What should you consider when buying a photo scanner?

Ranging from the most basic to highly advanced models, there are various types of photo scanners, all giving unique results in terms of output. Typically, all photo scanners perform the same basic function: they use a light and an image scanner to illuminate your picture and make a digital copy of your picture. However, after going through thousands of photo scanner reviews, we have distilled some pointers that can help you choose the scanner that fits your needs. Here are some of the aspects that are important and require your attention.

• Check product functionality: It is important that you choose your scanner based on the kind of work you plan to do with it. If you are a professional, you may require an advanced level scanner. Before buying your photo scanner, you must consider the film format you want to use, the volume of pictures you expect to scan in a given period, and the image quality that you desire in your output.

• Learn about the dust reduction technology used: This will help you reduce the additional cleaning time that you may need to spend on your pictures after they are scanned.

• Read about the scanning resolution: Most photo scanners are described by either their hardware resolution or by their optical resolution. The optical resolution is usually a single number, describing the dots per inch (= dpi) of the horizontal scan of the image. Hardware resolution is in two numbers, such as 600 x 1200 dpi, where the first number is the horizontal resolution, and the second number is the vertical resolution. Photo scanners with a high optical resolution offer a more accurate measurement and an uninterpolated output but may be slightly higher priced.