Canon Canoscan LiDE 80 Color Image Flatbed Scanner

The Canoscan LiDE series of scanners is perfect for those who are looking to save space or who are on the go but don't want to sacrifice quality and performance. As I've mentioned in previous posts (here), I'm a tablet pc user who is trying to go completely digital this year. And as a student, I get a lot of handouts and miscellaneous loose leaf pages and books that I have scan into my laptop.

Well I actually own a Canoscan LiDE 80 scanner and it has been absolutely vital for my everyday use. While I don't use my scanner to scan my textbooks (that's over 300+ pages to scan!), I do use it to scan class handouts, homework, and old notes. This Canoscan is absolutely perfect for those who need to take their scanning on the go. The scanner is a slim 1.5" thick, which is thinner than 80% of my textbooks and it only weighs one pound so it's lighter than most of my books and the scanner weighs about 1/6 of what my tablet pc weighs! The scanner's dimensions are about that of a legal sized sheet of paper so it even fits perfectly in my backpack or one of my laptop tote's side compartments. It's also powered by the same USB cord that connects it to your computer so there's no extra power cord or adapters to carry around.

While all this is fine and dandy, but what good is a portable scanner if it sucks. Well I can assure you that the Canoscan LiDE 80 does live up to it's claimed specifications of 48-bit color and a 16-bit grayscale and 2,400 x 4,800 non-interpolated resolution. Scans come out beautifully with rich colors and sharp clean text. The included software also has an OCR utility so scanning searchable text and pdf documents are a breeze. There's also an included film adapter unit which can hold 35mm negatives or slides for scanning.

I will have to warn you that when you scan a document, you'll want to align it so that the top left corner of your document is positioned at the bottom left hand corner of the scanner. Basically you'll want to flip whatever you're scanning upside down. And this is not the fastest scanner around, unlike bulkier flatbed scanners, the Canoscan LiDE 80 will not give you a scan in less than 5 seconds, much less the super fast speeds of 1 or 2 seconds of higher priced scanners, so don't plan on using this for heavy duty scanning. However, if what you're looking for is portability and the ability to scan quality high resolution images, then you'll find this to be an excellent scanner.

Technorati: canon, Canoscan LiDE 80, scanner, product review, mobility

Canon's new scanner series

Canon's new lineup of scanners, the CanoScan 8600F, LiDE 600F, CanoScan 4400F, and the LiDE 70 are attractive and designed to fit most lifestyles and budgets.  The CanoScan 8600F, LiDE 600F, and CanoScan 4400F have a maximum optical resolution of 4800 x 9600 dpi for crisp, detailed images. 

These scanners are targetted for scanning photos, films, and negatives.  The CanoScan 8600F and CanoScan4400F have a Film Adapter Unit for scanning 35 mm negatives and slides.  Scanning medium format negatives is also a breeze with the CanoScan 8600F.  In addition to photo scanning, these scanners also have the standard easy access buttons for one touch scans, copies, emails, and PDFs.  There are also special features for document scanning such as automatic document alignment which makes scanning perfect pages easy and quick.

On the CanoScan 8600F, users can scan up to 12 frames of 35mm film, and four mounted slides or medium format negatives.  Canon's FARE Level 3 (FIlm Automatic Retouching and Enhancement) technology corrects dust, scratches, fading, graininess, and fixes backlighting, Canon's new scanners are perfect as an at home photo lab.

Creating PDF documents is now easier than ever.  CanoScan 8600F, LiDE 600F, and CanoScan 4400F have buttons for black and white, color, custom settings, and finish which allow you to easily create multipage PDF documents without ever touching your computer.  The scanners use USB 2.0 connectivity for fast transfers and Canon's software suite including the Canoscan Toolbox and ScanGear software make scanning large projects a breeze.

The CanoScan 8600F is estimated to sell for $179.99.  Designed as a desktop photo lab, this scanner offers high resolution scanning with photography amateurs and professionals in mind.

The LiDE 600F Scanner is estimated to sell for 149.99.  This scanner is designed with small workspaces and mobility in mind.  The unit can be vertically positioned, allowing you to simply drop in your documents or photos.  The scanner can also operate in the standard horizontal position or it can open 180 degrees to scan large objects.  The 35mm film adapter allows users to scan up to six frames at once and FARE level 3 technology cleans up images.

The CanoScan 4400F Scanner is estimated to sell for 99.99 and is a value priced solution for high performance.  This scanner is full of photo and document scanning features and the included software and tools make it easy to correct and enhance images.  The film adapter can also hold up to six 35mm negatives or four mounted slides simultaneously.

The LiDE 70 Scanner is estimated to sell for just 79.99.  A versatile machine that is designed to fit into your budget, the LiDE 70 scanner scanns photos and documents at a maximum of 2400 x 4800 dpi optical resolution.  The Z-Lid also allows you to scan bulky items like textbooks and just one USB cable provides both power and connectivity.

Technorati Tags: canon, canoscan, scanner, photos, film, negatives

Epson Perfection V100 Photo Scanner

This new scanner aimed at casual users was just introduced by Epson on Monday.  The V100 will be available in stores this August and will retail for $99.  The V100 is equipped with USB 2.0 connectivity and has a slim design for scanning in either landscape or portrait orientation.  The scanner lid opens 180 degrees for hassle free scanning of large objects and  it rises 25 mm up for scanning thick 3d objects.  This scanner has 3200 x 9600 dpi resolution and 48-bit color.  The V100 has a built in transparency unit and 3.2 Dmax so it can automatically scan photos, slides, negatives, and documents. It also features one touch buttons for scan, copy, e-mail, and pdf functions.

Technorati Tags: scanner, epson, photo, v100, perfection, flatbed, imaging, negatives

Canon CanoScan LiDE 60 Color Image Scanner

Four front buttons for easy access to automated functions.

• Scan


• Copy


• Create e-mail attachments


• Create PDFs

The USB 2.0 Hi-Speed interface enables fast image transfers to your computer, with previews and scans available in approximately 9 seconds

The CanoScan LiDE series scaners are highly portable and space efficient. The unit measures just 10.1" x 1.5" x 14.7" and weighs 3.97 lbs. One USB cable provides connectivity to your computer and power. Plus, an included desktop stand gives you the option of positioning the scanner vertically to save desk space.

The CanoScan LiDE 60 produces a maximum optical 1200 x 2400 (19200 x 19200 interpolated) color dpi resolution and 48-bit color depth, for over 281 trillion possible colors. The LiDE 60 scanner comes with the CanoScan Toolbox for easy scanning. The scanner can also be accessed through image editing applications which are TWAIN compatible.

For maximum productivity, the Multi-Scan Mode lets you scan multiple images simultaneously and each image is saved as an individual file. The expandable Z-Lid top makes scanning books up to 1" thick vertically an easy task.

What comes included?

• CanoScan LiDE 60 Color Image Scanner


• USB cable, stand


• CanoScan Setup CD-ROM


• Warranty information

As a college student who has to do a lot of research at libraries, the Canon CanoScan LiDE series is the perfect research companion to a laptop. The scanner is small and thin so it fits in both most backpacks and laptop totes. At just 3.97 lbs, CanoScan LiDE 60 is lighter than many laptops and books. It takes at least 9 seconds to scan a page so this is a trade off for portability, but unless you're scanning hundreds of pages, this shouldn't be a significant issue.

Technorati: canon, canoscan, flatbed scanner, imaging, reviews, scanners, document scanning

Canon DR 2580C Document Scanner

The Canon DR-2580C scanner isn't exactly spectacular at first glance.  It's small, measuring 3.2" x 12" x 6.6" and lightweight at just 4.2 pounds.  Papers are fed straight through the automatic document feeder in this scanner so you can scan thick unbendable documents as well as fragile papers.  There is also a flatbed scanning option which can scan documents up to 21.9" x 12.4".  This scanner can work at speeds of 25 pages per minute (ppm) in single side scanning and 50 images in duplex mode.  This scanner by Canon offers 600 dpi maximum resolution, 24-bit color, grayscale, and USB 2.0 connectivity.


Technorati Tags: Canon, scanners, document, imaging

Epson GT 2500 Document Imaging Color Scanner

Here's something special for all of you power scanners out there. This new flatbed scanner from Epson can scan at 1200 DPI (optical) resolution with 48-bit color. The maximum size of documents is 8.5" x 14" and this scanner also comes with a 50 sheet automatic document feeder. What's really cool about this scanner is not that it can achieve speeds of 27 pages per minute (ppm) in monochrome and 11 ppm in color, or that it can achieve resolutions up to 1200 x 1200 dpi, but that it also supports auto duplex scanning.

The Epson GT 2500 is compatible with both Windows and Macintosh systems and it comes with TWAIN and ISIS drivers. As with most new scanners, this device uses USB 2.0 connectivity for fast data transfers. An optional network card also enables this scanner to be shared in small workgroups.

Physical dimensions - 18.43" (468mm) x 15.50" (395mm) x 7.87" (200mm)
Weight - 22.5 lbs (10 kg)


Technorati Tags: epson, scanners, document, imaging

Opticbook 3600 Book and Magazine Scanner by Plustek

If you're like me and you have a tablet pc, then you'll know that one of the greatest obstacles to going completely paperless is getting thousands of pages of books and documents into your computer.  Well, I'll tell you from personal experience that scanning 200 plus pages of a hardcover book on a flatbed scanner is NOT something you want to do regularly.  For students (me) who may have as many as 20 of such books each semester, this becomes a complete nightmare.  Of course you could always just dismantle the book and use an automatic document feeder to scan the pages.  I don't know about you, but I'm really not to eager to destroy books that cost more than my monthly grocery bill...
That's where the Opticbook 3600 book scanner by plustek comes in.  This scanner is made to scan books and other bound printed matter without damaging the book or the repetitive flipping and pressing motions that could give anybody carpal tunnel syndrome. 

With the Opticbook 3600 scanner, there's no need to worry about fuzzy text, shadows, smudges, or text going into raised spines.  What makes this scanner special is the scanning surface of this scanner goes all the way to the edge, there is no border to get in the way of your scan.  Also, notice the dimensions of this scanner, it's extra tall so the other half of the book that you're not scanning can hang easily over the edge.  Did you notice that I said earlier that there's no flipping back and forth with this scanner?  That's because the lid on the Opticbook scanner is reversible, raises two inches upwards for thick books, and even removable.  Just slide the book over so the other page is on the scanning surface and you're set!  There's also easy to use buttons on the side of the scanner for color, gray, text, and book pilot (bundled scanning software) so scanning page after page is just a button push away.  The included software also includes OCR and the ability to create PDF files.

Pages can be scanned at about 8 to 10 seconds which is a lot slower than most quality flatbed scanners, but this scanner is small which means that it is as portable as a textbook, so it's perfect for dorm rooms, crowded computer desks, scanning at the library, or scanning handouts from class.  Also, scans come out beautifully crisp and clear at a maximum resolution of 1200 dpi (optical).  The area of the scanning surface is A4/letter sized so most books will fit.

With the Opticbook 3600 you can scan an entire textbook in less than an hour compared to the hours or days it would take with a regular flatbed scanner.


Technorati Tags: scanners, opticbook, plustek, textbooks, student, tablet pc, digitalize

Syscan Dockport 485 Duplex Color Scanner

The Dockport 485 Duplex Scanner by Syscan is the ultimate on the go portable scanner.  Duplex scanning scans both sides of a document and the Dockport can scan up to legal sized sheets of paper.

• USB 2.0 High Speed Interface.
  
• 25 bit color output and maximum 600 dpi (optical) resolution.
  
• Scans 3 black and white pages per minute and 1 color page per minute.
  
• Can scan document sizes ranging from business cards to legal documents (A4).
  
• Weighs just 505 grams or 17.8 ounces (approx. 1 lb).
  
• Measures 11.8" x 2.4" x 1.9" (300 mm x 61 mm x 48 mm).
  
• USB powered and USB cable is detachable.
  
• Can scan paper thicknesses of 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm.
  
• Comes with PDF creation software
  

Technorati Tags: portable scanner, syscan, duplex

HP Officejet 5610 Printer, Copier, Scanner, Fax

The HP Officejet 5610 scanner, copier, printer, and fax is sure to increase your productivity.

• Print documents with laser-quality black text, and optional 6 ink 4,800 optimized dpi
• Send faxes directly from your scan and filter out junk faxes with the junk fax barrier.
• The HP Officejet 5610 scanner copier also comes with a 25-sheet auto document feeder to speed up and automate scanning, copying, and faxing tasks.
• The flatbed scanner can scan from virtually any document source -- books, reports, photos, and magazines.
• Maximum resolution of 1,200 x 2,400 dpi optical resolution, 48-bit color.
• Fast printer and copier seeds of 20 ppm black, and 13 ppm color.
• A control panel on the machine, quick access buttons, and text display make altering documents, and scanning documents easy without a computer.
• Black and Color faxing possible at 33.6 Kbps.
• Automatically remove red-eye and enhance detail in dark areas of photos with HP Real Life technologies software.
• This HP scanner copier can also copy and print 4" x 6" borderless prints or prints up to 8.5" x 11" with borders.
• HP SureSupply notifies you when your ink is low and even helps you purchase your ink over the internet or locally.

Technorati: HP, Officejet, printer, copier, reviews, scanners, fax

Canon CanoScan 4200F Flatbed Scanner

• Maximum resolution of 3,200 x 6,400 dpi as well as 48-bit color depth, for over 281 trillion possible colors.


• Great for all document scanning needs, photos, slides and negatives, documents, magazines and even books.


• Software for a utomatic retouching and enhancement technology removes dirt and scratches on originals.


• USB 2.0 connectivity means scans and previews can be available in approximately 2.6 seconds


• Four buttons on the scanner provide quick access to automated scan, copy, e-mail, and PDF functions.


• Scan directly from TWAIN compatible image editing applications or use the included CanoScan Toolbox.


• Comes with a film adapter for easy archiving of slides and negatives.


• Expandable Z-Lid allows easy scanning of bulky items like books.


• Dimensions of 10.2" x 18.7" x 3.1".


• Weighs 6.6 lbs.

What comes included?

• CanoScan 4200F Color Image Scanner


• USB cable


• 35mm Film Guide (negatives)


• CanoScan Setup CD-ROM

Technorati: imaging, desktop, canon, canoscan, reviews, scanners, flatbed, document scanning

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