Epson Perfection V600 Photo

Bottom line

The Epson Perfection V600 scanner is designed for serious amateurs: people who want to scan film and art, remove scratches and dust and save images at very high resolution, and reviews suggest it does all those things well. While the V600 scanner falls short of the better optics (and bigger price tags) of its big brothers, the Perfection V700 and 750M, it still has impressive specs, including a high 6,400 dpi resolution, the ability to digitally remove scratches and dust on both prints and film and the ability to handle a wide range of film formats, including medium-format panoramic film.

Scan quality

Very good scans get even better with additional software. Expert reviewers and most casual users both say the Epson Perfection V600 scanner offers very high resolution scans with good correction for dust and scratches. Some higher-end amateur users complain that the scanner offers some fuzziness at the highest resolutions, but testers who use the V600 with software packages other than the ones that come with the scanner say it's the software, not the hardware, that's to blame. For the best results, experts advise using software other than what ships with the scanner.

Ease of use

The scanner itself is a snap; the third party software, not always. Both experts and casual users report that the Epson Perfection V600 scanner is easy to set up and use, with PCMag.com calling the included scan utility "very easy" to operate. Some users complain that the additional software included with the V600 is not always intuitive.

Durability

Some reports of scanners shipping with dust under the glass, few other problems. The Epson Perfection V600 scanner has a very good reputation among users for its durability. A review or two complain of dust under the glass at the time the scanner is shipped, but other than that, the only beefs users have tend to be the holders for film. These small plastic pieces are the weak point of most scanners designed to work with negatives, and the Epson Perfection V600 is no exception.

Warranty

A good warranty with spotty customer service. The one-year limited warranty Epson offers for the Perfection V600 is fairly standard among better-quality scanners. While users say the terms of the warranty itself are fine, they sometimes complain about the customer service they receive when they are having a problem or need to make a claim.