The Best Photo Scanners In 2023

Last updated: Today

Erin Carpenter

Top 5 Best Photo Scanners 2023:

  1. Epson FastFoto FF-680W
  2. Doxie Go SE
  3. Plustek ephoto Z300 Photo Scanner
  4. Epson Perfection V600 Photo Scanner
  5. Canon CanoScan Lide 400 Slim Scanner

Take a moment to close your eyes and imagine the following:

You have an important task that you need to handle as fast as possible only to find yourself knee-deep in a seemingly endless mountain of documents?

Or, better yet – imagine yourself scouring through piles of dust-covered photo albums looking for a specific photograph that you just cannot find?

If both of these situations seem vivid for you, then you are in grave need of a photo scanner.

Cast aside the feelings of frustration and prepare yourself to start the adventure of finding the best photo scanner.

We live in the age of digital and technological advantages, and it is of utmost importance that we store and keep our history, our memories and our data at our disposal, whenever we need it or want it.

For the reasons named above, it is crucial that every business or household has a gadget that could help with the preserving and the upkeep of important personal data.

That is precisely why we are here to assist you in your search for the best photo scanner that you can find on the market.

With our assistance, you will be ready to make the purchase of the ideal photo scanner that will vouch for longevity, good performance, and your overall satisfaction.

Let’s dive into an in-depth search!

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Factors To Consider When Buying A Photo Scanner

Before actually speaking about the products, certain criteria need to be established upon which the products will be evaluated in our search for the best photo scanner

In order to prevent losing photographs and documents forever, a top-quality photo scanner must be found and selected. 

But what exactly is a photo scanner? What is it for?

As its name suggests, this machine can scan photos. Of course, the fun does not stop there, as modern photo scanning machines give so much more than just the good, old, regular photo scanning.

There are plenty of other functions that they can undertake as their versatility is ever-increasing.

There are different types of photo scanners that you need to familiarize with before purchasing one for your home or office:

  1. Flatbed scanners ‒ Being the most traditional of the bunch, flatbed scanners are the ones that are most commonly found at homes or small home offices and are great for personal usage. They don’t necessitate bigger working surfaces so that you can neatly organize your working station with your scanner there.
  2. Large-scale scanners ‒ Flatbed scanners are neat and more ideal for a home office, but large-scale scanners are there to do your heavy-duty work. They can scan a greater amount of photos at one time, which makes them perfect for photography offices, homes, and traditional business venues alike.
  3. Multipurpose scanners ‒ The name says it all, multipurpose scanners are notorious for their versatility. They are capable of performing a number of tasks aside from scanning photos. 

Here are some eye-catching characteristics of the best photo scanners!

1. Scanning Format

This feature is frequently said to be one of the most important ones when it comes to choosing the best photo scanner. The scanning format of your device largely depends on your needs and what you need and want to scan. 

Flatbed scanners can scan up to the standard A4 format size, with negatives ranging from a variety of the most frequent sizes. 

2. Photo Quality And Resolution

For those that are technologically less savvy, this is the precise area where the confusion arises and where many people take a wrong turn.

The resolution, along with photo quality is crucial when it comes to scanning. 

If you want to capture your photos in their true fidelity, you will need to search for a photo scanner with a higher scanning resolution.

When it comes to scanning photographs, you will need to focus on ppi as a unit of measure, which means pixels per inch

The standard ppi for photo scanning is 300 ppi, but the catch actually is the following – changing, enlarging, and editing your photos.

If you want to enlarge your photos, you will need to look for a scanner with a higher scanning resolution, which should be double what the standard is – so, 600 ppi.  

On the other hand, when it comes to scanning film, you will need an even greater scan resolution because the film comes in significantly smaller sizes, and in here, you will need 4800 ppi or even more! 

3. Extra Features

Although some may prefer the basic, watered-down version of photo scanners, as we try to encompass what qualities does it take to hail the best photo scanners, extra features are surely much appreciated. 

This includes the software that comes along with your scanner – whether you’re a Windows or a Mac user, your device should include both of the options. 

A very useful option that should be at every user’s disposal is the possibility to have your images stored on the cloud. Another important feature is software that allows photo editing to ensure the maximum quality of your photos.

Various customization options are also something that you should be on the lookout for when shopping for the best photo scanners

4. Price And Value

Ultimately, it all boils down to how the price reflects the quality of the product. 

We are here to make sure that your hard-earned money does not end up flushed down and that your experience with purchasing the best photo scanner is rewarding and satisfactory.

Customers that are on a budget should also be able to enjoy the best of both worlds without having to cut back on some of the appealing qualities that photo scanners have.

Whether you want to use your photo scanner in the comfort of your own home, if you are planning to set up a home office or if you wish you want to spruce up your large office needs, we want you to have what you deserve for the money that you are determined to invest!

See Also: The Best Disposable Camera


5 Best Photo Scanners In 2023: Detailed Reviews

Now that we have covered all of the important features and characteristics, and when you are well-versed in everything that relates to photo scanners, we can move to the list.

With carefully tested, selected, tried and true products, we present you our top 5 picks of best photo scanners!

1. Epson Perfection V600 Photo Scanner

Image Credit: Amazon.com

If you are planning to back your old negatives and film up, this is the perfect device for you, specifically for its restoration options that feature Digital ICE (included for both the prints and film).

Epson’s Perfection V600 Photo Scanner is a high-performance photo scanner that comes with many innovative and cool characteristics, among which is its incredible photo editing software, ArcSoft Photo Studio.

The scanner is neat because it provides a complete photo restoration, which allows the user to touch-up old photos that were scratched, affected by dust, or anyhow damaged over time.

To further enhance your beloved memories, this device has the enlargement option, which features the astonishing 6400 x 9600 dpi (dots per inch) resolution.

Another interesting feature that we found extremely useful and time-saving is its ReadyScan LED technology, specifically designed for increased productivity. This means that this device needs no time to warm up for a start; it is ready for work whenever you need it.

Another ode to its speed and versatility is the possibility to scan documents, and along with its ingrained OCR feature, it can immediately transform the scanned document into a ready-for-editing text.

Pros

  • Budget-friendly
  • Great value for money
  • Amazing software
  • Packed with extra features
  • Detailed manual
  • Digital ICE for both prints and film
  • Easy to use, very user-friendly

Cons

  • Not the most ideal solution for heavy-duty tasks
  • Some users reported incompatibility with Mac products

2. Doxie Go SE

Image Credit: Amazon.com

If you are on the search for a portable photo scanner and if you appreciate efficiency, speed, and quality, we have just the product for you – Doxie Go SE.

This device might seem small, and you might have doubts as to its performance due to its not-as-imposing size compared to other photo scanners, but we can assure you that there is a way to dispel all of these doubts.

Doxie Go SE is accompanied by a rechargeable battery that allows up to 400 scans per one charging. Thanks to its excellent battery life, and its compact size, it is extremely portable, and you can carry it pretty much everywhere.

It is an extremely straightforward device. There aren’t any catches, nooks, or crannies that you need to well-versed in to use it.

But do not let its simplistic design fool you – Doxie is as mighty as it is small. It has the award-winning ABBYY OCR technology integrated, and along with that, it can be connected to your cloud, OneNote, Dropbox, name it – it can be connected to it!

Along with that, you can expand its memory with the included SD card. So, if you have photos that are 8×10 or smaller, Doxie is your ideal choice for mass scanning just about anywhere.

Pros

  • Small and portable
  • Straightforward and easy to use
  • Has a rechargeable battery
  • SD card included
  • Can scan up to 400 
  • Great for mass scanning
  • Crisp & clean scans

Cons

  • The biggest scanning picture format is 8×10

3. Canon CanoScan Lide 400 Slim Scanner

Image Credit: Amazon.com

If you are looking for great value at a low price, our warmest recommendations in that field go to Canon CanoScan Lide 40 Slim Scanner.

Canon is a renewed brand when it comes to all technological fields, and this slim scanner will complete your collection of their premium quality devices.

The predecessors of this model were lauded for their ability to scan images, but their ability to transform and identify documents was more often criticized. This model aspires to create a balance between the two without actually smudging its advantages in the field of images.

For the preservation of detail when it comes to photo scanning, this photo scanner does a terrific job, thanks to its impressive 4800 dpi resolution.

It offers the comprehensive software as well, as it allows for image enhancements and modifications, such as preservation techniques when it comes to dust and color restoration, guaranteeing that your photos will look great digitally. 

Another feature of this model is that it is incredibly fast and that it automatically sends all your scans further where you need them – be it your cloud, OneDrive, or other services.

This flatbed scanner allows you to take full advantage of the entire scanning process with five buttons that automatically detect what you are scanning and adjust the settings to the fullest. 

Pros

  • Flawless image quality upon scanning
  • Very budget-friendly
  • User-friendly; has 5 “EZ” buttons
  • Very fast
  • Great resolution 
  • Great value for money

Cons

  • Some Mac users reported problems with compatibility

4. Epson FastFoto FF-680W

Image Credit: Amazon.com

Looking for a heavy-duty machine to do all of your work, without unnecessary sidetracking?

This device is then perfect for you. We proudly present Epson’s FastFoto.

What we primarily liked about this machine is its incredible speed, which racks up a photo per second! This includes not only photos but also postcards, and polaroids, which deserves our hats-off when it comes to your memory preservation.

This device’s flexible photo scanning offers a number of amazing options for sharing, archiving, and enlarging, all in one batch. 

It is accompanied by great software, nicknamed Epson ScanSmart software, which makes photo restoration astonishingly easy. This includes touching up on your photos as well as improving them, along with cropping, rotating, color restoration, and much more.

Damaged photos and documents do not stand a chance with this machine as it makes it ultra-easy to correct and enhance them!

Ultimately, this device is amazing when it comes to versatile connectivity as it allows you to immediately store your scanned images on your cloud, OneDrive and Google Drive as well. You can connect it with your mobile phones and share your photos in an instant.

With this purchase, you’ll get a convenient Start Here poster, the USB cable, AC adapter, carrier sheet, and a cleaning cloth.

Pros

  • Great value for money
  • Easy to use
  • Can scan a number of things, including photos, polaroids, and postcards
  • Great software for photo editing
  • Variety of means when it comes to photo sharing
  • Can scan at incredible speed, one photo per second at 300 dpi
  • You get free accessories

Cons

  • We couldn’t find any!

5. Plustek ephoto Z300 Photo Scanner

Image Credit: Amazon.com

By looking for a fast way to scan and sort photos, we tend to think that we need to sacrifice quality over speed.

Plustek’s Z300 photo scanner proves to be quite the opposite, as it offers both a fast way to scan photos without unnecessary complications that sometimes follow the entire process while leaving your photos in their original quality.

There is an amazing accompanying software that allows you to automatically restore old, faded photos, which is a neat feature.

The entire device is also enhanced by the auto-crop and auto deskew features as the application software detects what kind of picture you are trying to digitalize. 

Therefore, this scanner is a treasure if you need to scan your old photos without any worries that you’ll damage them.

It uses Plustek Ephoto software, which we liked very much; it is user-friendly, and the interface is intuitive.

The photos are not scanned directly to the Cloud or another online base, but you can easily transfer them from your computer. You can also edit the dates of the photos in the software so that they are arranged in the order that you wish.

Without any hassle whatsoever, this handy device allows you to enjoy your pictures perfectly preserved in your computers and phones!

Pros

  • Easy to use
  • Fast and uncomplicated
  • A simple set up, ideal for the less technologically savvy users
  • The process takes only around 1 minute to complete
  • High-quality B/W photo scanning
  • Great value for money
  • Excellent customer support

Cons

  • We couldn’t find any!

Our Final Verdict

As we near the end of our in-depth search for best photo scanners, it is finally the time to present you with our ultimate choices. 

Tough as our search has been, we hope we have aided you on your quest to find an ideal way of preserving your memories, your old postcards and polaroids.

With this being said, the most noteworthy products among our many are the following: 

  • Epson FastFoto FF-680W for its fantastic output and its ability to munch down the heavy-duty work, 
  • Doxie Go SE because of its dynamite performance as a portable photo scanner and, ultimately,
  • Plustek ephoto Z300 for its overall outstanding performance in all areas.

About Erin Carpenter

Erin Carpenter has over 15 years experience in the diamond industry working with Artic Canadian Diamonds, Anglo-American Diamonds. She is recognized as an industry expert and has been quoted in publications such as USA Today, Forbes, The New York Times and more.