Many of us had lost several good old photos when cameras were made with negative films and had to be processed to give us the pictures we've waited to see. But thanks to technology, almost every snapshot we take now is in digital form, which means we can store them on the internet for the days to come.
To avoid losing more of the old photos we have with our families and friends, why not have a photo scanner, which turns snapshot, slides, and negatives into digital form. This device can also be extremely handy for your work or school.
What to Look for When Buying a Photo Scanner
When buying a photo scanner, make sure you consider the following:
- What type of photo scanner do you need? There's a flatbed scanner, a sheet-fed type, and a slide scanner.
- Check the image sensor. Modern scanners either use Contact Image Sensor and Charge-Coupled Device.
- What's the maximum scanning area of the device? Typically, you'll want something that can scan A4 papers, but flatbed types are often backward compatible when it comes to sizes.
- Check the scanning resolution and make sure it's enough to produce a high-quality copy.
- Lastly, check the color depth of your scanner and make sure it's worth the price.
Top 5 Best Photo Scanners
Epson FastFoto FF-680W
This Epson sheet-fed scanner can scan photo stacks quickly.
The Epson FastFoto FF-680W wireless photo scanner is a perfect choice just because it works well for both home and office settings.
Among its advantages is it can quickly scan a stack of photos. But besides scanning photos, you can also use this scanner for document scanning--and it does a decent job at doing so, thanks to its 1200dpi resolution. It's also able to scan to searchable PDF and has a solid OCR performance. The device is also wireless, so you can bring it around to and from your home to your office, if necessary.
But while it has advantages, it also has some disadvantages. Although it does offer quick scanning of photo stacks, it's still rather slow compared to its predecessor. Plus, it's rather pricey--and while you can indeed carry it to and from your home to office or vice versa, it's not exactly a portable type.
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Canon CanoScan Lide 300
This Canon flatbed photo scanner provides quality scans.
The Canon CanoScan Lide 300 is a flatbed photo scanner, which makes it a perfect choice for home use as it's not bulky at all. It also means you can scan smaller photos as it's backward compatible just like all flatbed scanners.
This device, specifically, is very easy to use, so it's perfect for non-tech-savvy people, such as our moms and dads. When it comes to photo scanning, it does offer some good quality digital photos. Scanning typically takes ten seconds, so it's pretty fast. It also scans with image enhancements such as fade correction and dust reduction.
Unfortunately, it has very limited mobile device support, unlike many of today's scanners. Plus, scanning serif fonts with the default utility can be more accurate. It also does seem to have problems connecting to macOS devices, although that could have been changed by now.
Plustek Photo Scanner - EPhoto Z300
This minimalist photo scanner is perfect for your home.
When it comes to intuitive user experience, the Plustek Photo Scanner EPhoto Z300 is one of the best choices. It also produces good-quality scans rather quickly. For example, it can scan an 8x10 inch photo up to 600dpi in just five seconds. Meanwhile, small documents will only take two seconds.
Just like the previous device on the list, it also includes image enhancements when you scan a photo, such as automatic cropping and rotation. Plus, you can instantly share your scanned images on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, among others. The design is very minimalist, so it's straightforward to use.
However, compared to other scanners, it doesn't seem to have the best quality, especially after using it for a while. Many reviews complained after scanning hundreds of photos, the last few ones were not as high-quality as the initial scans.
Epson Perfection V39
If you're not a fan of sheet-fed scanners, this Epson flatbed option is for you.
If you want an Epson scanner but not fond of the sheet-fed devices like the first Epson product in the list, you can try Perfection V39, a flatbed scanner that's much easier to carry around and can scan smaller documents and photos.
You can scan documents to searchable PDF with editable text formats, so it's definitely a perfect choice for both work and school use. Moreover, it tends to be cheaper than other Epson scanner and still provide high-quality scanning results. It's also very easy to use, thanks to its fully automatic mode.
However, it does not have a film-scan capability, so if you're specifically looking for that, then this might not be something you should buy. It also lacks bundled applications, which is common with photo scanners these days, plus it does seem like some people have a hard time using its dedicated software.
Doxie Go SE Wi-Fi
The Doxie Go SE Wifi scanner is a compact device you can bring anywhere.
The Doxie Go SE Wi-Fi photo scanner is one of the best compact scanners that you can bring anywhere since it's light, is roughly the size of a rolled magazine, and very minimalist. It connects via Wi-Fi and can sync to all your devices. Despite its size, it does offer good quality scans of up to 600dpi resolution and comes with image enhancements.
The device is also wireless and uses rechargeable batteries. It comes with mobile apps, so it's easier to use. Scanned images can be uploaded and shared with ease as well. You can also convert documents into PDF files.
However, this can be a problem if you don't have Wi-Fi and runs on Ethernet or if you have problems with your connection. It also is a little pricey compared to other compact photo scanners available on the market these days.
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This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by: Nhx Tingson
