These days, most people use digital cameras or smartphones to take photos, making it incredibly easy to store both digital and printed versions of your photographs. But, many families have years worth of physical photos that need to be protected.
Using a high-quality photo scanner is best to digitize and back up your photo collection. So, here are our six best photo scanners to save your old pictures without further ado.
1. Epson FastFoto FF-680W
The Epson FastFoto FF-680W is a highly recommended all-in-one photo scanner for home archivists. With a range of quality options, the FF-680W won’t disappoint. And, with an excellent document feeder mechanism (one of the fastest ways to scan large numbers of photos), scanning has never been so easy.
Features: * Batch-scan up to 36 photos at once
- Variety of scan options from 300dpi to 1,200dpi
- Scan both photo and any handwritten notes on the backside at once
- Auto-upload and back up photos to cloud services including Dropbox or Google Drive via Wi-Fi
- Scan documents
- Windows and Mac support
The major downside to the FF-680W is the price. At over $600, it probably breaks the budget if you’re only looking to scan a few photos. Sheet-fed scanners usually come with the added risk of damaging your originals, but the Epson FastFoto line is designed to treat your prints carefully.
**Price: **Starting at $529 from Amazon.
2. Epson Perfection V600
The Epson Perfection V600 is a flatbed scanner designed for enthusiasts. It won the Best Photo Scanner award at the 2010 Technical Image Press Association awards and can handle up to A4 scanning at a reasonable price.
Features:
- High-quality scans up to a 6,400 dpi resolution
- Digital Image Correction and Enhancement (ICE) technology can remove dust, tears, hair, and creases
- No warm-up time with energy efficient LED light source
The Epson Perfection V600 is an excellent choice if you’re on a budget. Even though it’s a few years old, it still performs well – especially for amateurs and enthusiasts. However, if you’re looking for a professional-level scanner, you might want to consider its big brother, the Epson PerfectionV850 Pro.
**Price: **Starting at $399.00 from Amazon.
3. Epson Perfection V850 Pro
More than four times the price of the V600, the Epson Perfection V850 Pro is a professional tier photo and film scanner which is perfect for archiving. It uses a dual-lens system to scan slides or pictures at up to 6400 dpi. So, what are its features?
- Professional-level color and detail
- Calibrate colors for improved accuracy
- Various film holders to scan film strips, old photos, and prints
- 48-bit color photo depth
- Compatible with both Windows and macOS
The Perfection V850 Pro is primarily aimed at professional photographers who like to digitize their photographs, and the price reflects the professional level. With a steep learning curve, it may also present a challenge for people who are new to scanning.
**Price: **Starting at $1335.20 from Amazon.
4. Canon CanoScan Lide 400
The Canon CanoScan Lide 400 is an entry-level photo scanner. At an affordable price, it’s great for people who have a collection of family photographs that they’d like to digitize and back up.
Features:
- Slim, space-saving, practical build
- 48-bit color depth and maximum optical resolution of 4,800 dpi
- Scan speed of 8 seconds per photo at 300 dpi
- Software bundle with dust and scratch reduction
The CanoScan Lide 400 is great for an entry-level scanner and offers realistic color, contrast, and details. It’s also faster than the similarly-priced Epson Perfection V39. The major downside is that it will take a long time to scan through photos in bulk compared to feed-through scanners like the Epson FotoScan range.
**Price: **Starting at