Canon DR 3080C Scanner Review

The Canon DR 3080C sheet-fed scanner is a small, light-weight scanner that is perfect for small businesses with limited space. It has some areas that could be better, but for its low price, it could be juuuustttt right for you and your small business!

Dimensions:

• 13.5 in. x 11 in. x 7.5 in.
• 18 lbs.
• Really compact and light-weight. It’s perfect for cramped offices and tight spaces.

Scan Resolution:

• 300 DPI.
• Your text documents will look pretty good.
• I wouldn’t recommend too much image scanning, as the resolution won’t do your images justice.

Speed:

• Black and White: 43 PPM.
• Color: 10 PPM.
• While not lightning fast, it’s not super slow, either. The black and white is a respectable speed, and for many businesses, black and white scans will make up 99% of all their scanning.

Media:

• As it’s a sheet-fed scanner, plain paper products (or paper products that aren’t too much thicker, such as business cards) are compatible with this scanner.
• Minimum scan size of 2.2 in. x 2.8 in.
• Maximum scan size of 10.1 in. x 39.4 in.

Other Features:

• Automatic document feeder (ADF) with 100 sheet capacity.
• On screen “scan panel” for easy operation.

Overall Rating: 7/10

The Canon DR 3080C scanner leaves a lot to be desired. Its scan resolution is OK, but nothing amazing, just like its scan speed. It doesn’t have many extras, and it doesn’t have the versatility that a flatbed scanner would provide. However, it is a fairly inexpensive scanner that is very light-weight and compact, and more importantly it will get the job done. For its low cost, it could definitely be an asset to a company that has a small budget but a need for a reliable scanner.

Like I said, the Canon DR 3080C scanner isn’t for everyone. Some businesses need faster speed or higher resolution. However, if you need an inexpensive scanner that is reliable, it could be just right for your small business! If you’re interested in buying one, they’re sold on Ebay and ScannerParts.Biz!

Panasonic KV SS905C Scanner Review

 The Panasonic KV SS905C scanner is a bulky, yet high-speed, high scan resolution scanner. It doesn’t have many “extra” features like some of its counterparts do, but its high points are incredibly high! It could be just right for your scan-heavy business!

Dimensions:

• 24.7 in. x 21.5 in. x 16.3 in.
• 114 lbs.
• It’s a fairly large scanner, and definitely heavy.

Scan Resolution:

• 600 DPI.
• Pretty great resolution. Text documents will look flawless, and images will be decently good.

Speed:

• 98 PPM.
• Super fast. Like, 2-5 times as fast as most other scanners. Compared to other scanners, its in the 99th percentile for sure.

Media:

• Maximum scan size of 11 in. x 17 in.
• Paper products, as there’s no flatbed to give you more versatility.

Other Features:

• Automatic document feeder with 1000 sheet capacity.
• Additional software available for long paper scanning (up to 180 feet).
• Advanced Panasonic Image Enhancement Technology including Dynamic Threshold Technology.

Overall Rating: 8/10

The Panasonic KV SS905C scanner got a pretty high rating even though it leaves a lot to be desired. No, it’s not perfect, but this is clearly a scanner that was designed for a specific purpose: high-volume scanning. Some businesses only need to scan a few times a day. This is not the scanner for you. Its incredibly fast speed and its automatic document feeder with 1000 sheet capacity combined with its high scan resolution makes it perfect for any business with a lot of text scans to do. It’s lacking in the “extras” department, sure, but like I said, this scanner was made for businesses that don’t really need those extras anyways.

Overall, the KV SS905C has some great high points while also having some areas that leave you wanting more. However, if you just need a scanner that’s quick and gives a great scan, this Panasonic model could be perfect for you. If you’re looking to buy one, they’re sold on Ebay and ScannerParts.Biz!

Fujitsu fi-4860C Sheet-fed Scanner Review

The Fujitsu fi-4860C sheet-fed scanner is a compact color scanner that can serve the needs of any small business with scanning needs. Let’s get into the details.

Dimensions:

• 20.5 in. x 17 in. x 20.6 in. and weighing in at right around 100 lbs.
• The fi-4860C could fit in even the most cramped of workplaces, but you might break your back if you ever have to move it.

Scan Resolution:

• Optical resolution of 400 DPI.  Not too shabby, but not amazing either.
• It’ll be fine for text-based documents, but you should probably go a different route for image scanning.

Speed:

• 63 PPM for color scans
• 74 PPM for black and white scans
• Obviously that’s super fast. More than 1 per second means you aren’t standing in line at the scanner all day.

Media:

• Minimum scan of 2.9 in. x 2.9 in.
• Maximum scan of 11.7 in. x 17 in.
• Scans plain paper. It can scan small business cards to large, A3 pages, so long as they are plain paper.

Other Features:

• SCSI connectivity.
• 500 page ADF (automatic document feeder).
• Page-end detection.
• Compatible with PC.

Overall Rating: 6/10

The fi-4860C scanner could be a 10/10 for so many businesses. It has a plethora of great features such as fast scanning, huge ADF capacity, small storage space needed, the list goes on. However, there are some short-comings to this scanner that make it only a 6/10 for me.

• It is a sheet-fed scanner. Which could be perfectly great for your business. But, I think flatbed scanners allow for more versatility and options when it comes to your scanning needs. Sheet-fed scanners are more prone to paper jams and complications than flatbed scanners, but flatbed scanners generally take up more space.
• It’s incredibly heavy. Okay maybe that’s just my incredibly weak upper-body talking, but for something so small, how does it weight that much? It could end up being a total hassle to move around.
• The scan resolution is pretty low. Again, maybe you’re only ever scanning text documents. But wouldn’t it be nice to have the option to produce a crisp image scan should a situation arise where you needed to?

This scanner really is a great scanner. But, as far as an “all-around” scanner goes, there are probably better ones to be had. That being said, if all your business needs is a quick, text-heavy scanner, then the fi-4860C could be perfect for you.

If you think the Fujitsu fi-4860C is a match made in heaven for your business, we’ve got you covered. You can find it on eBay or ScannerParts.Biz!

The Best Flatbed Scanners for any Budget

You know when you go to the grocery store, and there’s a million different pasta sauces? Different brands, different ingredients, organic or not, you get the picture. It’s exhausting. I just want some red sauce to put on my spaghetti. We’ve all been there. Shopping for scanners is basically the same, except you don’t get a delicious meal at the end of it.

I’m breaking down some of the best flatbed scanners out there based on price points in hopes that you can forego the endless research and headaches associated with buying electronics. Don’t worry, I’ll scale ’em for you by prices from $–$$$$$.

$: For a low price, just $60, the Canon CanoScan LiDE 210 still packs a punch.  If you won’t be doing too much heavy-duty document scanning then this could be a great option for you. They have great image quality and a sleek design, are lightweight and easily stored, and can scan any of your basic needs. The negatives? Well, some reviews say its software can be finicky and not always as intuitive as some might like. Additionally, its OCR is said to not be up to par. To be fair, it’s only $65 for a fully functional scanner. As they say, beggars can’t be choosers.

$$: Moving on up, the Epson Perfection V370 could be perfect for your home or office if you’ve got a little more cash to spend. At just $119.99, this flatbed scanner is still incredibly affordable. It’s great because it can scan a full-sized sheet of paper as well as photos and film. It also is incredibly easy to scan to cloud services (Google Docs, Evernote, etc.). Some drawbacks: the scanner has had some issues with software compatibility. Some say that it doesn’t work with Macs, others say it’s Windows 7 that’s the problem. It could just be that reviewers aren’t tech-savvy and couldn’t figure out the set-up process, but be aware that your computer might have some issues with set-up and getting started with this scanner.

$$$: In the middle of the road, we have the Fujitsu ScanSnap S1300i. It comes in at $249.99. It features an automatic feeder, OCR capabilities that can convert to editable Word, Excel, and PDF documents,  and the ability to scan 12 double-sided pages per minute. It’s very lightweight at just 3 pounds and is compatible with both Mac and PCs. What more could you want?! I’ll tell you. Some shortcomings: There is no TWAIN, WIA, or ISIS support, which means that the scanner isn’t able to work with any 3rd party application interface. This can be tricky for office use. If you don’t need those things, though, this scanner otherwise comes very highly recommended.

$$$$: Beginning the higher-end scanners we’re going with the Visioneer OneTouch 9520. It goes for about $349, give or take. The OneTouch has amazing image quality, and can scan more than 281 trillion colors. Yes, that’s with a “tr-“. Its scan density is insane, making it possible to scan film and film negatives without any degradation in quality. It also supports optical character recognition (OCR) so, like the ScanSnap, it can create editable documents from your scans. It also is a great option for anyone doing 3D scans. Any downfalls? Although it is compatible with Mac and Windows, there have been reports of it not being very “user-friendly.” It also is said to have a short lamp life, but you can always buy another lamp and replace it.

$$$$$:  The granddaddy of them all. Okay, we may have made a little bit of jump. At $1,099.99 we have the luxe HP Scanjet N6350. This is the scanner you think of when you envision an office scanner. It’s big, has an automatic document feeder (that holds a whopping 50 sheets), and is mostly used for plain old paper. What makes this (possibly) worth your wild is that it’s consistent. HP is a trusted name in scanners and printers, and their customer service is top-notch. If something goes wrong, you will most likely be helped. It gives great image quality, is compatible with Macs and PCs, scans quickly and efficiently, and is dependable. What’s not to love? Well, it is somewhat bulky, which means you’ll need to have enough space to actually store it. Its product description says it’s primarily for your paper scanning needs, but you can absolutely use it for more than that.

Have another scanner that you love and are dying to tell us about? Leave a comment, we’d love to hear from you! Happy scanner hunting!