What are the Best Photo Scanners of 2023?

You can share your photographs with people via email, a website, or social media by scanning them with one of the best photo scanners. There are numerous options available, ranging from functional general-purpose scanners to specialized picture scanners for pros. Depending on how many, what kind, and how high of a quality scan you need, you'll need to decide which option is best for you.

We've chosen the top photo scanners for various needs in the guide below. See our guides to the best home printers, best all in one printers and the best photo printers if you also intend to print copies of your scans.

1. Epson Expression 12000XL Photo Scanner

Important Specifications 

• Media Type: Negatives, Slide, Photo

• Scanner Type: Photo

• Brand: Epson

• Connectivity Technology: USB

• Item Dimensions LxWxH: 25.8 x 18.1 x 8.5 inches

• Resolution: 2400

Product's highlights

A big, tabloid-size graphics arts and picture scanner with exceptional output, the Epson Expression 12000XL-PH is compatible with a wide range of media.

The Epson Expression 12000XL-PH is a costly flatbed scanner that is also big and hefty. Professional photographers will value this wide-format, high-resolution device's double-size scanning area, however, as well as its included transparency unit for scanning slides, transparencies, and negatives. It can handle sheets up to 12.2 by 17.2 inches. It's designed to take up bench space next to your wide-format professional picture printer and pairs Epson's ColorTrue II imaging system with 2,400 by 4800 dpi resolution because it's too huge to fit on a desktop. The latter combines a zero-warmup-time LED light source with MatrixCCD scan technology.

Pros

• Wide-format, high-resolution scanning.

• Scans reflective photographs and artwork in addition to transparencies, negatives, and slides.

• Extremely precise color and detail.

Cons

• Huge and weighty.

• Uninstalled transparency unit is delivered.

2. Canon Canoscan 9000F Mark II flatbed scanner

Important Specifications 

• Media Type: Photo

• Scanner Type: Film, Photo, Document

• Brand: Canon

• Connectivity Technology: USB

• Item Dimensions LxWxH: 18.9 x 4.41 x 10.71 inches

• Resolution: 300, 1200, 19200, 9600, 4800

Product's highlights

The Canoscan 9000F Mark II checks all the necessary boxes if you have the money and want the greatest results. This is due to the 9000F's 48-bit, up to 9600x9600 dpi scanning resolution for film/slides and a quarter of that for photos and documents. It has an adaptor built in that allows it to work with negatives and filmstrips.

Additionally, it can scan directly to a number of cloud-based services and doesn't need any warm-up time. With such a high dpi, you can scan photographs with almost no loss of detail, but at that kind of quality, you should be ready for really large file sizes.

If you wish to scan photographs without any modifications, you'll need to hunt for alternatives to the Canon CanoScan 9000F Mark II because it automatically enhances images when digitizing them.

Pros

• Able to scan a variety of media

• Extraordinary resolution

Cons

• Bundled software may be preferable.

3. Epson Perfection V850 Pro

Important Specifications 

• Media Type: Slide, Photo

• Scanner Type: Photo

• Brand: Epson

• Connectivity Technology: USB

• Item Dimensions LxWxH: 12.1 x 19.8 x 6 inches

• Resolution: 9600

Product's highlights

Depending on your demands, all of the photo scanners we've so far recommended are good choices for general usage, but they might not be able to meet more stringent professional standards. The Epson Perfection V850 is one of the best photo scanners for pros if you want exceptionally excellent quality. In order to scan film negatives and slides, you can increase the resolution to 6400 dpi from the standard 4800 dpi.

Additionally, it has dual-lens technology built in, which chooses the ideal lens to use for scanning based on the image you are utilizing. Similar to the less expensive Epson Perfection V600, it has Digital ICE technology for erasing dust and scratches from old photographs. It also has a high dynamic range, which means that every print you feed it should have the exact same tone and color. This is obviously a choice for professional photographers and the most dedicated amateurs that want this degree of quality, as it is several times more expensive than the majority of the other photo scanners in our selection.

• Outstanding resolution

• A broad dynamic range

• Fantastic for prints and film

Cons

• Big and Heavy

4. Epson FastFoto FF-680W

Important Specifications 

• Media Type: Post Card, Photo

• Scanner Type: Photo, Document

• Brand: Epson

• Connectivity Technology: Wi-Fi

• Item Dimensions LxWxH: 6.7 x 11.7 x 6.9 inches

• Resolution: 1200

Product's highlights

For the most part, scanning images is a rather arduous task, as anyone who has done it will attest. The Epson FastFoto FF-680W can be a good option if you have a lot of images and want to scan them rapidly. As the name suggests, this scanner is made to be quick. For batch scanning, 36 photos can be loaded at once, and it can handle one photo at 300 dpi per second.

Although it won't meet all users' needs, that resolution should be adequate for online image sharing. If you want to squeeze out a little more detail while giving up some of that lightning-fast speed, you may increase the resolution to 600dpi. The FastFoto FF-680W is a wonderful option for fast digitizing negatives if you don't require the finest detail and you have boxes and boxes of negatives taking up space. Additionally, the best ones can always be rescanned at a greater quality.

Pros

• Amazingly quick

• Outstanding for batch scanning

Cons

• Short on features

5. Canon DR-C225W II

Important Specifications 

• Brand: Canon

• Item Dimensions LxWxH: 6.14 x 8.66 x 11.81 inches

• Resolution: 600

• Item Weight: 2.7 Kilograms

• Wattage: 15.6 watts

• Sheet Size: A4

Product's highlights

Lacking room for a desk? The Canon DR-C225W II slimline document scanner is another alternative that is considerably smaller than many of the finest photo scanners, albeit it isn't as portable as the P-208II at number 4. Since it is primarily intended for scanning A4 papers, its sheet-fed design is probably not that suited for older, more delicate prints, but it is a compact, slimline scanner with solid results.

It can handle up to 30 sheets in the feeder and can scan in color at a speed of up to 25 pages per minute (greater resolutions will obviously require a longer scan time). You won't need to worry about your desk being cluttered with connections thanks to its Wi-Fi connection. Only Windows can use this scanner.

Pros

• Compact

• 30 sheets available

Cons

• Mainly for paperwork

1. How should you select the ideal photo scanners for you?

You should consider a few variables to get the greatest picture scanner before making your own choice. Do you first want a simple photo scanner or an all-in-one device that can do more than simply scan?

You should consider the size of the photos or documents you intend to scan. Are they considerably larger or only 4-by-6-inch images? If you want to batch scan photos or scan negatives, your options will change as well.

Next, you should assess the scanner resolution. If you plan to increase the scans for home décor, you should choose 1200 to 3200 dpi; otherwise, 300 dpi should be adequate for the majority of uses. Don't forget to verify the scanning speed, cost, and whether the scanner enhances the images when scanning.

2. Which is better, scanning or photographing old photos?

You might believe that all it takes to digitise old physical images is to just take a picture of them with your phone or a digital camera. A smartphone can undoubtedly be more practical than a scanner because you'll always have it with you, and some of the top camera phones can capture images that are sufficient for an instant social media post. However, if you can afford one, using one of the best picture scanners is a far better option because the scan's quality will be considerably higher and more appropriate for reprinting or other types of reproduction.

3. Can a photo be damaged during scanning?

If you handle antique images carefully, scanning them shouldn't harm them in any way. Flattening the images for the scanner may result in some cracks or other damage if they have curled and are physically delicate due to their age, although this is rare. While scanning won't harm most photographs, it can be a good idea to utilize a professional digitising or archiving service for exceptionally old photographs. 

The models we've chosen to feature here range from low-cost consumer products to scanners made for serious photographers, whether they are pros or experienced amateurs. These items all share the distinction of being the top photo scanners available right now in their respective categories.