Photo and negative scanner

Photo Scanners, Film Scanners & 35mm Film Scanner

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Plustek OpticFilm 8200i Ai Film Scanner

B&H # PLOF8200IAI MFR # 783064365338

198 Reviews

Key Features

7200dpi
48-Bit Color Depth
Integrated Infrared Dust/Scratch Removal
Built-In Color Calibration

$499⁹⁹

Other Buying Options

Open Box from$429. 00

Wolverine Data Film2Digital MovieMaker-PRO 8mm and Super 8 Converter

B&H # WOF2DMMPRO MFR # F2DMMPRO

274 Reviews

Key Features

Scan 8mm and Super 8 Film
3.53MP 1/3" CMOS Sensor
Creates Full HD 1080p Video at 20 fps
Works with Reels up to 9"

Available in other Styles, Configurations & Kits

$399⁹⁹

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Plustek OpticFilm 8100 Film Scanner

B&H # PLOF8100 MFR # 783064365321

132 Reviews

Key Features

Resolution: 7200dpi
Convert 35mm Negatives & Slides
Color Depth: 48-Bit
Includes SilverFast SE Plus 8

See All Details

$349⁰⁰

Wolverine Data F2D Titan 8-in-1 High-Definition Film to Digital Converter

B&H # WOF2DTITAN MFR # F2DTITAN

200 Reviews

Key Features

Scan 35mm, 110, 127, 126, and APS Film
Works with 8mm & Super 8 Movies
20MP Scan Resolution: 5472 x 3648
Scan Speed: 3 Seconds

$149⁹⁹

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Kodak Mini Digital Film Scanner

B&H # KORODFD20 MFR # RODFD20

34 Reviews

Key Features

Converts Film and Slides to JPEGs
Adjustable Brightness and Color
Flips and Reverses Images
Stores up to 128MB of Photos

$129⁹⁹

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Plustek OpticFilm 8200i SE Film Scanner

B&H # PLOF8200ISE MFR # 783064365345

206 Reviews

Key Features

Resolution: 7200 dpi
Integrated Infrared Dust/Scratch Removal
1-Touch Scan Button
Automatic Functions

$399⁰⁰

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Pacific Image PrimeFilm XA Plus Scanner

B&H # PAPFXAPS MFR # PRIMEFILM XA PLUS

3 Reviews

Key Features

Auto Scanning of 135 Strips and Rolls
Manual Scanning of 135 Slides
10,000 dpi Resolution
Windows/Mac Software

See All Details

$649⁹⁹

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Kodak REELS Film Digitizer for 8mm and Super 8 Film

B&H # KORODREELS MFR # RODREELS

1 Review

Key Features

Digitize 8mm / Super 8 Footage to MPEG-4
Save to up to 128GB SD Card
Transfer to Computer via Micro-USB Cable
Adjust Exposure, Clarity, and Tint

$399⁹⁹

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Pacific Image Prime Film XEs super edition Film Scanner

B&H # PAPRIMFILMXE MFR # PRIMEFILM XES

29 Reviews

Key Features

Scans 35mm Film Strips & Mounted Slides
Optical Resolution: 10,000 dpi
Color Depth: 48-Bit
Dmax: 3. 9

$349⁹⁹

~~Reg. $449.99~~

Save $100.00

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Pacific Image PowerSlide X Automated 35mm Slide Scanner

B&H # PAPSX MFR # PS X

75 Reviews

Key Features

Batch Scanning of Mounted 35mm Slides
Optical Resolution: 10,000 dpi
Color Depth: 48-Bit
Batch Scanning

$1,199⁹⁹

Other Buying Options

Open Box from$1,199.99

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Plustek OpticFilm 135i Scanner

B&H # PLOF135I MFR # OF135I

2 Reviews

Key Features

Includes 35mm Film & 35mm Slide Holders
Batch-Scan Negatives and Slides
Optional Panoramic Film Holder Supported
600 to 7200 dpi Resolution

See All Details

$399⁰⁰

Wolverine Data 8mm and Super 8 Movie Reels2Digital MovieMaker

B&H # WOSUPER8 MFR # F2DMM100

234 Reviews

Key Features

Scan 8mm and Super 8 Film
3. 53MP 1/3" CMOS Sensor
Creates HD 960 x 720 Video at 30 fps
Works with 3 or 5" Reels

Available in other Styles, Configurations & Kits

$299⁹⁹

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Pacific Image PowerFilm Plus Scanner

B&H # PAPFPS MFR # POWER FILM PLUS

Key Features

Auto Batch Scanning of 135 Filmstrips
Scans up to 60 Frames per Batch
Supports 10 Strips with 6 Frames in Each
7200 dpi Resolution

$649⁹⁹

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Kodak Mobile Film Scanner

B&H # KOMFS MFR # RODFSFM2

8 Reviews

Key Features

Digitizes Film and Slides
Crop, Rotate & Adjust Images
Adjusts Color & Contrast
Adds Filters

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Braun reflecta x33 Film Scanner

B&H # BRREX33 MFR # 64530

Key Features

Scans 35mm Slides and Negatives
15. 3MP CMOS Sensor
Saves Images as JPEGs to SD Card
5" IPS LCD Display

$269⁹⁹

Braun NovoScan 3-in-1 Film and Photo Scanner

B&H # BRN3I1 MFR # 34521

13 Reviews

Key Features

Scan 35mm Strip and Slide Film
Scan 3.5 x 5", 4 x 6", & 5 x 7" Photos
5.1MP CMOS Sensor
Optical Resolution: 1800 x 1800 dpi

$246⁹⁹

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Braun reflecta Combo Album Scan

B&H # BRRECOMBO MFR # 64400

Key Features

Scans 35mm Slides and Negatives
Scans Photos up to 3. 7 x 5.5"
15.3MP CMOS Sensor
2.4" TFT LCD Display

$299⁹⁹

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Kodak Mobile Film Scanner

B&H # KORODMFS50 MFR # RODMFS50

4 Reviews

Key Features

Digitizes Film and Slides
Crop, Rotate & Adjust Images
Adjusts Color & Contrast
Adds Filters

See All Details

veho VFS-014-SF Smartfix 14MP Portable Film Negative and Slide Scanner

B&H # VEFS014SF MFR # VFS-014-SF

14 Reviews

Key Features

Scans 135 Slides and 135, 110 & 126 Film
Manual Tray Feeding
Optical Resolution of 3200 dpi
Color Depth of 24-Bit

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Pana-Vue Pana-Scan Slide and Film Scanner

B&H # PAAPA155 MFR # APA155

8 Reviews

Key Features

Makes 22 Megapixel Digital Images
Automatic & Manual RGB Adjustment
Automatic & Manual EV Adjustment
Saves Images Directly to SD Card

See All Details

$179⁹¹

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Pacific Image PF120 Pro Multi-Format Film Scanner

B&H # PAPF120P MFR # PRIMEFILM 120PRO

20 Reviews

Key Features

Optical Resolution: 6400dpi
Color Depth: 48-bit
Supports 35mm and 120 Film Formats
3-Line CCD Sensor

$1,599⁹⁹

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Braun Reflecta DigitDia Evolution Automatic Stand-Alone Viewer and Scanner for Slides

B&H # BRRDEVOS MFR # 65800

Key Features

SD/SDHC Card Support
Less Than 5 Seconds Scanning Speed
15. 3 Megapixels CMOS Sensor
7" Wide Viewing Angle LCD

See All Details

$3,411⁹⁹

Expected availability: 3-5 weeks

This item is noncancelable and nonreturnable.

Blackmagic Design Cintel Scanner G3 HDR+

B&H # BLCSCN4KG3CP MFR # CINTELSCAN4KG3CAP

Shipping Restriction:

$32,045⁰⁰

Expected availability: 2-4 weeks

This item is noncancelable and nonreturnable.

YOUR RECENTLY VIEWED ITEMS

A photo scanner (or film scanner) converts the image on a film negative or slide into a digital file. People use a film scanner to get better digital reproductions than they would by scanning a photographic print. The images made by a film scanner are detailed enough that they can be enlarged without becoming grainy or blurry. It's also important to note that not all film and photo scanners are universally compatible. For example, a 35mm film scanner won't do you much good if you're shooting on 120 film.

The Best Scanners for 2023

Settling on a scanner that meets your specific day-to-day scanning needs can be challenging. Most flatbed and sheetfed scanners on the market today are geared toward everyday office tasks or photo image capture, but they come in a wide variety of types and sizes, some fine-tuned for different purposes. Document scanners, photo scanners, receipt scanners, film scanners: That list is just a start.

We've outlined below the top scanners that we have tested across a range of categories and possible usage scenarios. "Scan" the list for the kind of work you do, then read on below that for a deeper dive into scanner specs and how to choose the right model for what, exactly, you scan.

Fujitsu ScanSnap iX1600

Best Desktop Document Scanner for Homes and Small Offices

4.5 Outstanding

Why We Picked It

It doesn't have Ethernet, because it's not built for a corporate network—just for connection to a single PC or handheld in a small office via USB or Wi-Fi—but otherwise the Fujitsu ScanSnap iX1600 is pretty much a model desktop document scanner. This sheetfed unit offers an easy-to-use color touch screen, a 50-page automatic document feeder, and a hefty 6,000-scan daily duty cycle. (To overwork it, you'd have to load the ADF to capacity more than 120 times a day.) Best of all, it comes with first-class scanning, workflow-profile, and optical character recognition (OCR) software.

Who It's For

If you juggle a variety of pages, the iX1600 automatically recognizes and organizes documents, receipts, and business cards—and even items with different orientations and color settings—in the same batch. It's a superb way for a home office or small office to get a handle on piles of papers.

PROS

Comprehensive ScanSnap software
Simple to learn and use
Accurate OCR
Versatile connectivity options, including mobile
6,000-scan daily duty cycle rating

CONS

Lacks Ethernet support

Sold By	List Price	Price
Amazon	$554.00	$419.99	See It (Opens in a new window)

Read Our Fujitsu ScanSnap iX1600 Review

Brother ADS-4900W

Best High-Volume Document Scanner for Offices

4.0 Excellent

Why We Picked It

Brother's scanners hold up well in a highly competitive, crowded market. That fact is more than enough to render the ADS-4900W our current favorite mid- to high-volume sheetfed document scanner for small to medium-size offices, workgroups, and enterprises. It stands out not because of any ground-breaking features or firsts, but because this is a terrific, rock-solid machine.

A whopping 9,000-scan daily duty cycle means you'll have to have a very determined paper-feeding person (and some really big jobs) to stress this scanner out. It's accurate, efficient, and reasonably priced (well under a grand) for what it is.

Who It's For

For medium- to heavy-volume scanning in all but the largest offices, the Brother ADS-4900W serves as an industrial-strength desktop option. Some competitors from the likes of Raven operate via big touch screens, but if you just need reliable, basic bulk document digitization for your business, this model is a great option.

PROS

Deep document management features
Fast scanning and reliable feeding
Accurate OCR
Can scan to USB memory devices without a computer
Versatile connectivity and strong mobile device support
Large touch screen control panel

CONS

Lacks strong Mac support

Sold By	List Price	Price
Amazon	$699. 99	$699.99	See It (Opens in a new window)

Read Our Brother ADS-4900W Review

Epson DS-30000

Best Enterprise-Grade Scanner for Oversize Documents

4.0 Excellent

Why We Picked It

The Epson DS-30000 laughs at your mere letter- and legal-size pages—this enterprise-class document manager and archiver can handle tabloid (11-by-17-inch) sheets, despite taking little more room than a standard sheetfed desktop scanner. Its automatic document feeder holds up to 120 letter- or 60 A3-size pages, and its daily duty cycle is a juggernaut 30,000 scans. Epson backs it with a three-year warranty with next-business-day replacement and bundles it with state-of-the-art document-management and scanner-interface software. The latter not only scans to a plethora of file formats and cloud and archiving sites, but it offers friendly Home, Office, and Professional modes for different levels of user expertise.

Who It's For

It's far from cheap at $2,499, but the DS-30000 is only half the cost of some of the copy-machine-size corporate scanners it competes with. Of course, it's overkill for a small or even midsize office, but it stands almost alone as a high-volume, large-format desktop document scanner.

PROS

Fast and accurate scanning and text conversion
High volume rating, including large ADF
Scans documents up to 12 by 17 inches
Versatile scanner-interface software
Moderate-size footprint

CONS

Lacks wireless or mobile connectivity
USB interface only; no networking option available
Lacks business-card scanning and archiving software

Sold By	List Price	Price
Dell	$2,499.00	$2,499.00	See It (Opens in a new window)
B&H Photo Video	$2,499. 00	$2,499.00	See It (Opens in a new window)

Read Our Epson DS-30000 Review

Canon CanoScan LiDE 400

Best Flatbed Photo Scanner

4.0 Excellent

Why We Picked It

Most nonprofessional photographers can't afford a dedicated photo scanner. That's why the flatbed Canon CanoScan LiDE 400 doubles nicely at scanning document pages and turning them into editable text, although to be honest you'll want a higher-priced scanner with an automatic document feeder (ADF) for handling more than occasional multipage jobs. The LiDE 400 saves desk space with a vertical kickstand and comes with impressive photo scanning and touch-up software. It can even stitch together multiple scans of photos too big for its scanning area.

Who It's For

The CanoScan captures vibrant color and crisp detail and ably serves a single small-office PC connected via USB. (It lacks wired networking or Wi-Fi for mobile devices. ) Considering its under-$100 price, it's a great solution for light-duty photo-quality scanning.

PROS

Vibrant photo scans.
Excellent software bundle.
Comes with kickstand for upright positioning.
Very simple to use.

CONS

Lacks mobile device and wireless support.
Could be more accurate when scanning serif fonts.

Read Our Canon CanoScan LiDE 400 Review

Epson FastFoto FF-680W

Best High-Speed Snapshot Scanner

4.0 Excellent

Why We Picked It

The FastFoto has been on the market for some time, but this speedy, compact unit continues to be one of a kind. If you have stacks of old family snapshots, or similar card-size items to be scanned in bulk, the FastFoto can process them with speed and care. It's gentle on photos and can even scan both sides of a print without flipping it over, capturing possible date data or back-scrawled notations with the image. It can also pinch-hit as a perfectly workable document scanner for digitizing bills and those old tax records.

Who It's For

Scrapbookers, family archivists, or folks looking to reproduce or digitize photo albums to the cloud will find the FastFoto a godsend. It can process a stack of snaps in mere minutes, and even tweak them on the fly and name them according to filename sequences that you specify in the software. It may not be cheap, but it will pay for itself in time savings many times over for big scan jobs.

PROS

Quickly scans stacks of photo prints.
Decent as a document scanner.
Scans to searchable PDF.
Solid OCR performance.

CONS

Somewhat pricey.
Slower at photo scanning than its predecessor.

Read Our Epson FastFoto FF-680W Review

HP ScanJet Pro 3600 f1

Best Flatbed/Sheetfed Combo Scanner

4.0 Excellent

Why We Picked It

Compact, easy to use, and accurate at OCR, the ScanJet Pro 3600 f1 is a winning hybrid flatbed/sheetfed design. As a flatbed, it can digitize photos, book or magazine pages, or fragile items that might not survive a trip through a sheet feeder; with its roomy 60-page auto-duplexing ADF, it's ready to process lengthy documents lickety-split. You can use it and control it from a PC, or scan straight to flash drives or other USB drives without one.

Who It's For

Doctor's offices, real estate or travel agencies, banks, and other small organizations and workgroups that need to stay on top of the ebb, flow, and occasional tidal wave of paper will find the ScanJet invaluable. Plus, its support for scan profiles and workflows makes repetitive scan tasks easy.

PROS

Compact design
Relatively fast, highly accurate OCR
Excellent HP Scan Pro interface
Decent document archiving
Scans to flash and other USB drives with no PC required

CONS

Somewhat expensive
No Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or device support

Sold By	List Price	Price
HP	$599. 00	$599.00	See It (Opens in a new window)

Read Our HP ScanJet Pro 3600 f1 Review

Raven Pro Document Scanner

Best Walk-Up Scanner and Document Manager

4.0 Excellent

Why We Picked It

Naturally, the Raven Pro Document Scanner works with all kinds of computers and handheld devices, but if it's connected to a network it doesn't need a PC at all—you can perform a host of scanning and document management functions from its tablet-like 8-inch touch control panel. This medium- to high-volume sheetfed scanner has everything from a 100-sheet ADF to the ability to scan to flash or other USB drives or online storage (unlimited Raven Cloud space is included), and its robust PC software includes financial data scanning and archiving compatible with QuickBooks.

Who It's For

Raven doesn't provide dedicated Android or iOS smartphone apps, but the Raven Pro otherwise offers everything a busy office or workgroup could want, with impressively fast and accurate scanning whether you're using its PC software or taking advantage of its touch screen. It's a successful one-stop desktop scanning shop at a reasonable price.

PROS

Fast scanning and saving to both image and searchable PDF
Accurate OCR
Onboard editing and document management
Supports wireless and wired networking
Scans to external USB flash and other USB drives
Slick tablet-like interface
Excellent software for scanner operation and document management
100-sheet ADF
Free unlimited (Raven Cloud) cloud space

CONS

Lacks dedicated handheld mobile device app
Expensive accessories

Sold By	List Price	Price
Amazon	$649.85	$649.85	See It (Opens in a new window)

Read Our Raven Pro Document Scanner Review

Fujitsu fi-800R

Best Front-Desk Document and Card Scanner

4. 0 Excellent

Why We Picked It

A cross between a desktop and a portable sheetfed document scanner, the Fujitsu fi-800R takes only about 12 by 4 inches of desk space but delivers robust performance thanks to unique Return Scan and U-Turn Scan technologies that move documents in and out without requiring multiple slots or paper trays. Its Active Skew Correction lets you be careless about placing documents in the feeder, and its speed and 4,500-scan daily duty cycle are closer to its desktop than portable rivals (though its 20-sheet ADF is on the skimpy side).

Who It's For

The fi-800R is a little pricey considering it supports only a USB instead of network connection and lacks a battery for portable scanning, but it fills a nifty niche as a front-desk document manager for handling customer and client paperwork. Its PaperStream Capture software is just the ticket for digitizing IDs, passports, and miscellaneous pages.

PROS

Fast and compact.
Accurate OCR.
Robust software bundle.
High daily volume rating.
Well-suited to front-desk applications.

CONS

Expensive.
Connectivity limited to USB.

Sold By	List Price	Price
Amazon	$550.00	$507.99	See It (Opens in a new window)
Walmart	$795.00	$736.85	See It (Opens in a new window)

Read Our Fujitsu fi-800R Review

Brother DSmobile DS-940DW

Best Portable Document Scanner

4.5 Outstanding

Why We Picked It

With no automatic document feeder, the Brother DSmobile DS-940DW obliges you to feed pages manually, so it's better suited to one- or two-page documents instead of lengthy reports or stacks of sheets. But otherwise, it's the very model of handy scanning on the road, complete with a rechargeable battery and the ability to scan to a microSD card for later transfer to a PC, so you don't even need to bring your laptop—just throw the 1. 5-pound scanner into your briefcase and you're all set. The Brother is rated for 100 scans a day and comes with software for smartly managing business cards and receipts.

Who It's For

It's obviously not a high-volume, heavy-duty document manager, but the DSmobile DS-940DW's convenience, speed, and accuracy make it a standout in a crowded field of single-sheet portable scanners. Don't leave the office without it.

PROS

Small and light.
Fast scanning and processing.
Accurate OCR.
Solid software bundle.
Easy to use.
Autonomous scanning to microSD card.
Wi-Fi and USB 3.0 connectivity.

CONS

No automatic document feeder.
MicroSD card not included.

Read Our Brother DSmobile DS-940DW Review

CZUR ET24 Pro

Best Overhead Book and Magazine Scanner

4.0 Excellent

Why We Picked It

Overhead scanners are specialized devices with elevated cameras for scanning book or magazine pages. The CZUR ET24 Pro comes with a foot pedal or desk button that frees your hands for turning book pages or placing new content (up to tabloid size) on the scan platform. It also features automatic focus and page-turn detection, and you can even use the device in a Visual Presenter mode, with an HDMI port for playing video captured by the CZUR directly to monitors or HDTVs or livestreaming.

Who It's For

In many ways, the CZUR ET24 Pro and its ilk resemble old-fashioned overhead projectors. Capturing book and magazine pages, however, is just one of many possible uses, ranging from capturing objects for presentations to classroom or online teaching. Its everyday book or magazine scanning speed depends more on your placement and page-turning hustle than its hardware, but the ET24 Pro is ideal for small and midsize offices, presenters, teachers, and others in need of its very specific talents.

PROS

Automatic focus and page-turn detection
Can operate via a desk button or a foot pedal
HDMI video output
Business-card archiving
Accurate OCR

CONS

No wireless connectivity or support for handheld devices
Lacks networking
No battery for off-plug operation

Sold By	List Price	Price
Amazon	$629. 00	$629.00	Check Stock (Opens in a new window)

Read Our CZUR ET24 Pro Review

Epson RapidReceipt RR-600W

Best Receipt Scanner

4.5 Outstanding

Why We Picked It

The Epson RapidReceipt RR-600W is a powerful desktop document scanner with an automatic document feeder (ADF) that lets you capture up to 100 two-sided documents in one batch; it supports USB and Wi-Fi, and has a port for scanning directly to USB flash drives. Plus, its 4.3-inch graphical touch screen makes it easy to access scanning options or workflow profiles. But you're not going to buy a device named RapidReceipt for general-purpose scanning—you're going to take advantage of its ScanSmart Accounting Edition software that gets more intelligent as you use it, learning to identify recurring data like vendor names and monthly expenses. The app recognizes information, saves it to the appropriate fields in its built-in database, and exports to QuickBooks, TurboTax, or Excel-compatible CSV files.

Who It's For

As we said, the RR-600W is a fine choice for any kind of office document management, with respectable speed, impressive accuracy, and a robust 4,000-scan daily duty cycle. But if receipts and invoices are your company's bread and butter, it's a better than fine choice.

PROS

Fast
Accurate OCR
Strong software bundle, including ScanSmart Accounting Edition
Huge 4.3-inch color touch screen
100-sheet ADF
Robust mobile device and USB thumb drive support
Low price for what you get

CONS

ScanSmart not supported on mobile devices

Sold By	List Price	Price
Amazon	$499.99	$399.99	See It (Opens in a new window)
Best Buy	$499.99	$399.99	See It (Opens in a new window)

Read Our Epson RapidReceipt RR-600W Review

IRIScan Mouse Executive 2

Best Handheld Scanner

4. 0 Excellent

Why We Picked It

It's a winner in a category of one: The $79 IRIScan Mouse Executive 2 is the only mouse we know of that doubles as a handheld scanner. At first glance, it looks like just another two-button USB (not wireless) mouse with a clickable scroll wheel, but pressing a thumb button on its left side activates a laser sensor that scans an area about two inches wide with each pass of your hand. It obviously takes a little time to swipe back and forth to scan a letter-size page at 400dpi (or an A3 or tabloid page at 300dpi), but the mouse is a great match for business cards or photos. (It even comes with a mouse pad with clear plastic sheath that holds cards steady while scanning.) It does a fine job of adjusting for overlaps or less-than-perfectly-smooth mouse movements.

Who It's For

The IRIScan Mouse and its Cardiris software (along with its general OCR software, which supports 130 languages and exports to everything from Dropbox and Evernote to Microsoft Outlook and Excel) are strictly for low-volume scanning needs, but free you from having to carry a portable scanner on the road. For business cards and occasional short documents, it's a nifty gadget.

PROS

Light and compact.
Highly accurate OCR.
Strong software bundle with cloud and business card archiving.

CONS

Lacks mobile connectivity.
Uses USB cable instead of wireless connection.

Read Our IRIScan Mouse Executive 2 Review

Buying Guide: The Best Scanners for 2023

The first step in scanner buying comes down to a simple thing: what kind or kinds of media you'll be scanning. Knowing what (and how often) you expect to scan will tell you everything you need to know about the features you'll need.

Photos, unbound documents, receipts, and business cards are the most obvious things to scan, but you might also need to scan bound books, magazines, film (slides and negatives), or easily damaged originals like postage stamps. Somewhat less common are objects such as coins or flowers.

You should also consider details such as the maximum size of the originals and whether you'll need to scan both sides of document pages. This will tell you the kind of scanner you should be looking at: a classic flatbed, a model with a sheet feeder, or something else.

Do You Need a Flatbed Scanner, or an Overhead Scanner?

For photos or other easily damaged originals, bound material, and 3D objects, you need a flatbed scanner, which has a large glass platen on which you place the documents, photos, books, or items. (When we talk about scanning objects, here we're talking about scanning three-dimensional objects to two-dimensional images. 3D scanners—which digitize objects to special 3D files for display or printing on a 3D printer—are a different beast entirely.)

Books, magazines, and objects thicker than a sheet of paper or driver's license are good candidates for an overhead scanner, which resembles an old-fashioned overhead projector with an illuminated scanning head that looks down on a flat surface. These work like cameras, snapping pictures of items and feeding them to suitable software for optical character recognition (converting images to editable text) or flattening the curve near the spine of a book.

Delicate originals such as photos and stamps can go through a sheet feeder, but you risk damaging them. If you need to scan this sort of original only once in a while, you may be able to get by with a sheetfed scanner that comes with a plastic carrier to protect the originals. Keep in mind, however, that even brand-new, unscratched plastic carriers can degrade scan quality somewhat. Direct-to-glass is always better.

(Credit: Xerox)

Scanner models tend to stay on the market for a long time between iterations, and this is especially true of flatbed photo scanners. We regularly update our Best Scanners roundup, so should you encounter an "oldie but goodie," it simply means that no similar model that we've reviewed has yet surpassed it.

Does Your Scanner Need a Sheet Feeder?

If your main scanning need is scanning documents on a regular basis—particularly those longer than one or two pages—you almost certainly want a document-centric scanner equipped with a sheet feeder. Having to open a flatbed lid and put a page on the glass is a minor chore, but having to repeat the process 10 times for a 10-page document is tiresome. Some sheetfed scanners can also handle thick originals such as ID cards.

(Credit: Fujitsu)

If you'll primarily be scanning one or two pages at a time, a manual sheet feeder is probably all you need, or you can get by just fine with the scanning capability of an all-in-one (AIO) printer. If you'll be scanning longer documents on a regular basis, however, you'll want an automatic document feeder (ADF) that will scan an entire stack of pages unattended. Pick an ADF capacity based on the number of pages in the typical document you expect to scan. If you occasionally have a document that is more pages than the ADF capacity, you can add more pages during the scan as the feeder processes them. Some ADFs can also handle stacks of business cards well.

Do You Need Duplex (Two-Sided) Scanning?

Duplex scanning means scanning both sides of a page. If you expect to frequently scan documents that are printed on both sides, you'll want a duplexing scanner, a duplexing ADF, or a scanner with a driver that includes a manual-duplex feature.

The best, swiftest duplexing scanners have two scan elements, so they can scan both sides of a page at the same time. A design like this will be faster than a scanner with a simple duplexing ADF, but it will likely also cost more. A more ordinary duplexing ADF will just scan one side, turn the page over mechanically, and only then scan the other.

In contrast, a scanner with a driver that supports manual duplexing will let you scan one side of a stack and then prompts you to flip and re-feed the stack to scan the other side, with the scanner driver automatically interfiling the pages. Manual duplexing in the driver is the most economical alternative, and it is a good choice if you don't scan two-sided documents very often or you're on a tight budget.

What's the Right Resolution for Your Scanner?

For most scanning, having a high enough resolution at your disposal for the job at hand isn't an issue. For, say, tax documents, even a 200-pixel-per-inch (ppi) scan will give you good enough quality for most purposes. A 300ppi scanning resolution is almost always sufficient, and it's hard to find a scanner today that maxes out at less than 600ppi. For photos, unless you plan to zoom in on a small part of the photo or print the photo at a larger size than the original, 600ppi is more than enough.

(Credit: Canon)

Some kinds of originals, however, require higher resolution. If you're scanning 35mm slides or negatives, or something small and finely detailed like a postage stamp, you'll need a scanner that claims an optical resolution of at least 4,800ppi.

Then there's the issue of the maximum scan size you can take. Picking a scanner that can handle the size of the originals you need to scan seems like an obvious point, but it's easy to overlook. For example, most flatbeds have a letter-size platen, which will be a problem if you occasionally need to scan legal-size pages. Most flatbeds with ADFs will scan legal-size pages via the ADF, but not all do, so be sure to check. You can also find scanners with larger flatbeds, but they will, of course, take up more desk space.

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What Software Will You Use?

Most scanners come with basic scanning software. Depending on what you plan to scan, some of the features to look for include optical character recognition (OCR), text indexing, photo editing, and the ability to create searchable PDF documents. The days of platform-specific scanners are over; any modern scanner will work seamlessly with both macOS and Windows, and many of them can also scan to your phone or a cloud drive.

Specialized scanners have software with specialized functions. Receipt scanners come with accounting software for organizing your financial data. Scanners that handle business cards can usually extract the card data into a contact database (assuming the cards aren't too ornately designed for the OCR software to read).

If you're planning to scan photos or other images and then edit them in a program such as Adobe Photoshop, look for a scanner with TWAIN drivers that can scan directly into your photo editing app.

Do You Need a Special-Purpose Scanner?

Finally, consider whether you need a special-purpose scanner. Among the most common special-purpose choices are scanners for business cards (small and highly portable) and receipts (small and equipped with specialized software). Specialized slide scanners are smaller than flatbed scanners, but they're no better at scanning slides than flatbed scanners with equivalent features.

(Credit: Epson)

If you travel often, you might want a portable scanner that's small enough to fit in your laptop bag, or a handheld scanner that you hold and trace over text. Some portable models can operate without a computer attached, scanning to a memory card or smartphone. You can also find some that function as both portable and desktop document scanners by combining a portable scanner with a docking station that includes an ADF.

Depending on what you need to scan, any one of these may be a good choice, either as your only scanner or as a supplement to a general-purpose scanner. We've highlighted a few of our favorite special scanners in the picks above.

So, What's the Best Scanner to Buy?

All-in-one or multifunction printers have built-in scanners, nearly all with flatbeds and many with ADFs. That may be sufficient for light scanning needs. To get the most out of your scanning, however, you'll probably want to get a single-function scanner. Fortunately, there are many models to choose from, and the models below are among the best we've tested. For more focused advice, check out our roundup of the top scanners for photos, as well as our list of the best all-in-one printers, if having a scanner attached to your printer is more appealing. (And finally, after you've digitized all that paper, take a look at the best shredders we've tested.)

The best applications for digitizing negatives for Android

Negatives in photography are gone for a while. However, they were a milestone in the industry as they allowed those photos to be saved quickly and quickly on paper. It seemed their days were numbered, but luckily we will be able to digitize these negatives from Android .

In fact, the process of developing and emulsifying it is a characteristic element that in many cases is reproduced on films, but now it can be done with a simple application. It won't be the same result as a professional scanner, but it's a more affordable way to give a second life to negatives we haven't developed yet. nine0003
Index

1 Scanner of the film Helmut

2 Photography scanner

3 Mobile scanner Kodak

4 Negative image - Invert Image

6 Negative image
7 LightBox for free
70013
9 Photonegative scanner

10 Negative image scanner

11 FilmLab, for analog films

HELMUT 9 film scanner0037
It has an algorithm to apply the appropriate color to the scanned negative. Based on the updates, the app has cleaned up its interface, making it more minimalistic, making it easier to navigate and navigate through its options. Count on your 's own camera shutter to make the process much easier.

Film Scanner HELMUT

Developer: codeunited.dk

Price: It's free

Photonegative scanner

Its interface is very reminiscent of Material Design, but very minimalistic. A curious detail is that before taking a photo, just with the application open, the camera already shows the contents of negative real-time . After taking a photo, we can cut and select only what we want to receive.

Photonegative Scanner: Viewer and

Developer: Frapplabs

Price: It's free

KODAK Mobile Film Scanner

The mythical Kodak camera company also wanted to join this cause to restore the old moments that were recorded on these negatives. To do this, he uses a system similar to what has already been commented on this subject, but with two additional features. The app also scans positives and negatives in black and white.

KODAK Mobile Film Scanner

Pictoscanner

Price: It's free

Negative Image - Invert Image

An application using the same methodology, although several retouches can be applied when scanning negatives to digitize them into images, one of which is that different RGB colors to give them a different look than what was originally. In addition, it is possible to scan negatives in black and white, as well as edit their size. nine0003
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Negative image - inverted image,

Developer: KADA Studio

Price: It's free

Picto Scanner

You can scan positives, color photographs that look like the original portrait, black and white negatives, and regular negatives. It also has a zoom mode to enlarge the area of the image that we are most interested in.

Picto Scanner

Developer: Pictoscanner

Price: It's free

Negative image

We can do both negative scan and reverse scan. In other words, we can select images from the gallery and give them the effect as if they were a negative. Unfortunately, this versatility is limited in the free version, so if we want to access these options, we will have to pay.

Negative image

Developer: Firsoft

Price: It's free

Lightboxes Free

With a slightly more unreliable interface than others, but with a different purpose. It tries to turn the device into a slideshow in which to view the negatives we have, so it should not be confused with an editor.

Lightbox

Developer: Fancy Otter

Price: It's free

Pixeq 9 effect0037
This application does just the opposite. Instead of scanning negatives, apply this effect to images from your gallery. It has several of them, such as the "Cross-Process" emulation effect, one of the most famous in this tone range.

Pixeq Effect Photo Free

Auri

Price: It's free

Photo Negative Scanner

It has several features that, like many others we have included in this list, allow you to both scan negatives to digitize them, and convert current images to this old format. In addition, it contains a fairly simple and clear interface, no designs loaded with decorative elements. nine0003

Negative Image - Negative Photo Scanner

Developer: Kalistan SoftTek

Price: It's free

Negative Image Scanner

Another application that allows you to apply various filters in a simple way when applying filters to images in our gallery. This is achieved by inverting colors to give the effect achieved with negatives in photographs, although unfortunately this is useless for scanning. nine0003

Negative Image - Negative Image Scanner

Developer: Pars Won

Price: It's free

FilmLab, for analog films

The only thing you have to do in this application is to put the negatives on a surface with light. You put your cell phone with the app open, which automatically detects the negative and gives you a preview of the photo. You will see this photo in color as if it had already been developed. You can save this photo to your mobile phone in high resolution if you want later, print it or view it on a big screen. nine0003

FilmLab, for analog films

Developer: Development and Correction, Inc.

Price: It's free

Digitization of photographs and negatives

Faded and discolored photographs have found a new life digitally. Author: John Wade

Every family has its own story, and every story has its own photographs: old color prints, vintage black and white photographs, negatives and films. If this sounds like your situation, why not drag these photo archives into the 21st century? By digitizing old photos, you can breathe new life into them, you can easily retouch and categorize them, and then put them in a convenient place. nine0003
How to scan old photos and films the right way

Digitizing photos with your phone

It's usually not enough to just use your phone's camera to scan an old photo. The resulting image will most likely be distorted due to the uneven position of the phone, and unwanted reflections and glare will most likely be noticeable in the photo itself. To get rid of these problems, it is enough to use a special application.

PhotoScan by Google Photos is a completely free photo digitizing application. At first, you just take a photo. Then you need to alternately point the phone's camera at four points along the edges of the photo card - each time the application will automatically take a new picture. When the scanning process is over, the application combines all versions into one, getting rid of glare and reflections, as well as correcting colors and distortion. PhotoScan has many analogues, so you are sure to find something suitable for you. nine0003
Photo taken using an iPhone under table lamp lighting, causing a large amount of flare in the photo. The second attempt was made using PhotoScan. Author: John Wade

Is it better to use a scanner or a camera to digitize photos?

A more advanced way after digitizing with a phone is to use a camera. You'll need a macro lens to get close enough, and the camera itself needs to be parallel to the surface. For lighting, you can use a table lamp, and preferably two - one on each side. Natural light from a window is also good. This way, only printed photos can be digitized. To convert the film to digital form, instead of lamps, you need to use a lightbox. nine0003
Scanners are a much better way to digitize old photographs. In the case of a flatbed scanner, the photo is placed on the glass, after which special software generates a preliminary version, then the correct cropping, resolution and color depth are selected, after which the finished image is saved to the hard drive. The scanner can also be used to digitize film.

In addition to consumer flatbed scanners, there are special film and negative scanners, usually sharpened for 35mm format, although some models allow you to work with larger formats. A roll of film is fed into the input of such a scanner and then scanned frame by frame. nine0003
How to adjust the color balance

If you digitize a photo using artificial lighting, you may end up with a yellow/orange cast as a result. This is because in Standard mode the camera is set to shoot in daylight, and artificial light often has a warmer tint. By setting the white balance to automatic, you will most likely get an acceptable result, however, in some cases it makes sense to set it manually. Recall that daylight and electronic flashes have a temperature of 5000 K, and an incandescent lamp is 2700-3000 K. Set the appropriate temperature manually and see if it helps. nine0003
Another option is to use fluorescent lights, they just have a temperature in the region of 5000 K. You can always correct the white balance in post-production in Lightroom.

Photo tint under incandescent lighting (left) and after adjusting the white balance in the camera (right).

How to scan photos for the best resolution and color depth

When using a scanner, the resolution set in the program depends on the size of the original and the subsequent use of the digitized photos. Most scanning software measures resolution in dots per inch (dpi). nine0003
If you plan to simply view a digitized image on a computer screen or digital projector, the size should be no more than 600x800 pixels. This means that a 35mm negative or slide needs to be scanned at 600 dpi, and in the case of a large A4 print, 72 dpi will be enough to achieve the same number of pixels.

If you plan to print scanned photos, the resolution should be much higher, around 3500x2500 pixels. In this case, 35mm film should be scanned at 2500 dpi, and for A4 format 300 dpi will suffice. nine0003
The scanning software also allows you to adjust the color depth, typically between 16 and 48 bits. This value corresponds to the amount of color information stored in the image. The more bits allocated for storing color information, the higher the quality and color accuracy will be. For most situations, 24 bits is sufficient.

Monochrome photograph, scanned in color and converted to B/W. Enhanced sharpness, adjusted contrast, creased with the Stamp tool. Author: John Wade

Retouching digitized photos

There are many simple Photoshop techniques that even beginners can use to get the most out of digitized photos. Sometimes, after scanning, photos become too contrasty, or, conversely, you need to get a more contrasting image from a faded photo card. In both cases, the Contrast tool, which is located in the menu Image> Adjustments> Brightness / Contrast (Image> Adjustments> Brightness / Contrast), will help. nine0003
Old photographs taken with non-professional cameras are often slightly blurred. This can usually be corrected, although not completely. Just use the Unsharp Mask tool. To find it, go to the menu Filter> Sharpen> Unsharp mask (Filter> Sharpen> Unsharp mask).

An old, faded photograph from the 70s, restored with Photoshop's Levels and Color Balance adjustments. Author: John Wade

Fading and color balance

The ultraviolet component of daylight breaks down the chemicals in the ink used to print photographs, causing them to fade. At the same time, different colors are affected by ultraviolet light in different ways, which is why old photographs usually have a magenta tint. Fading can be corrected with Levels. To do this, go to the menu Image> Corrections> Levels (Image> Adjustments> Levels). To correct the hue of the photo, the corresponding tool is also used, located in the menu Image> Corrections> Color balance (Image> Adjustments> Color balance). Just drag the sliders to the right for colors that are complementary to the hue you want to correct. Green is the complement of magenta, cyan is the complement of red, and yellow is the complement of blue. nine0003
The best way to fix cracks and bruises is with the Clone Tool and the Healing Brush. The stamp allows you to manually select pixels from a specific area and fill cracks with them. The healing brush automatically selects the most appropriate pixels around the treated area.

These simple techniques will help your digital asset photos look even better than the originals.

How to digitize very old photographs

If photography has been something familiar to your family for a long time, it is quite possible that you have a couple of daguerreotypes or ambrotypes at home. Before the advent of the digital age, both of these species were very difficult to copy. Ambrotypes were made on glass and reflected light very strongly. Daguerreotypes are even worse in this regard - they were applied to silver-plated copper with an almost perfectly mirror surface. Trying to simply take a picture of such a "memory mirror", you will not only get reflections of surrounding objects, but also bright spots of light and even a reflection of the camera lens itself. nine0003
What photographers of past centuries could not imagine was the advent of digital technology. Now both ambrotypes and daguerreotypes can be easily digitized using a conventional scanner. However, it is likely that you will need to increase the contrast of the resulting copy.

Even ancient daguerreotypes from the late 1800s can be easily digitized. Author: John Wade

Ten Tips for Digitizing Photos

Collect old photographs and sort them into categories: family and generations, forgotten holidays, creative shots you took for a photo contest years ago, pets, children, cars, vacation, etc. nine0014
Sort them by year, people, places or other categories.

Separate good-quality photos that can be digitized right away from those that take a lot of work to fix contrast, fading, cracks and creasing, and other minor imperfections.

Select the capture method: macro lens camera or scanner.

If you have the choice of scanning a printout or a negative, it's best to choose the latter. This will give you more details. nine0014
Use a scanner whose software supports Image Correction and Enhancement ( ). In this case, infrared light is used during the initial scan to detect scratches, dust, and fingerprints. The software then compares the two versions of the photo and fixes the defects.

If you don't have a lightbox, you can replace it with a special backlit tablet that artists use to sketch or draw. nine0014
An iPad or other tablet with a dedicated app installed (for example) can also be used as a lightbox replacement.

Scan everything in color. Black and white photos can be converted later. It's also a good idea to create a sepia effect to emphasize the era in which the picture was taken.

Gently remove dust and hair from the negatives before scanning them. Wipe the scanner glass with a soft cloth to remove dust, hair, and fingerprints. nine0014

Equipment

Stand . You need a model that will allow you to fix the camera directly above the photo or install it between the legs of a tripod and put a lightbox under it.

Lightbox or equivalent . Old-fashioned models can be found on eBay or bought from hand. More modern equivalents can be purchased at most stores.

Spirit level . This level can be found in the building department and you will need it to set the camera parallel to the surface on which you will lay the negatives or photographs. nine0014
Fine bristle brush . If you already have a lens brush, it's great for brushing dust and hair off your negatives and slides.

Scanner. Ideal for digitizing black and white and color photographs of any size.

Special film scanner. Suitable mainly for digitizing 35mm negatives and slides. Just keep in mind that when using cheap models, the resolution of digitized photos is very low. If you are going to buy a scanner for film digitizing, it is better to choose a more expensive model with a higher resolution and better color reproduction.
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