Scanner for photos

[ddrueding]

A friend is trying to digitize a bunch of old photos. They are of varying sizes and qualities, some are quite fragile. He is not willing to trust an outside company with them.

I presume he is looking for a flatbed. Some basic research has revealed that most have essentially the same spec. Is there something in particular he should be looking for?

Thanks!

 

[CougTek]

Ten years ago, I recommended Epson scanners as their color reproduction, while not perfect, was better than most other brands. Nowadays, I do not know if it is still true. I haven't revisited the subject in years.

Our big multifonction printers at the office do an ok job for scanning documents. Those are Konica Minolta Bizhub. They have a flatbed scanner on top. You probably have one of those at the office too. You could try to scan a few of his photos and check if the results are up to his expectation.

 

[CougTek]

Otherwise, you can visit this page and draw your own conclusions.

 

[Stereodude]

Otherwise, you can visit this page and draw your own conclusions.

You can toss 6 of those since they're not flatbed scanners. Frankly, the Epson looks like the only viable choice.

 

[Mercutio]

I usually buy Canon scanners. I like the small footprint. Scan speed is comparable to Epson and HP models made in the last five years
You're better off scanning negatives if possible, but there's so much variability in photo prints that I don't think the subjective quality of the scanner's imaging sensors are really a factor.

 

[ddrueding]

Thanks guys, I'll pass on the suggestions!

 

[ddrueding]

Ended up going with the Epson V600.

 

[time]

Awesome review of the V600 that explains the limitations of scanning prints, negatives and slides, as well as some practical tips. Highly recommended read.

 

[ddrueding]

Awesome review of the V600 that explains the limitations of scanning prints, negatives and slides, as well as some practical tips. Highly recommended read.

Thanks for that. Great read.

 

[Handruin]

I had purchased the Epson V500 several years back according to this thread. I've had good luck with it over the years. I don't use it as frequently but it's there when I do. I don't really have a comparative reviews but it's been reliable and the quality of the scans makes me happy enough to archive old photos and negatives.