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Scanners Reviews
Updated June 2007
Standalone scanners have been somewhat eclipsed by multifunction printers that combine a scanner, printer, copier and sometimes even a fax machine (see our related report on multifunction printers ). However, experts say that dedicated scanners are still the best way to convert an aging collection of photos, negatives and slides into a digital format. They are also a better and more capable solution in many cases when converting scads of documents into electronic data. There are a number of good places to learn about scanners. PC World and PC Magazine still review dedicated scanners on a regular basis and do testing in a fair and competent way. CNet.com and Macworld test fewer scanners, but do an equally excellent job. Photography websites Imaging-Resource.com and Popular Photography & Imaging are good places to learn about scanners for photo professionals or hobbyists, but cover relatively few scanners. Consumer Reports' testing is competent, but discussion about individual scanners is almost non-existent, and the latest report is now woefully out of date. User reviews at Amazon.com and Epinions are useful for seeing how a scanner performs in the real world. Reviews say most modern scanners do a good-to-excellent job of transforming
hard copy originals into electronic form. What separates the best from the
rest is usability, speed and bundled applications. For example, PC Magazine
says that the Plustek SmartOffice PS252 (*est $350) is a fairly capable document
scanner that's loaded with the types of features -- such as duplex scanning
(scans both sides of a sheet of paper at once) -- that should make it a hit
in the office. However, its speed falls short of the manufacturer's claims
in many tasks, and it is especially slow in the duplex mode. In addition,
reviewer M. David Stone says that usability issues and bundled programs "that
don't work together very well" give the Plustek PS252 an "unfinished
feel." Interestingly, PC World has a much higher opinion of the scanner.
However, the editors there also note sluggish speeds, calling it around average.
Editors concur with PC Magazine's review that speeds are even slower when
scanning a two-sided color document.
... Continued
Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
With many buyers now opting for multifunction printers, stand-alone scanners have evolved to become more and more specialized. We found that the best recent reviews cover pricey professional photo scanners, including the Epson Perfection V700 and Microtek ScanMaker i900. However, both of these models are overkill for those who want a general-use scanner. For general use, budget Canon and Epson flatbed scanners get the best reviews. For batch-scanning text documents, the Fujitsu ScanSnap S500 gets the most consistent positive ratings. Advertisement
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© 2008. ConsumerSearch, Inc. A service from 
, a part of The New York Times Company. All Rights Reserved.
ConsumerSearch and ConsumerSearch.com are registered trademarks of ConsumerSearch, Inc. Other trademarks or service marks on this site are the property of their respective owners. ConsumerSearch is not sponsored by any source reviewed, and we accept no consideration or payment for including, excluding, or ranking any reviews, products or services in our reports.
* Pricing information is approximate as of the time this report was written and is based on observed market selling prices and/or list prices. Actual selling prices may differ.
