Scanner Buying GuideFirst, write down the purpose as to why you want to get a scanner. Will you be scanning a lot of items? Will they be mainly photos? Will you want to occasionally scan a slide or negative? If you have a lot of items to scan, have you considered a scanning service or do you have the time to do it yourself. Scanning slides is very time consuming since you scan at a high resolution and will need to crop and edit each image. If you have never had a scanner before, here are some of the things I do with my scanner.
Flatbed scanners are the most commonly used and are the most versatile. Film scanners are for users who need to scan a lot of slides or 35mm film. Scanning is a slow process, so consider a faster and more expensive unit if speed is important. If you need to occasionally scan a slide or film, look at a flatbed scanner with this feature. You will want the scanner cover to lift up for bulky items, such as a book. The resolution of today's inexpensive scanners are up to 4800 x 9600 dpi. Normally, this is way above what you will be needing. I scan photos at 300 dpi and slides at 1600 or 2400 dpi. The Canon CanoScan Lide 25 has a resolution of 1200 x 2400 dpi and can be purchased for less than $50. The Canon CanoScan 4400F has a resolution of 4800 x 9600 dpi and comes with a slide and film adapter. This unit sells for less than $100. If you are looking for even better features, take a look at the CanonScan 8600F. If you are hurting for space, and need a printer also, consider a multifunction printer which includes a built in scanner. Before making your purchase, review my online shopping guide. |
