We live moments that physically end but documents of those moments take us down the memory lane, making those moments ever vivid & heartwarming. The best photo scanners of 2021 make it easy to digitize your precious photo collection.In this era when everything is going paperless, you should be digitalizing your data from the past too.
That is to save it for any future reference. Today we have brought 10 best document & image scanners for you to make this transformation to digital domains easy (for you). Be mindful that this transition will provide you the opportunity to access your data anywhere, anytime at affordable prices.
Digitalizing your whole life will not only protect your data from any type of physical damage & deterioration but will also help you to organize, sort & distribute data just with a click of a button. Happy personal & professional relationships!
Some Important FAQs about Photo Scanner
We hope you’ve got the best answers to your questions and queries.
For you, our research experts have invested a huge time in assessing the available market of scanning products. And after careful analysis, they have brought this list of 10 best photo scanners.
TOP 10 PHOTO SCANNERS:
The 10 best scanners for images & documents listed as per 2021 are:
1. Epson Perfection V600 Color Photo Scanner
2. Fujitsu PA03656-B005 Image Scanner
3. Canon Canoscan LiDE220 Photo and Document Scanner
4. Brother Mobile Color Page Scanner
5. Epson Perfection V39 Color Photo & Document Scanner
6. Plustek Photo Scanner
7. KODAK SCANZA Digital Film & Slide Scanner
8. Canon CanoScan 9000F MKII Photo, Film and Negative Scanner
9. Doxie Flip – Cordless Flatbed Photo & Notebook Scanner
10. Epson Perfection V19 Color Photo & Document Scanner
1- Epson Perfection V600 Color Photo Scanner:
The Epson Perfection V600 Photo produces the best photo scans from films and paper photographs. This amazing product comes with the ability to produce 6400 x 9600 dpi resolution images with sharpness & vividness of 17″ x 22″. It has Digital ICE both for films and prints and with the help of its one-touch color restoration feature along with Arc Soft Photo Studio; you can fully restore your photos.
Its Transparency Unit can scan your slides, negatives, and films up to 6 x 22 cm. V600 Photo cannot only scan your photos but also your transactional documents and 3D objects. Amazingly it’s Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software, allows you to convert scanned credentials into editable copies. Using this scanner you can instantly scan-to-email and create PDFs.
But hold on! You might now be thinking that you’ll reap these diverse benefits at a huge cost of power consumption. So the answer to this is a big “No”. Epson’s exclusive Ready Scan LED technology makes this scanner energy efficient too.
In short, it is the Best scanner for smile-friendly photos with higher resolution, better color reproduction & photo-editing features.
2- Fujitsu PA03656-B005 Image Scanner:
Fujitsu PA03656-B005 Image Scanner is the best photo scanner option for those who want to scan larger prints like documents & clippings in addition to their photos. Now you can wirelessly scan every single paper document to your computing device through its GI processing engine & Scansnap Connect app and can directly view and share it across a range of cloud services including Dropbox, google docs, etc.
It comes with the feature of a flexible operation that allows you to import scans to the app from the scan folder. The Quick Menu helps you locate your preferred scanning locations and also suggest the related application. Not only this can you convert it to any other text format like Word, PDF or excel & export the data into CSV for easy tax filing with diverse compatible languages & currencies. It automatically synchronizes scanned documents between your computer and mobile device & generates the password for file protection.
This Image scanner is best for business purposes & can efficiently serve your needs of reliable business dealings by maintaining a digital record for you.
3- Canon CanoScan LiDE220 Photo and Document Scanner:
Canon CanoScan LiDE220 Photo and Document Scanner is an ultra-fast photo scanner. It comes with intelligent features of auto scan mode & auto document fix.
Its pre-installed soft-wares make it compatible with all versions of Windows & Mac: 5,6Mac OS X v10.6.8 – 10.95, 6. This makes it one of the best scanners for MAC too.
After detecting the type of document you are scanning, it takes 10 seconds to scan & retouch the digital copy to local/shared folders or directly to cloud storage space.
4- Brother Mobile Color Page Scanner:
Brother Mobile Color Page Scanner is the best portable image scanner. It is perfect for business purposes. With 11.5 inches length and 1 pound weight, you can keep it handy to scan documents up to 1200 dpi interpolated resolution and 600 dpi optical resolutions with the ease of both the option to scan in color or black & white. It can support paper & plastic documents with dimensions up to 8.5” x 32.
Furthermore, it can scan up to 8 pages per minute. Its small size, fast speed, USB power, and valuable combo of diverse software make it highly compatible with both personal & official use.
5- Epson Perfection V39 Color Photo
Epson Perfection V39 Color Photo & Document Scanner is a space-efficient scanner with vertical placement. It offers you 4800 dpi resolution with amazing clarity of images & precise details of the documents. This makes it one of the best high-resolution image scanners.
Its diverse range of built-in soft-wares allows you to scan over-sized documents & art-work to cloud storage while restoring faded colors & removing dust with just one click. Moreover, the scanned documents can be converted into editable texts & other text formats through OCR.
Its USB power feature makes it independent of AC adapter thereby making it ideal for diverse use.
6- Plustek Photo Scanner
Plustek is the Best Photo Scanner is a great scanner for diverse sized photos & documents. The range of papers it supports includes 3×5, 4×6, 5×7, and 8×10, letter & A4 sizes.
Optical Resolution has two setting 300dpi/ 600dpi.Serial input to this great scanner makes the capacity of 1000 photos to be digitized in one day. Its powerful functions include Image enhancement, file editing & compatibility with multiple operating systems.
7- Kodak Digital Film Scanner:
This KODAK-photo-Scanner is the best negatives & developed film scanner that offers fair quality scanning solution. It works by taking snapshots through 14 mp camera of 35mm, 126, 110, Super 8 & 8mm films & converting those negatives & slides to JPEG digital files.
Its optional setting enhances images up to 22 megapixels. It has 3.5” plasma screen with adjustable brightness feature that makes you operate the device and make corresponding changes if needed. The parallel input feature offers a fast, flexible one-step scan. Additionally, it is energy efficient too as the device will automatically shut off after 10 minutes of not in user mode.
The package Includes directory, Image editing soft-wares with a support capacity of up to 128GB, USB Power, video & HDMI Cable, AC adapter & a film cleaning brush that cleans the lightbox to shun away the dust marks from images. Warm-up time of this KODAK scanner is 3sec.
8- Canon CanoScan 9000F MKII Photo, Film and Negative Scanner
This Canon Photo, Film and Negative Scanner offers the best scan solution for photos & films of up to 35 mm dimensions. With 9600 x 9600 max color dpi & lens technology it reproduces precise copies of documents and photographs.
Its built-in retouching technology called FARE gives auto-correction to images, removing marks of the dust while brightening their faded color in a single go.
Not only this but also it helps you easily organize your files through its amazing built-in functions & that too with zero warm-up time and least power consumption. It is compatible with all versions of windows & with MAC OS X v10.6.8 to 10.7. The distinct feature that this image scanner for MAC offers is its Auto Scan Mode that senses the type of document scanned & then automatically adjusts its settings for its scanning.
9- Doxie Flip – Cordless Flatbed Photo & Notebook Scanner
Doxie Flip is a book-sized, lightweight, portable scanner. It comes with a removable lid feature and can scan up to 600 dpi. For larger originals including A6, Doxie’s uniqueness lies in its Auto Stitch feature. This feature makes it a great fit for scanning sketches, notes, notebooks, photo albums, and artwork. It digitalizes these prints in chunks & then merges those multiple scans into one big originally reproduced document. So with it, your document’s originality always stays protected.
The automatic image recognition system, smart retouching software in it makes scans even more amazing. It is best for windows & MAC and you can share scans at cloud solutions like facebook, dropbox, one-note, etc too. Not only this but also Doxie is cordless and requires no computer to work.
10- Epson Perfection V19 Color Photo & Document Scanner:
Epson Perfection V19 Color Photo & Document Scanner with its compactness is the best affordable scanner. It can be used for day to day purposes. It can produce scans within the splits of seconds with a resolution of 4800 dpi. Its diverse range of built-in soft-wares allows you to scan clear & crisp documents to cloud storage while restoring faded colors & removing dust with just one click.
Moreover, the scanned documents can be converted into editable texts & other text formats through OCR. Additionally, its vertical placement makes it highly space-smart. Not only has this USB power feature that makes it independent of AC adapter but also it requires no warm-up time due to its built-in LED technology.
Photo Scanner Buying Guide:
The best photo scanners that make the great fit for you will majorly be the one that will offer optimization between your requirements & its specifications
PRE EXISTING PARAMETERS TO BE CONSIDERED:
Operating system:
Before making a purchase, take a moment to recall the operating system in your computing device. Decide if the scanner will be compatible with OS or not.
PC interface:
In addition to the OS, you should also check the compatibility between scanner & PC’s Interface i.e. USB2.0, FireWire/IEEE1394, SCSI
Prints to be scanned:
Now you might be scanning prints from a diverse range of pieces like pictures, formal documents, business cards, receipts, creative art or written work. And depending upon your profession (i.e. home user, office user or professional photographer/graphics artist) & your need for editing documents, the scanner you choose must be compatible with the document type.
Frequency of scan:
More scans per day/week/month will require speedy scanners with auto feeders. And you can switch to low ends if you need it just now & then.
Physical Space available:
The space you have for the scanner can also be optimized by choosing a scanner that fits with your room’s architecture. Or else wise if you are the one who works on the go then portable scanners are there to fit in your briefcase.
Scanner Specifications To Be Considered:
Image Sensor:
Best photo scanners with the latest technology of CIS are cheap and space & energy –efficient. Scanners with built-in CCD technology are high-resolution scanners that produce better quality images.
Resolution & dpi:
Higher-resolution scanners can produce high-quality images by capturing minute details of the print even at settings below their max resolution i.e. 2x dpi scanner will produce a better scan at x dpi setting than x dpi scanner.
The resolution you need for your prints depend on your document size:
300 dpi is good for the general document scan.
600 dpi is for high-quality document scans and common photo scan.
1200+ dpi is for graphics/creative work & photography.
3200+ dpi is for films & slides.
Dynamic Range:
Dynamic range/OD (0-4) defines the different color tones of the print. If you need precise colored images, then OD should be considered in addition to the resolution.
OD = 2.8 to 3.2 is good for Home/Office users.
OD >= 3.3 for films & slides.
OD=3.4 is for negative films & photos.
Connection Interface:
USB and SCSI are the two main interfaces for scanners & PCs.USB is preferred over SCSI due to its fast speed & plug & play feature. Additionally, most PCs don’t come with SCSI port and to make the two compatible you have to purchase the controller card.
Speed:
Depending upon the resolution of the document you are scanning & the interface between scanner & computer, your scanning speed may vary.
USB2.0 gives you 60MB/s
USB1.1 gives you 1.5MB/s
A high-end scanner with FireWire (IEEE 1394) gives you 50MB/s
Feeder options:
If you have a lot on your plate then image scanners with automatic document feeder will be the best choice. All you have to do is to feed some documents at once and get busy with some other task.
Software:
Image fixing and photo editing software are must for retouching & producing high-quality crisp images. OCR software & Format conversion software are needed to edit & work with different languages and text formats.
Size:
Flatbed scanners generally occupy less space than sheet-fed scanners, which have an advantage over the former in terms of autoloading. Handheld scanners as the name suggests are mobile & more space-efficient.
Final Thoughts:
Don’t miss the chance to build a relationship with your loved ones. Digitalize your shared memories & send them as an eternal gift. For that, if you are in a hurry, then you get straight here to make the best decision about image scanners.
PARAMETERS | PERSONAL USE | BUSINESS USE | PHOTOGRAPHY |
SCANNER PLACEMENT | Flatbed | Flatbed/sheet-fed | Film |
RESOLUTION | 600dpi | 600-4800dpi | 3200+dpi |
COLOR DEPTH | 24+bits | 24+bits | 48 bits |
IMAGE SENSOR | CCD/CIS | CCD | CCD |
DOCUMENT SIZE | 8.5”x11.7” | 8.5”x11.7”-8.5”x14” | 35mm film |
INTERFACE | USB2.0 | USB2.0, SCSI | USB2.0 |
AD-ONS | NIL | ADF + Format conversion | Photo-fixing & editing |
Or else, if you can add to our list of the best photo scanners, then we would love to hear back from you in the comment box below.
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