Introduction
The best photo scanners make it easy for you to digitize your photos. Today, thanks to technology, you are able to scan your old photographs and save them as digital files to different locations such as Dropbox, Evernote, etc. In addition, you can also scan your old photographs and share them to your social media networks for family and friends to see.
But to achieve this, you need a good photo scanner that will essentially enable you to extract every detail of your photo and provide you with a high-resolution digital photo. Most scanners available in the market today come with multiple features that can allow you to scan high-resolution photos, negatives, or slides.
If you’ve owned or operated a photo scanner before, then you can agree with us that most of them come with photo-friendly software that helps you retouch your photo scans and even remove scratches. While the best photo scanners are largely designed for this purpose, most of them can be used for other standard scanning. Some scanners also have the optical character recognition (OCR) for clear scans.
The OCR software is especially important if you have very old photos that you want to digitize as it helps extract every detail of your original photo. It’s also perfect for those who want to frame their scanned photos. That said, there are lots of photo scanners in the market today. That means that choosing a good photo scanner may not be a walk in the park as most people think.
For that reason, we’ve reviewed some of the best photo scanners for your consideration. Take a look.
1. Epson FastFoto FF-680W Scanner
Intro
The FastFoto FF-680W from Epson is a high-speed wireless photo scanner that provides fast scanning of up to one photo for every second at a dpi of 300.
Pros
- Inbuilt SafeTouch Technology that offers worry-free scanning of photos that are 8.5-inches wide, Polaroid photos, panoramas as well as postcards
- Has different modes that make it easy to archive, share and enlarge your photos
- Enjoy a double-sided scanning thanks to the Single-Step technology software that helps you capture any handwritten notes at the back of the photo as well as the image
- Enjoy different dpi modes depending on the use, i.e., for sharing, archiving and enlarging you get 300 dpi, 600 dpi, and 1200 dpi respectively
- You get flexible connectivity with wireless and USB options
- The second-generation FastFoto software by Epson makes it easy to scan photos as well as make edits and organize your scanned images with the smart file organization tool
- Considered as the world’s fastest photo scanner
- Ability to scan a variety of documents
Cons
- Slightly expensive
- Doesn’t produce the best scans for old black and white photos
- Not to be used to scan curled or folded photos as it’ll easily jam the printer
2. Canon CanoScan LiDE220 Scanner
Intro
This CanoScan LiDE220 scanner from Canon is one that can be relied upon for quality scans when it comes to digitizing your photos. Also, thanks to its small size, the scanner is a lot more portable than other heavy options making it a great but for those on the go.
Pros
- It has a small build making it a good scanner for both home and small business use
- It has five different EZ buttons that let you scan, copy, create multipage or single page PDF document and send to the cloud so you can directly save your scanned images to cloud services such as Dropbox, Evernote, etc.
- It has an auto scan mode that that is able to detect what is being scanned and automatically adjust the settings
- Ability to scan a letter-sized document in about 10 seconds
- The auto document fix feature offers area by area correction for your images automatically for a beautiful and easy to view photo scan
- Compatible with various Windows and Mac versions
- Ability to scan two photos at a go
Cons
- The software can scan two photos at a go but as one image unless the photos are well spaced
- Some users have reported that the software in this Canon model is a little bit complicated compared to the older version
- The 4800 dpi scanning option is limited
3. Doxie Go SE
Intro
Doxie stands out for making some of the most portable scanners for people who are constantly on the move and need to share their scanned documents or photo. The Doxie Go SE is a good photo scanner that is lightweight, portable and can fit in most backpacks.
Pros
- Has a rechargeable battery that helps you to digitize your photos from anywhere without the need for a computer
- Scan up to 400 photos with one single charge
- One of the simplest scans to use as there are no special drivers needed
- Has an efficient and compact design which means you can take it anywhere you want
- The auto adjust feature has smart cropping, automatic contrast, and de0skew to make your scanned images look nothing short of amazing
- The inbuilt software allows you to easily organize and save your photo scans as JPEG or PNG
- Doxie has incorporated the ABBYY OCR technology in this scanner that helps recognize any text in your photo images
- The Doxie app included lets you scan and share your images to your favorite apps
- Its memory lets you store about 4,000 scans before you can sync
- Get more storage space by adding your own SD card
- Reasonably priced
Cons
- It doesn’t have room for duplex scanning hence you have to put your images back through the scanner in case there are any handwritten notes at the back
- Doesn’t support all types of SD cards but special ones only
4. Epson Perfection V600 Photo Scanner
Intro
The Perfection V600 from Epson is a photo scanner that offers you with an absolute photo restoration solution thanks to the features that have been integrated into this scanner.
Pros
- It has a dpi resolution of 6400 by 9600 and can scan images of up to 17 by 22-inches
- The higher resolution ensures that every part of your image is scanned as needed
- The DIGITAL ICE feature enables you to remove any creases or tears from any damaged photo for excellent scans
- The DIGITAL ICE feature also lets you get rid of scratches and dust from your film
- The optical character recognition software makes it easy to extract every detail from your photo
- The ReadyScan LED technology by Epson is excellent energy efficiency and increased productivity
- The printer is designed with four buttons that can be customized for scan, create PDFs, scan to email and copy
- Compatible with certain versions of Windows and Mac OS
Cons
- This scanner is huge and heavy
- Owners can easily miss the on/off button as the location isn’t as central as you’d wish
5. Brother DS-620 Mobile Photo Scanner
Intro
The Brother DS-620 is another great choice for a photo scanner as it lightweight and isn’t long hence a good choice for people who need a scanner that they can carry with them. It’s also USB powered.
Pros
- Enjoy great scan speeds with this scanner from Brother
- Very affordable
- Pretty lightweight as its weight is less than a pound making it easy to carry around
- Has several software solutions such as OCR management, business card, and desktop document management
- Compatible with Linux, Mac and Windows operating systems
- Choose between 600 by 600 dpi resolution or 1200 by 1200 dpi resolution
- Easily scan your photos to your email or shared folder
Cons
- It doesn’t have a Wi-Fi connectivity option
Final Thoughts
Choosing a good photo scanner, whether for scanning photos or documents is a worthy investment. However, to avoid buyer’s remorse, it’s important that you do your research before settling on the scanner to buy. The market is oversupplied with different types of scanner. Some come packed with excellent features and may need you to dig deeper into your pocket while others will get the job done but without a hefty price tag on it.
When choosing a photos scanner, you want to be sure that it scan every detail of your photo. If you have handwritten notes at the back – say date, place, etc. you’d also want that scanned as part of your image unless that doesn’t matter to you. As such, opting for a duplex scanner may be a much better option for you. You can also consider scanners that come with auto corrective features as well as dust and scratch removal.
While you can choose to buy a scanner that only handles photo scanning, most all-in-one flatbed scanners can still help you digitize your photos. So, if you own a multifunction scanner, you don’t have to buy another scanner but can just use that to scan your photos as long as it offers you the must-have features for scanning your photos.
Remember, no one scanner is a fit-all scanner. And selecting the correct one will depend on several factors. As such, don’t buy a scanner that a friend has. Instead, research and find out what is best and has the features that’ll help make your life easier.