When it comes to scanning film and slides, the DiMAGE Scan Dual III is superior to a flatbed scanner in many ways. To begin with, it uses advanced optics to precisely adjust the focus point to the surface of the film. A flatbed, on the other hand, focuses on a fixed distance right above the document glass. As a result, scan quality suffers if your film is slightly curved. 2,820dpi may not seem much better than 2,400dpi, but numbers don't tell the whole story about quality. The DiMAGE Scan Dual III uses its high-precision focusing system and a lens designed exclusively for film to enhance sensor performance. This leads to images that are significantly more refined than the numbers suggest. Flatbed scanners cannot illuminate film as brightly as film scanners can. For this reason, it takes longer for a flatbed to capture the amount of information needed to produce a high-quality digital image. The DiMAGE Scan Dual III will thus give you faster scans of either positive or negative film. Specially designed film holders ensure that your film is protected around all its edges, and safely secured when inside the scanner. You can load them easily without getting fingerprints on your film. Film scanners also take up less space than flatbed scanners, which helps make them easier to place on your desktop.