14 Best photo scanners on the market in 2022: Comparison Table

What is the best photo scanner? While all scanners are made with approximately the same components — mirrors, glass, belts, and rollers — they come in different designs based on the intended use. 

One of the most important features of any photo scanner is resolution, measured in dpi (dots per inch). For general use, a 600dpi scanner may be sufficient, but if you are going to scan high-resolution images, go with the 1200dpi option. If you need to enlarge scanned images, we recommend buying photo scanners with a resolution of 4800dpi and more.

High-quality 6400dpi photo scanners like Epson Perfection V600 that are designed for professional photographers, effectively remove imperfections from scanned photos, allow for enlargements from film, and restore faded colors. They will give you sharper details, deeper colors, and can automatically improve the scan.

There is an excellent budget-friendly option for home use, the Plustek Photo Scanner - Ephoto Z300. This device supports photos of all common sizes, from 3x5 to 8x10 inches as well as the A4 paper size. It will take you just two seconds to scan an average-sized photo, so you can digitize a heap of photos in a matter of hours.

Read:

• Best Flatbed Photo Scanners for Hobbyists & Photographers
• Best Scanner Printers for Home, Business & Photo Printing
• Best Photo Scanners with a Feeder
• Best Photo Scanner for Mac
• Best Photo, Image, Film/Negative Scanners
• Best Book/Picture Scanners: flatbed, overhead & handheld
• Best Personal Portable and Compact Photo Scanners
• Best scanners for artwork

Best-Selling Photo Scanners | Comparative Table

Types: Best Photo Scanners Compared

High-Quality Photo Scanners

For most demanding users, flatbed photo scanners are the best choice. The device is made with a flat fixed glass bed where you place photos for scanning. Depending on the model, they can scan at a medium to the highest resolution. Quite often, flatbed scanners can handle not only a standard A4 sheet of paper or a photo but also slides, negatives, and film. Another advantage of this option is that it allows for safe scanning of old photos. The major drawback of this type is inefficiency in handling large volumes as it will take you much time to scan a pile of photos.

We recommend the Epson Perfection V600 Home Photo Scanner that offers 6400 dpi optical resolution for high-quality scanning. Equipped with a film holder, it can handle a variety of photo and film formats. With this device, you can create multi-page searchable PDF files. It uses ICE technology to enhance images and restore the damaged film, while digital Ice technology allows for eliminating scratches and dust from images. The Epson Perfection V600 is fast and starts scanning immediately without warming up. The 4-kilogram product comes with a built-in transparency unit, a software CD, a power cable, and a USB cable.

If you are on a budget, you may go for the Epson Perfection V39 Color Photo & Document Scanner with an optical resolution of up to 4,800dpi. Not only does this device scan but it also restores and saves images to cloud services such as Google Drive or directly to emails. The device uses Easy Photo Fix technology to restore colour, something that makes this product a great choice for those who want to digitize old family photos. Additionally, this scanner weighs just 1.5 kg and is made with a kickstand for vertical placement. When scanning books, you can easily remove the lid for your convenience. For oversized images, there is special-purpose software.

Fast & Easy: Photo Scanner for Large Quantities of Photos

Designed for handling large quantities of photos on a daily basis, a sheet-fed scanner quickly transforms them into organized and easy-to-search-for digital files. Unlike flatbed scanners that require laying photos on the surface, this device feeds them and then rolls them out. This type of scanner is particularly popular among office workers because of the speed and convenience it offers. Another advantage over flatbed photo scanners lies in the fact that sheet-fed models are a more compact and space-saving solution.

There is an excellent budget-friendly option for home use, the Plustek Photo Scanner - Ephoto Z300. This device supports photos of all common sizes, from 3x5 to 8x10 inches as well as the A4 paper size.

It will take you just two seconds to scan an average-sized photo, so you can digitize a heap of photos in a matter of hours. All you need to do is to insert photos one by one and they will quickly appear on your PC. The software automatically detects the size of the paper and rotates it if needed as well as crops the blank area. The device incorporates image enhancement and advanced editing functions. Customers highly appreciate this product for ease of use as it is button-free and user-friendly.

35mm Slide Scanner

If you are going to focus on negatives and slides, you should better buy a dedicated film scanner. At present, film photography is gaining in popularity so there are special devices allowing you to effortlessly convert the film into digital files to archive them and share with others. There are also top-notch models able to create large-scale files that can be printed in high quality. Anyway, film scanners are designed in approximately the same way. They are built with a light source and an image sensor. The device works by illuminating the film and then scanning it with the help of the sensor.

More advanced film scanners not only have a higher resolution but also enhanced sharpness, colour balance, and higher Dmax. Different models vary by film format and capacity or the volume they can process at a time. Designed for 35mm film, the Plustek OpticFilm8100 Film Scanner boasts a 7,200dpi resolution and 48-bit colour depth. It is made with a highly sensitive colour CCD sensor, two film holders, and an ICC profile for colour management.

All-In-One Scanner Printers

This is the most versatile type of scanners, the major advantage of which is that it combines printing and scanning functions. Some models have copying and faxing capabilities integrated into the unit. Used for scanning and printing both documents and photos, all-in-one printers usually have a resolution of up to 1200 dpi and a high speed of printing. They deliver greater convenience but have less function in terms of scanning.

If scanning is your primary purpose, multifunctional printers are not the best choice for you. They have limited resolution options and cannot handle film and negatives. A good example of an all-in-one printer is the HP OfficeJet Pro 9020 that prints up to 18 colour pages per minute and creates searchable documents.

Scanners for Book Pictures

What separates book scanners from other types is the ability to easily and efficiently scan bulky objects like books. That said, these devices are not created equal and, depending on what your priority is, you can choose a flatbed, an overhead, or a portable book scanner. If accuracy and quality is your main focus, a flatbed book scanner will be the best option as it allows for removing shadows at the binding and image distortion. Professionals often prefer overhead scanners like the CZUR ET16 Plus because they can handle books and magazines of all sizes as well as safely scan fragile materials.

Composed of a lamp and a mat, these devices are highly flexible and versatile. You can also use handheld scanners for this purpose, especially if you cannot take the book away from the library.

Handheld Photo Scanners

Perfect for travellers, portable photo scanners are lightweight, compact, and easily fit into a bag. They are also useful for scanning books in libraries as well as large-sized drawings and artwork. These devices work pretty simply and start scanning with the push of a button, and run on batteries that can be rechargeable or disposable. Of course, portability comes at the expense of quality and power. The average resolution of a decent portable scanner is 600dpi. This is sufficient for scanning photos in good quality but not for enlarging them. Many models can be connected to a PC via USB to transfer files.

You may like the Portable Scanner that scans images quickly and stores them within seconds. It offers a resolution of 900dpi and 32GB of storage. To scan the image, you need to press the button, select the desired resolution and move the device by hand over the material being captured.

Other Popular Photo Scanners