, and scan destination.
The on-unit menu has very few settings available. Users can only choose: whether they’re scanning a document or a photo; the destination (application, memory card, or file); if application, the programs, AIO Home Center, Microsoft Paint, or Easy Share; and to save the settings. This is a pretty meager selection. Not having the ability to select resolution may be an issue for some users.
Scan Speed (6.16)
What was surprising about the ES5300’s scanning speeds is that within a particular resolution, scan times were consistent across scan type and size, only deviating by a second or two. The other all-in-one printers varied considerably depending on whether text, graphics, or photos were being scanned.
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Kodak EasyShare 5300 Scanning Times
in Seconds for Five Resolutions
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Resolution
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Black Text
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Graphics
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4x6 Photo
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8.5x11 Photo
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75
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12
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12
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13
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13
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150
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12
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13
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13
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13
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300
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19
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19
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19
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20
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600
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51
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49
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49
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51
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1200
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Fail
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Fail
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152
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Fail
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The Kodak printer scored in between the HP and the Canon. The HP C5180 was able to scan black text documents more quickly at resolutions up to 300 dpi. The MP600 was toughly equivalent to the Kodak within those same resolutions, even for graphics. The ES5300 scanned 8.5 x 11-inch color docs and photos slightly faster than the MP600, but was notably slower for 8.5 x 11-inch text docs and 4 x 6-inch photos.
Comparisons were impossible at 1200 dpi as the Kodak ES5300 failed to scan all but 4 x 6-inch photos at this resolution. A warning message appeared prior to scanning informing us that scanning may not be possible at this resolution (see error window at right). The unit worked for awhile at it, but eventually failed. A percentage equivalent to the number of failed tests was removed from the printer’s score to compensate.
Scan Color Quality (4.72)
Despite our hopes that the EasyShare 5300’s CCD sensor would result in improved image quality, the all-in-one printer didn’t score well on our color quality test. To assess the color accuracy of the scanning function, we scan a Gretag Macbeth Colorchecker chart (link to pop-up window) and run the image through Imatest to determine how far apart the scanner’s color values are from the ideal Colorchecker La*b* values.
The Kodak scanner has a color error value of 10.6, just slightly worse than the Canon Pixma MP600 and significantly worse than the color error of 8.39 that the HP C5180 yielded. Mean saturation was also greater, at 112 percent. This was still within an acceptable range, but closer to the range where loss of detail can occur in saturated colors.
Foliage (square 4 on the Colorchecker chart) showed the greatest error, trending toward yellow. Manufacturers often "adjust" colors in cameras and scanners to compensate for what their research shows that people like to see in their images; in this case, more yellow in their foliage. Reds and yellows also showed significant error. Dark flesh tones were further (more yellow) from the ideal than the HP and Canon models.
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