Epson V550 vs V600 – A Complete Comparison

Introduction

The [link url=”https://amzn.to/2mMjIVv”]Epson Perfection V550 Photo Scanner[/link] and the [link url=”https://amzn.to/2nuZ4cY”]Epson Perfection V600[/link] are both flatbed scanners that feature remarkable performance and adaptability for any projects thrown their way to deliver outstanding scans from a user’s films, photos, slides, and other everyday documents. These two scanners share quite a lot as far as their features are concerned and it doesn’t come as a surprise that they are often compared quite a bit.

Today we shall compare and look at the different specifications of these two scanners by Epson and hopefully find a solution the never-ending debate of which is the better scanner.

Comparison at a Glance

Epson V550 vs V600 – Specifications

The Epson V550 and V600 are flatbed scanners that are relatively bulky and heavy. The V550’s dimensions stand at 11.2 x 19.1 x 4.6” with a weight of 9.6 lbs while the V600’s dimensions measure 11x 19 x 4.6 with a weight of 9 lbs. 

With a scanning resolution of up to 6400 dpi, both scanners have a scanning area of 8.5 x 11.7” as their maximum document size. Both V550 and V600 have a 48-bit scanning depth which is good. Most scanners typically have a 24-bit scanning depth which is half the capability of the V550 and V600 scanners. 

While some scanners may have automatic document feeders, the V550 and V600 do not have this ability, and users are forced to manually feed the documents they wish to scan.

What Is in The Box?

Upon purchase of the Epson, V550 users receive a package that contains; the scanner, transparency unit (built into the lid of the scanner), Hi-Speed USB 2.0 cable, regular film holders, 6×22 cm medium-format film holders, 35 mm film holders, 35mm mounted slides, C power cord and adapter, installation software for windows. 

The Epson V600 package contains AC Power Adapter and Cord, Inbuilt transparency unit, 35mm mounted slides, HI-Speed USB 2.0 Cable, 6×22 cm Medium-format Film Holders, ArcSoft Photo Studio, Installation CD-ROM, Scanner setup manual, and the scanner. Both scanners have almost the same contents in their packages, and there is almost no significant difference as far as the package is concerned.

Epson V550 vs V600 – Scan Quality

As previously mentioned, both these scanners deliver outstanding scan quality. They both have a scanning resolution of 6400 dpi which is enough to quickly and effortlessly scan films, negatives, documents, and photos amongst other documents. 

The Epson V550 and V600 have an inbuilt Optical Character Reader which allows users to turn their scanned documents into text that users can edit. But that is not all as they both have a unique feature referred to as Digital ICE which facilitates the process of users scanning negatives and old films and have them appear as good as new.

 However, the key difference between the two scanners is that the Digital Ice feature in the Epson V550 works on negatives and films only while in the Epson V600 it works on films, negatives, and photos ensuring that the damage caused by time is significantly reduced. 

As far as the scanning category goes, we felt that the Epson V600 took home the crown, the Digital Ice feature could be used on more than films only.

Epson V550 vs V600 -Connectivity

Both the Epson V550 and V600 are older scanner models, and it comes as no surprise that they have the same somewhat outdated connectivity options and do not have any form of wireless connectivity. 

To connect to the scanner, users must connect to the devices to a computer through the Hi-Speed connectivity option availed by the manufacturers. 

However, both scanners have shortcut buttons that allow users to share their scans popular cloud services as well as for them to scan to pdf or email. 

Both scanner models pose a challenge for Mac OS users as the installation CD-ROM included in the package is only available for windows and as such mac users have to download the scanning program.

Epson V550 Vs V600 – Advantage and Disadvantages

Epson V550 Advantages:

• Outstanding Scan quality.
• The scanner model has the Digital ICE feature that allows users to scan old negatives and films.
• Can convert scanned documents to editable documents.
• Made with recyclable materials.

Epson V550 Disadvantages

• It has only one connectivity option which means users cannot use Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.
• It cannot scan old photos.
• Mac users have to download the installation software.

Epson V600 Advantages

• The scanner is perfect for old, films, and photos that are overly scratched.
• The scanner is capable of recognizing and scanning multiple photos at the same time.
• Scans can be converted into editable texts.
• Excellent scan quality all-around regardless of what is being scanned.

Epson V600 Disadvantages

• The V600 has the same disadvantages as the V550 in that it has only one connectivity option and Mac OS users have a problem with the installation software, which is not included in the package.

The Bottom Line

With even the price range being the same, the Epson V550 and Epson V600 scanners are pretty much the same devices with a lot of the same features. However, in our opinion, the Epson V600 is the better scanner of the two simply because when we compared the two models, we felt that it was the better scanner ranking much better in three of the five categories used to compare the scanners. 

Nevertheless, this does not mean that users should discount the Epson V550 as it is a capable scanner that delivers excellent results when push comes to shove. When everything is taken into account, the final decision will come down to the user as their needs dictate which of the devices they should opt for.