Best Scanner to Scan a Boatload of Photos? (1 Viewer)

[Johnny Angell]

I have thousands of family photos hidden away in our closets. I’d like to get the scanned and digitally saved. I found a place that will scan about 1800 photos at 150 dpi for $145. 300 dpi costs $259. The site is scanmyphotos dot com. After looking at the box the photos would be shipped in, I’m sure I’d could fill 5 boxes and probably more. Just 4 boxes is over a $1000.

For that money, I should be able to get a good scanner with a good photo reader. Recommendations anyone? I have the 27” iMac, must be 2 years old now and it’s humming along. What’s out there that would be a good fit for me. I’d really like to scan the fotos in batches of 50? Is that expecting too much?

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Johnny,

I have a desktop scanner made by Fujitsu. It costs about $400. I wouldn't necessarily recommend you go that route.

I just did a simple search on Amazon. I would go for the one that not only best fits your budget but gets the most favorable reviews

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=photo+scanner

Hope that helps

 

[Johnny Angell]

This one looks very interesting: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DLX26BB/ref=ask_ql_qh_dp_hza

 

[JohnRice]

Johnny, by photos do you mean prints? And what sizes are they?

 

[Rodney]

I would be concerned not only on the cost of the scanner itself, but the time investment, both in learning to scan your photos optimally and then the actual time to scan, and add that into your decision process. If you plan on using the scanner beyond the initial photos you have, then it might be worth it. Otherwise it might actually be more economical to have a service do it.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Johnny,

If you are planning to spend that much money go with the Fujitsu instead

https://www.amazon.com/Fujitsu-Scan...160379&sr=1-3&keywords=fujitsu+scansnap+ix500

That is the one I have and it's probably a better scanner than the Epson.

 

[KeithAP]

Everyone has different ideas how much their time is worth. It seems to me, based on your description, it is conceivable this could take 100 hours or more of your time (and I am betting more).

If a scanning service charges you $1500 and doing it yourself you spend $500 on a scanner, the extra $1000 for the service cost would be a "no-brainer" for me.

I know two people that have started similar projects doing the scans themselves. Both stopped early on, once they started scanning and saw how much time it was actually taking, and had services finish the scans for them. One used Costco, the other I am not sure who they used, both wished they had just used the services from the beginning.

Good luck whichever way you go.

Regards,
Keith

 

[Johnny Angell]

Johnny, by photos do you mean prints? And what sizes are they?

The typical mixture of family photos. I think most will be 4x6 with some odd sizes in there.

Johnny,

If you are planning to spend that much money go with the Fujitsu instead

https://www.amazon.com/Fujitsu-Scan...160379&sr=1-3&keywords=fujitsu+scansnap+ix500

That is the one I have and it's probably a better scanner than the Epson.

The Epson will auto-detect writing or other info on the back and scan it. I see the Fujitsu scans both sides, but does do it like the Epson or just every photo? It will probably be a while before we make the purchase. Got to organize the photos first.

 

[DaveF]

Do you have the negatives? It’s best to scan the original negatives.

 

[B-ROLL]

I've heard you can rent scanners or find a store with a long return period and return the scanner after you use it... there might be a restocking fee ... this was recommended by a genealogy radio show I would sometimes listen to ...

 

[JohnRice]

For a show to actually recommend buying a scanner, completing a project with it, then returning it shows them to be truly rotten people.

 

[Vic Pardo]

Question: to those who've sent photos to a scanning service, do the results look acceptable to you? I.e. does the scanning service do as good a job as the owner of the photos would do? I've so far done all my scanning myself. My photos come in all sorts of sizes and if I don't crop them right after the initial scan, there can be a strip of white at the bottom which means I have to do them over. I'm just wondering if a scanning service is that diligent.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

First, if you are like me and keep receipts in the digital realm for tax purposes, there is nothing like having a really good reliable scanner.

The Fujitsu scanner is the best in its class.

Honestly, I can't answer your question about photos. I never used it for that purpose.

However, I absolutely abhor Epson. Their printers are absolute shit. When I saw that brand name on the scanner my insides curdled.

I just don't trust any Epson product.

Here is what I would do since you have time.

Read reviews on both scanners from Amazon customers.

Post a question on the Fujitsu page about the automatic detection. If it does do that, by all means, buy the Fujitsu over that Epson.

Finally...

I would never, ever, buy a product for a project and then return it to the store when I was done. That's unethical.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Johnny,

You will need some software as well as the scanner to properly scan and edit your photos. I have a Canon scanner that I use to do this occasionally, and use Adobe's Photoshop Elements to scan and process the photos. It can be time consuming, trying to get the color and contrast just right, as well as cleaning up dust and scratches.

 

[Johnny Angell]

First, if you are like me and keep receipts in the digital realm for tax purposes, there is nothing like having a really good reliable scanner.

The Fujitsu scanner is the best in its class.

Honestly, I can't answer your question about photos. I never used it for that purpose.

However, I absolutely abhor Epson. Their printers are absolute shit. When I saw that brand name on the scanner my insides curdled.

I just don't trust any Epson product.

Here is what I would do since you have time.

Read reviews on both scanners from Amazon customers.

Post a question on the Fujitsu page about the automatic detection. If it does do that, by all means, buy the Fujitsu over that Epson.

Finally...

I would never, ever, buy a product for a project and then return it to the store when I was done. That's unethical.

I know I have more research to do. One project that positively has to be done first is to organize the photos before scanning. I will read up on the Fujitsu, but I’ve not had the problem with Epson products that you have.

Johnny,

You will need some software as well as the scanner to properly scan and edit your photos. I have a Canon scanner that I use to do this occasionally, and use Adobe's Photoshop Elements to scan and process the photos. It can be time consuming, trying to get the color and contrast just right, as well as cleaning up dust and scratches.

I have Photoshop CS6 but I have no intent to edit and adjust each photo when there will be thousands of them. I do know the Epson scanner software will automatically adjust the color and white balance.

I will not be buying a scanner to use and then return. I liked to save money, but not that way.

 

[Johnny Angell]

The scanners that scan both sides automatically, how do they do that? Does the document handler flip the photos or does the scanner actually have scanning on top and bottom? Seems the former would have a higher likely hood of jamming.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

The desktop scanners scan both sides with a single pass.

The Fujitsu comes with ScanSnap software that you can adjust scanning (single or double-sided).

 

[Johnny Angell]

Johnny,

If you are planning to spend that much money go with the Fujitsu instead

https://www.amazon.com/Fujitsu-Scan...160379&sr=1-3&keywords=fujitsu+scansnap+ix500

That is the one I have and it's probably a better scanner than the Epson.

Your link shows a scanner with 4 models. Is the one you have the Scansnap?

 

[JQuintana]

I this isn't a time critical project, I would 100% hand it over to one of those photo services and call it good. Do a box now, see how they come out, the budget for the next box later.

No way in hell I'd try to do it myself. WAY WAY too frustrating and time consuming for that many photos.

 

[Johnny Angell]

The desktop scanners scan both sides with a single pass.

The Fujitsu comes with ScanSnap software that you can adjust scanning (single or double-sided).

That explains why they cost more. There is essentially two scanners in each machine.