Photo Scanners to Save Your Old Photos: These days, most people use digital cameras or smartphones to take photos, which makes it incredibly easy to store both digital and printed versions of your photos.
However, many families have years of physical photos that need to be protected.
It is best to use a high-quality photo scanner to scan and back up your photo collection. So here are our six best photo scanners to back up your old photos without further ado.
Photo Scanners to Save Your Old Photos
1. Epson FastPhoto FF-680W
The Epson FastFoto FF-680W is a highly recommended all-in-one photo scanner for home archivists. With a variety of quality options, the FF-680W won’t let you down. And, with an excellent document feed mechanism, one of the fastest ways to scan large amounts of photos, scanning has never been easier.
Characteristics:
- Batch scan up to 36 photos at a time
- Variety of scanning options from 300 dpi to 1200 dpi
- Scan both the photo and the handwritten notes on the back
- Automatic upload and backup of photos to cloud services including Dropbox or Google Drive via Wi-Fi
- scan documents
- Support for Windows and Mac
The main drawback of the FF-680W is its price. At over $600, it’s probably over budget if you’re just looking to scan a few photos. Sheet-fed scanners generally pose an additional risk of damaging your originals, but the Epson FastFoto range is designed to handle your prints with care.
Price: Starting at $529 from Amazon.
2. Epson Perfection V600
The Epson Perfection V600 is a flatbed scanner designed for enthusiasts. It won Best Photo Scanner at the 2010 Technical Image Press Association Awards and can scan up to A4 at a reasonable price.
Characteristics:
- Triple as a print, negative and slide scanner
- High-quality scans with a resolution up to 6400 dpi
- Digital Image Correction and Enhancement (ICE) technology can remove dust, tears, hair and wrinkles
- No warm-up time thanks to energy-efficient LED light source
The Epson Perfection V600 is a great option if your budget is tight. Even though it is a few years old, it still works well, especially for amateurs and enthusiasts. However, if you’re looking for a professional-grade scanner, you might want to consider its bigger brother, the Epson PerfectionV850 Pro.
Price: Starting at $399.00 from Amazon.
3. Epson Perfection V850 Pro
More than four times more expensive than the V600, the Epson Perfection V850 Pro is a professional quality film and photo scanner, perfect for archiving. It uses a dual lens system to scan slides or images up to 6400 dpi resolution. What are its characteristics?
- Comprehensive software including Silverfast SE 8 (sophisticated digital ICE technology)
- Pro-level color and detail
- Calibrate colors to improve accuracy
- Various film holders for scanning film strips, old photos and prints
- 48-bit color photo depth
- Compatible with Windows and macOS
The Perfection V850 Pro is primarily aimed at professional photographers who like to digitize their photos, and the price reflects the professional level. With a steep learning curve, it can also present a challenge for people new to digitization.
Price: Starting at $1335.20 from Amazon.
4. Canon Cano Scan Lide 400
The Canon CanoScan Lide 400 is an entry-level photo scanner. At an affordable price, it is ideal for people who have a collection of family photos that they would like to scan and save.
Characteristics:
- affordable price
- Slim, space-saving and convenient construction
- 48-bit color depth and 4800 dpi maximum optical resolution
- Scanning speed of 8 seconds per photo at 300 dpi
- Dust and scratch reduction software
The CanoScan Lide 400 is ideal for an entry-level scanner and offers realistic colors, contrasts and details. It is also faster than one of the same price. Epson Perfection V39. The main downside is that it will take a long time to mass-scan photos compared to workflow scanners like the Epson FotoScan range.
Price: From $148.00 from Amazon
5. Plustek ePhoto z300
The Plustek ePhoto z300 is another great entry-level option for those looking to back up their physical images.
Characteristics:
- CCD image sensor for more detail
- price to pay
- Autoloader for faster scanning
- Smooth roller mechanism to protect fragile originals
- Image enhancement software included
With a maximum scanned image quality of 600 dpi, the Plustek photo scanner won’t blow your mind, but it will do for most uses. The other scanners on this list will offer a deeper dynamic range, more accurate colors, and higher scanning resolutions, but the speed per photo for this price is unmatched. Its small and sleek design also helps minimize the space it takes up on your desk.
Price: From $199.00 from Amazon
6. Doxie Go SE
Unlike the other entries on this list, the Doxie Go SE is a portable photo scanner. They are perfect for visiting relatives who want to archive old photo albums. Instead of making two trips, just grab the portable scanner and you’re good to go.
Characteristics:
- Rechargeable battery with up to 400 scanned photos per charge
- Store up to 4,000 images with an 8GB SD card – no computer is required
- Doubles as a document scanner
Sounds good, but being portable comes at the cost of less dpi and longer scans. Maximum resolution is 300 dpi and scanning takes up to 8 seconds. However, with the included software package, Doxie Go SE can produce quality scans that should be fine for most users.
Price: Starting at $179.00 from Amazon.
Save your favorite memories
Storing physical photos without scanned backups can be stressful. What happens if they are accidentally damaged? Investing in a high-quality photo scanner can be a great way to ensure those memories are there for years to come.
Do you use a photo scanner? Let us know which scanner you’re using in the comments below!
