(Part 2) Best office scanners & accessories according to redditors
We found 246 Reddit comments discussing the best office scanners & accessories. We ranked the 117 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 21-40. You can also go back to the previous section.
STEP 1: Invest in one of these babies and one of these so you don't spend an arm and leg for printing.
STEP 2: Bulk buy 500 ct. paper at $3 a pop. Bulk buy really big cheap binders for $6. Let's say color is not important, you'll be printing at $0.03 for black and white. Each piece of paper will cost $0.003 (taking printing front and back into account). A big ass hole puncher will set you back $30. Your initial investment is around $500 for laser printer, scanner, and hole puncher. Cost per product ($500)/# of products + $9 x # of products + $0.033 x pages
STEP 3: Profit (?)
If you're already dragging around a computer, full sized flat beds are pretty light and will fit right in your backpack (if you've got a decent sized backpack) with the laptop. I use this one, and although it's not "portable" per se it's pretty portable to me.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SSXQ7Q2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I bought a slide scanner. I then went into my parents loft (attic) and grabbed literally HUNDREDS of these slides my Father had. Then got them all put onto a memory card and printed out. He spent all day Xmas last year looking at photos he hadn't seen in thirty years.
In a developed country, I would be more worried about preserving proof of identity or ownership, rather than purging information about myself. Imagine if a bank, or even the Federal Government lost your retirement account info, and the burden was on you to prove what your account balance was. Say a loved one is hospitalized during a natural disaster- can you prove to the hospital that you are related?
The strategy that I would take would be:
Awesome!
Film development is a little intimidating at first, but very rewarding (plus it saves you a few bucks!). I’d start with black+white chemistry, that’s the simplest process and it works at room temperature.
You’ll need:
Scanning is only done after you’ve developed everything and got the negatives dry. You can start a holy war here discussing scanners, but if you have a light box and a DSLR (or an iPhone and a jig to align it!) you can get very good scans on the cheap. Lomography sells such a jig for phones:
https://www.amazon.com/Lomography-Smartphone-Film-Photo-Scanner/dp/B00BZSZL64
A few years ago we went completely paperless. We had two huge 4-drawer filing cabinets of crap from years of running two businesses and managing our personal finances. It was unwieldy and we always ended up with huge piles of paper waiting to be filed, and I'd end up spending hours getting stuff together for tax time.
Here's what I did:
My folder structure in Gsuite is:
> Financial
>> Receipts (just scans of receipts for archival purposes)
>>> 2016
>
>>> 2017
>
>>> 2018 etc
>
>> Tax Documents (1099s, W2s, property tax, mortgage interest, etc.)
>>> 2016
>
>>> 2017
>
>>> 2018
So far this has worked extremely well. My accounting firm has access to the Tax Documents folder, and my Xero accounting software. They just wait for my email that everything is there and ready, and they prepare my taxes with all of the information provided.
This is the 2nd tax season we've been on this system and it's working extremely well. I used to file an extension and just dreaded going through getting everything ready for tax time, now I'm just about ready to file and it's not even February. We will be filed by Feb 15 this year at the latest.
Link to case: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RTRL51J/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Hard cases for portable scanners and printers seem to fit 65% keyboards pretty well. To find the best match it takes a little time going through the Amazon search results finding one that matches your 60/65% keyboard. They are cheap too.
Edit: I realize KBD fans has a case, but it did not fit my keyboard and was $35 without shipping, plus the KBDFans case is sold out now.
We use these, and they are fucking awesome. Our DMS system is PaperSave, which is not fucking awesome. My client PCs are all Windows 7 Pro x64.
Voila.
I'd consider it at £600 ($770) and almost certainly get one at £200. As for quality/accuracy I'd be looking for something accurate down to ~ 0.1mm-0.2mm, even 0.5mm-1mm would be useful as a guide in CAD but at a lower price point.
edit:
looks like some stuff exists in the price range, resolution and reviews aren't great tho.
Eh, that's about right. I pay $6 for color $7 for black and white, processing only. If I want print quality scans it's another $7. I go to Photoworks in San Francisco, so it's a bit pricy, but everyone there is extremely helpful and careful with my film. I've gotten burned too many times at store photo labs.
I've been shooting a ton of film, so I think my next major photography investment is going to be in a film scanner so I can just do the scans myself, most likely this one.
Ektar is really nice. Kodak uses the same technology in its Vision line of motion picture films, so that was my first experience with it. Skin tones, especially on darker skinned people, can be a problem depending on lighting.
You're basically limited to flatbed scanners at that price range. I don't know why, but in Europe the Reflecta Proscan 10T is about £400, while the US version is only US$299.
In your price range, I'd recommend the Canon 9000F Mk II. It's not mind-blowing in achievable resolution, but it does well enough, especially with a light touch of sharpening after the fact.
Some examples, all 35mm:
It has the added benefit of scanning 12 frames simultaneously, and it does it quicker (about 45 seconds per frame, give or take depending on your computer) than most dedicated scanners in the lower price ranges.
A lot of my drawings are 18 or 19x24 inches and I don't have a scanner for those. Though I know there are companies out there that can scan large artwork (much larger than mine) for a fee and you may need to ship it.
That being said, [this] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008Y8E1XC/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1) is the scanner I use now. It fits 11x17 in drawings (which is the size I would like to work in from now on.) I've found that it does scan a little light, but can easily be corrected with any basic photo editing software, just adjust brightness/contrass/etc.. This particular scanner is out of sale (on amazon, anyway) but if you do plan on finding/ordering an A3 scanner, make sure that the scanner BED, the place where you will put your drawing/work, is actually A3. A lot of printers/scanner combos advertise A3, but it turns out the scanner is standard 8.5x11in and it prints in A3. It took me a long time to find the scanner I did, unfortunately.
If you aren't able to find a scanner to suit your needs (though if you are working small enough, you should be able to find one in a decent price range and even portable!(ish)) then you should look into researching how to photograph artwork. There's a special skill to it that involves lighting and tools and cameras... Nothing I'm very familiar with. I just mess around with my phone or other camera until I'm frustrated and give up. I do that for a few days before I settle on a mediocre photo.
I don't think I would recommend scanning oil paintings, though you may be able to safely if you do some research! Good luck and I hope this helps.
This is a pretty solid tutorial on how to photograph art.
Also, it might be too much for a student budget, but I picked up a large format Mustek scanner a couple of years back, one of these, and it's done well by me.
How do you determine if an amazon rank is good based on sub-categories? For example:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004YC2WO2
Seller rank of #5 in Electronics > Computers & Accessories > Scanners > Business Card Scanners.
Shouldn't this thing fly off my inventory in a few days once I list it? I know the sales rank chart that gets sent around is helpful showing the top 1, 5, and 10%, but that only shows main categories. How do you determine if something is good in sub-categories?
Depends on how much time you have and how many photos/negatives you have. If its only a few, try your local photo print house (preferably a nice professional non-chain shop). If it is more than a few, try an online place like ScanCafe. If we are talking boxes and boxes and you have time on your hands and are tech savvy, consider a film scanner with infrared channel ($400), a flatbed scanner with touchup software ($150), and scanning software ($80). If you know nothing about photo restoration/touchup, you'd be best to just pay ScanCafe to do it.
I assume you mean US$, what you get depends on what film types you intend to scan.
If you only ever plan to shoot and scan 35mm i would recommend going for a dedicated 35mm scanner like a Plustek 7200 (3250DPI) for $200, or if you wanted the absolute best scanner short of drum scanning then the $400 Pacific Image Prime Film XA (4300DPI) is reckoned to have the highest DPI scan.
If you just want a general purpose scanner for 35mm and 120 (and documents) then something like an Epson V550 (1600DPI) for $160 is fine.
DPI numbers pulled from this page on the wiki.
I use an Epson V500 with third party film holders for 120 and have no problems. Looks like they've added a half decent 120 holder with the V550 so you shouldn't have to spend more for third party ones.
If you're still on the hunt, the Alaris E-series offers better accuracy than the competitors in this class for problem #1. For problem #2, it performs deskewing to correct for shaking/misfeeds. It is over your $120 budget, but I think most of them are. And it's fairly compact. Same footprint as the others mentioned here. (source: I work there)
This
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MTKNTPK/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_i_SVyVDbJ78641K
A lot of 3D scanning is finding the right lighting conditions, the space to move around the subject, and how good is the software. There is probably a next generation coming but the 3D Sense from 3D Systems is a repackaged Realsense with their 3D Sense software. It helps that it has a forward diffuse lighting built-in. The Realsense short-throw has about 3mm resolution. It's a good starter to learn all the ins and outs, get output that isn't totally frustrating. The best thing is have a Windows Surface or touch screen laptop in a harness and walk around the subject with the scanner in one hand. The motion can't be too fast or track will be lost and it can't be too slow because the software will use up all the memory. Not too much of a risk for a learning experience and get useful working material. 3D Sense has some nice finish-up editing.
On Amazon
Yay that your boss went for an Amazon GC :) It's great of you to share!
I really, really want a second gen Nest Protect smoke alarm. Kind of pricey but you get what you pay for in a good way! It's the best selling smoke alarm on Amazon. The company makes really good advanced products. They have dual sensors and a carbon monoxide alarm. No other alarm has that. They interconnect with each other wirelessly, and talk to give you information. They alert your phone and have different color alerts, and more. (Actually, I really want 3 of these, but 1 would be a good start. What we have are so old and crappy that I don't trust them at all. They are the $10 kind, and I should have replaced them at least 3 years ago.) I think this is what people need to be safe.
I also want this professional stainless steel mandoline badly, either one of the versions available, because it's built tougher than the others that have plastic parts. The reviews are so good, and I think it would outlast two of the others, and be easier to use, so it would be very worth it. A lot of the others don't cut as evenly or are difficult to hold and move the fruit or vegetable. I want this for making healthy homemade snacks.
I really need the Levo Deluxe holder for tablets so I can see and use my ereader and old tablet while I'm flat on my back. I'm planning ahead and trying to get the items that will help during recovery from surgery and I won't be able to prop up my head or use the laptop or TV. It's a bit expensive, but this is the second generation one that works better. This holder seems better than all the other ones I've seen because this can suspend the tablet facing down from above. This can also be great for mounting the tablet when you're sitting on the couch or bed, or at a desk, like pictured, so I would use it regularly. (The non-deluxe version is $54.99 on Amazon. They also have a version that stands on the floor instead of clamping on a table.)
I also would be so happy to have the pink vibrator from my NSFW list. I am not linking to it because of it being NSFW. It came out last year and won an award for the unique motion it has. It has some great reviews, and I would love to try it. I think most women should try toys like this one, even if you're currently happy, maybe this would be better!
Another thing that would be extremely cool and useful to have is a portable scanner that is really light and small. Any that's good, but I have put this color mobile document scanner on my wishlist. It has better reviews than the Epson and it's currently cheaper because a seller has refurbished ones available. It's quick and has such good reviews. This will help prevent things from getting lost and cluttered when we are out of town or just out in the car. I think these are going to sell out before you get a chance to decide because Amazon is ranking it number one for mobile scanners. A few minutes ago, the seller had 3 left, and now they have 2 left. But it says "more on the way" so hopefully these can be backordered or gotten later.
Ask FedEx Office or Staples if they would give you a discount for say, 300 pages. If not, try something like this which will cost you a lot less but take you much more time: Brother Printer RDS620 Document Scanner
Yup. Epson Perfection V39, a paid copy of VueScan to bypass copy protection that regular scanner software has, and GIMP to handle editing the scanned images if my other software rejects the images (because of the copy protection).
VueScan is try-before-you-buy. Will leave watermarks everywhere until it's paid for. I scan at 800 dpi, getting ready to use 1,000 dpi.
Epson Perfection V850 Pro scanner https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OCEJMG8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Mgj2DbESVWW6G
I scanned ~50,000 35mm negative frames and nearly 2,000 slides with three of these. I was very happy with the results, and they’re still running!
They have several different transparency adapters, including slides, 35mm strips, medium format film, and oversized film. They’re also great for scanning paper documents under 8.5”x14”.
Good luck!
If you have a computer and a printer/copier/scanner combo, (here's one for sub $100 or if you feel like spending $800+ for one I'd recommend this one). But if you have to take them on your phone then try and make sure you have good light and a stable hand. Also, if you plan on making more art to post here (Which, by the way, yours was great) and have to use your phone you could look into something like this. It's (somewhat) cheap, but it makes it so much easier to scan good quality pictures and documents.
Oh, I see :)
I guess that rules out Canon CanoScan LiDE 220 too? The small size would be very convenient for (And I liked the price as well ;) )
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Canon-CanoScan-LiDE-Compact-Scanner/dp/B00MWLHV2U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1525258263&sr=8-1&keywords=canon+canoscan+lide+220+compact+scanner
Unfortunately Epson doesn't sell refurbished scanners here in Denmark.
What about the Epson V370? I know it has a lower DPI, but how much does that really matter, when I primarily is going to use it with my grainy Lomography pictures? ;)
I also saw that there is wide range of "standalone" film scanners. Are they worth considering?
Something like this:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B072KKDL3N/ref=psdc_430591031_t2_B01HZQZLXW
Penso di aver usato il termine portatile a sproposito. Per me portatile è già questo https://www.amazon.it/Canon-CanoScan-LiDe220-Scanner-Documenti/dp/B00MWLHV2U/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1499778756&sr=1-2&keywords=scanner nel senso che andando solo ad USB puoi portarlo in giro e collegarlo ad un laptop/tablet.
O puoi prendere una prolunga usb e portarlo in giro per casa, magari mettendotelo sulle gambe sul divano mentre guardi un film.
Quelli propriamente portatili non li ho mai provati, mi spiace.
An even cheaper option is PrimeFilm XA which you can get for $380 new (i wish it was this cheap in the UK), 4300 DPI resolved detail, a lot smaller and lighter, can even scan a whole 36exp roll automatically.
Not as quick as an LS-600 but that's a trade off i'll take for 60% of the cost and 1/7^th of the weight (5lbs vs. 37lbs).
NOT these type: http://amzn.com/B00EKW8UEM
They are straight shit for photos and can't handle anything glossy. It's doing good for my documents - so many places still want things faxed - but even that took some calibration.
I was thinking more of a scrolling scanner not a flatbed. Looks like they’re called portable scanners.
https://www.amazon.com/Brother-Scanner-DS-720D-Scanning-Lightweight/dp/B00EKW8UEM
Here’s the Epson models
Only you can decide how much dpi is enough for your scanning needs. You can buy a brand new Aztek Premier and scan at 8000dpi if you want, or you can take pics of your negatives with your cell phone.
But a lot of people are fine with 2000dpi from a lab scanner or flatbed, even though it's only 6 megapixels for a 35mm frame. The Plusteks are a pretty good option since 3250dpi gets you some pretty large files. However, they are so slow that if 3250dpi is the approximate target, I'd say you're better off buying a used d800e and a macro lens, because you can scan a whole roll in ten minutes and then when you're done with that, you also have a nice dslr and lens instead of a big brick of a scanner sitting on your desk that doesn't have many other uses.
The only thing I have experience with and can recommend is either scanning with your dslr or getting a flatbed scanner like this one. Go for either Canon or Epson ones. You may find some used or refurbished ones for less if you're okay with buying used stuff.
http://www.amazon.com/Fujitsu-fi-6130Z-Sheet-Fed-Document-PA03630-B055/dp/B006MI6M7E/
Comes with a complementary copy of Acrobat and misc. OCR utilities.
I've always just used my common sense. First I look at the item itself. Is it a popular item? Is it something people would need, or is it a luxury? etc. Once I figure that out I try and work my way up the categories. I say "ok so it's a popular scanner, but how often do these sell in comparison to other items you may find in computers & accessories".
It's crude, but it's my way of guesstimating a rough idea of the rank.
You could also try and check CCC. The whole not displaying main rank thing is fairy new, so they may have previous sales history to give you an idea. It may be over a year old, but it should still give you some idea.
http://camelcamelcamel.com/DYMO-1760685-CardScan-Personal-Scanner/product/B004YC2WO2
In your case it shows up until Feb 2015. Not so recent, but definitely give you an idea.
EDIT: You can also click on the category above it to see if it's in the top 100 of that category, etc. In your case, it is ranked 69 in "scanners" which isn't too bad.
Also, the amount of sellers as well as whether Amazon carries it is a good indicator. There usually wouldn't be 50+ sellers if it wasn't a decent item.
Hi. Thanks for your post. I'm looking to create something that I can display comfortably on a 1080p TV, touch up in Photoshop/Lightroom and keep for archival backup purposes as an alternative to the slides and basically just make them look 'nice' so my dad can flick through them and smile on his tablet.
The Plustek Opicfilm seems pretty pricey but I was expecting something quite specialist like this to be so. How do you think something like this Veho VFS-008 would perform as a cheaper alternative?
I do actually own a flatbed scanner. It's a Kodak Hero 7.1. One of their all-in-one scanner, inkjet printer office devices. A quick Google led me to a Kodak support page that made me believe it would be unsuitable for the task though:
>Unfortunately, KODAK All-in-One Printers do not have the capability of scanning slides or film. The scanner is designed to scan pictures and documents only. Scanning film requires an extra light to shine through the film for scanning.
$1600 is a little too much for me to be investing to be honest there. Thanks for the suggestion though.
>As others have implied there is a bit of a learning curve when it comes to learning how to scan. I've been doing it for about 3 months now and I'm still learning new things. My biggest fear would be to learn something at slide 290 and decide you want to go back and apply it to all of them.
Any guides or tips to get started scanning properly?
Thanks for the help and suggestions.