Easy to use and simple in its focus, the GT-1500 does an adequate job of photo- and document-scanning.

Fast ; high bit scans

Clunky OCR software ; no transparency- or slide-scanning

The GT-1500 can quickly scan multiple sheets at a time thanks to an automatic document feeder (ADF) capable of holding as many as 40 sheets, as large as 8.5 by 14 inches. Although you're limited to a maximum scanning resolution of 600 dpi when using ...

Though its appeal is limited by its stand-alone nature, the Perfection V300 Photo, with its 4800 dpi optical scanning resolution and transparency scan support, is a good choice for those looking to take their snapshots, negatives, and slides into the ...

Inexpensive ; fast

Limited transparency support

The included Epson Scan software is easy to use, offering many different modes, from full-auto to advanced, depending on the amount of control you want over your scan settings. The software includes tools to automatically restore color to faded ...

With its support for many pro-level transparency types and two full-featured professional software packages, the ArtixScan M1 Pro is a step up, both in quality and in price, from consumer photo and document scanners.

Large scanning bed ; support for most transparency types ; advanced software ; high quality scans

Loud ; buggy Photoshop plug-in for one of the two scanning applications

With its support for many pro-level transparency types and two full-featured professional software packages, the ArtixScan M1 Pro is a step up, both in quality and in price, from consumer photo and document scanners.

Large scanning bed ; support for most transparency types ; advanced software ; high quality scans

Loud ; buggy Photoshop plug-in for one of the two scanning applications

The ArtixScan M1 Pro features an 8.5-by-14-inch reflective scanning bed for 48-bit digitizing of documents and printed photos. It connects to your Mac via USB 2.0. The M1 Pro can also scan transparencies, such as slides and film, in sizes up to 8.5 by ...

Fujitsu's ScanSnap S300M takes the technology from the company's desktop document scanners, and puts it into a portable device. The S300M is speedy and easy to use, but it does have some limitations.

Fast ; scans double-sided pages in one pass ; automatic paper-size sensor ; portable design ; bus-power option

No bundled OCR software ; bundled Cardiris software is inaccurate

Unfortunately, Fujitsu doesn't bundle any OCR software with the S300M. However, since you can scan to a PDF file, you can use Adobe Acrobat's OCR Text Recognition feature

Fujitsu's ScanSnap S300M takes the technology from the company's desktop document scanners, and puts it into a portable device. The S300M is speedy and easy to use, but it does have some limitations.

If you want to turn your paper archives into searchable PDFs, it doesn't get any easier than the Fujitsu ScanSnap S510M. At $495 it's not cheap-but its bundled software alone is worth far more than the scanner itself.

Automatic two-sided scanning ; fast ; automatic OCR ; handles small and oversize pages

Quick Menu feature doesn't work with Entourage ; OCR software can't keep up with scanner ; fairly expensive

Unlike flatbed scanners made primarily for scanning images, the ScanSnap has a compact, upright design more appropriate for scanning documents. It can churn through stacks of up to 50 sheets of paper at a time, scanning both sides of the page at once ...

Although it was a little slow to warm up, and its photo scans were a touch dark, the CanoScan 8600F proved to be a very good all-around scanner and should definitely be considered if you are looking for a high-quality photo and document scanner.

Built-in transparency adapter ; speedy scans ; very good scan quality

Slow to warm up ; photo scans a bit dark

There are seven handy task buttons on top of this silver and black flatbed scanner; these automate a number of tasks, such as scanning a document into PDF format, importing photos or slides into the image editor of your choosing, or scanning a ...

The HP Scanjet G4010 Photo Scanner is a very capable desktop scanner with an impressive list of features, such as built-in transparency scanning for slides and film and six-color scans of reflective media.

Built-in transparency unit for scanning film and slides ; six-color scanning for hard-to-scan objects

Sluggish scanning speeds ; slide scans lack detail ; clunky scanning software

The G4010 is the first scanner I know of that generates scans from more than three colors. Most scanners have one lamp to illuminate an image or object, and a three-color RGB (red, green, and blue) sensor. The G4010 also sports an RGB sensor, but if ...

The Epson Perfection V350 Photo is a swift flatbed scanner that makes it easy to output colorful and pleasing images.

Built-in transparency scanning with automatic film loader ; sleek design ; easy to use ; flexible software appeals to different levels of users ; swift ; accurate dust removal

Transparency scans lack detail ; scans were a bit dark and had a slight blue cast

The V350sports a silver-and-gray case with a sleek, low-profile design and has a hinged lid for scanning thick and oddly shaped objects. It ships with Epson Scan software, which works in three modes: Full Auto Mode for basic scanning with very few ...