scanner for photo backup

[AB Editor]

Afternoon,

Personal one this: can anyone recommend a scanner which will retain the quality of photos scanned in? While I understand the restrictions due to the photo size, but how do I pick one to get the best results?

My dear mother wants to copy all her photos onto her computer. So I need something which also is:

Easy to use

Easy to understand

Just to make the process as easy as possible for her! I invite all suggestions and experiences regarding this kind of thing!


Thanks in advance.

[jno]

you can also scan in negatives, which might be helpful if the prints have faded at all. Ordinary scanners don't do that, you'd need one with special functions and a doodad to hold the negs (same as for slides). Then you just push Button B and it reverses them into regular colours.

Can't help with useful models but if you browse through Buenchico's threads he might have mentioned some in the past.

[AB Editor]

Thanks jno - I was going to keep the negs regardless. I think most of the photos are ok though as it's usually a case of "one look and store" round here!

[Frank97]

I was going to do this last year until it occured to me that once I had done I would no longer need a scanner, so I sorted all the ones I wanted scanned and took them to a local shop to get it done, cost me about £25, much cheaper than buying the thing.

[echokilo]

I have a HP Deskjet 3050 printer, copier and scanner - and I find the quality of scanned images to be excellent - worth downloading Picasa which is useful photo editing software which allows removal of blemishes, red eye, amending colour, contrast etc etc. If she has slides - my £40 slide scanned from Maplin is quick and brilliant .... and on this link it's been reduced to £24.99 Great value as companies charge £1upwards per slide to convert to .jpegs!!

[woofgang]

I can't recommend a brand but to keep the quality you want as high a resolution as possible. look for 300 dpi (dots per inch) or better. This will result in big files and you will need to make sure that you have enough storage.

[bazwillrun]

"but to keep the quality you want as high a resolution as possible. look for 300 dpi (dots per inch) or better."

Depends on what youre going to do with the scans

If you are going to print them out then scanning at 200 -300dpi is fine.
If you want to print them at double size then scan at 600dpi and so on.
To just look at them on them on a PC screen or Telly , all you need is enough pixels to cover the screen

[woofgang]

I agree baz but on the assumption that you will only want to do this once, isn't it better to do it at a resolution that will then be useful for anything? If you want to correct cracks, blemishes etc then 200 dpi is not enough.

[HowardKennitby]

No idea about current stuff but my Canon scanner has given good service for a few years and is reasonably easy to use.

[bazwillrun]

"If you want to correct cracks, blemishes etc then 200 dpi is not enough. "

I have a feeling this is'nt going to be the case here

[whiskeryron]

http://www.pixmania.c...ePromo=oui#pix-review

[woofgang]

Baz in my experience, its often the case that people who "only want to copy and save" then find that they or relis do want to start to improve the photos, once they find out how comparatively easy it is to do it. If its not the person who wanted the scans, its younger family members who want to make gifts and so on.

[anotheoldgit]

Hi Ed,

I use a HP Photosmart C4680 Print-Scan-Copy printer, which is easy to use and copies beautifully.

It takes two HP 300 cartridges one Black the other Tri-Colour which cost £18.49 for the 2 pack, from Amazon a few days ago.

[AB Editor]

Thanks everyone, most enlightening :)