Best Scanners

The Best Scanners of 2005

Determining the best scanners of 2005 is not a simple task. There are so many different variables to consider. Which variables are most important? Is the price of the scanner more important than the ease of use or slide scanning features? Some argue that dust-removing features are critical to quality scanning. Others insist that high-resolution photo and document scanning features determine the best scanner. I guess you’ll have to be the judge on that.

If you look at scanner reviews from PC World, PC Magazines, Cnet and Mac World, one scanner stands out. The Canon CanoScan 9950F is rated high by all the reviews of these well known magazines. The Canon 9950F is rated very high for ease of use and slide-scanning capabilities. The 9950F scanner also rated as the best corporate scanner, excelling at scanning slides with 4800-dpi resolution. However, it is rated poorly on dust and scratch removal features.

The Canon 9950 was also rated higher in transparency and negative scanning. However, the Epson Perfection 4870 did a better job with color photos. In terms of price, three Epson scanners stood out: the Perfection 2580 Photo, the Perfection 4180 and the Perfection 2480 scanner.

Cnet.com editors gave their Editor’s Choice award to the Microtek ScanMaker I900 as being the top in scan quality and dual scanning bed design. They favored the Nikon CoolScan V for its outstanding film scans and the Digital ICE4 scanner for its dust and scratch removal facility. 

Other scanners mentioned included the Minolta DiMAGE Scan Elite 5400. Reviewer Gary Berline writes the Microtek ScanMaker i320 was rated high on bringing back dead photos with spooky skill. The Fujitsu ScanSnap fi- 511EOX is a scanner with a fifty-sheet ADF and the ability to scan both sides of a page simultaneously.

If you’re in the market for a scanner, check these out. Depending upon your scanning needs, any of these scanners could fill the bill.

About The Author:

Larry Andrew is an educational consultant, author and publisher of www.ez-printer-ink.com. Purchasing printer ink, toner and inkjet cartridges on line should be fast, convenient and cost-effective.

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Best Scanners