Best Photo Scanner

[Macovial]

Mac, what part of "50,000 a month?!?!?" don't you get?

"Looks like no one knows anything." Sorry, the only one who knows nothing is you.

Let's see... 20 PPM = 1,200 PPH

50,000 pictures / 1,200 PPH = 42 hours a month

42 hours / 4 weeks = 10.5 hours a week

10.5 hours / 5 days = 2.1 hours a day scanning

Hmm... A staff of 20 people? (raising eyebrows) Yeah... I don't know what I'm talking about.

[Aahx]

Mac... you have to remember you came here to a forum comprised of folks that when they scan. The objective is quality.. over quantity. And for anyone with any experience scanning they would realise that quality scans take both time, and potentialy repeated tries to get right depending on the operators experience with that scanner. So you come here throwing numbers out about talking about doing 50k scans in month is completely unrealistic for "quality" scans no matter how much you crunch some numbers. Now if you don't care about quality this is obviously not the forum for you. As those of us here try to help others with improving quality of there work, not quantity.

[Jamie123]

I agree with the previous poster. What everyone is trying to tell you is that quality is not realistically achievable at such a high volume. There simply is no "photo scanner" that you can do 20PPM with and if you're looking for a recommendation for an office copier I suggest you go to an office copier forum.

[aphexafx]

Hmm... A staff of 20 people? (raising eyebrows) Yeah... I don't know what I'm talking about.

You absolutely do not know where you are, as pointed out above. No one here cares about high volume scanning of prints, which in my mind is a complete waste of time anyway, and your attitude has sealed your time here.

You are in the wrong place.

**** off and go to OfficeDepot where they might be able to help you.

[ignis075]

**** off and go to OfficeDepot where they might be able to help you.

Ha ha, good advice... but then he'll just lose his patience with the clerk at Office Depot, throw a tantrum, tell the guy/gal that they have NO idea what they're talking about, call them a "grandma", and storm out of the store into the *real* world where nobody cares about people with a piss-poor attitude like his.

Sounds like this person does need some advice running a business, which apparently he intends to do... I wonder if he can treat his clients with the same insulting, condescending attitude and stay afloat for more than a month. I know I can't treat MY clients like that.

[Barronius]

Even for text documents, these numbers are unrealistic. Sure you may be able to find a scanner that is rated at 20 ppm but that is just the scan speed. It doesn't include loading the pictures into the scanner and it doesn't include naming and saving the files. When doing photos, each would need to be loaded and saved separately. This takes longer than the actual scanning.

For good personal workflow, I recommend the Fujitsu ScanSnap series of scanners. However I believe they are USB and not Firewire. While they are great document scanners, I wouldn't use them for high quality photo scans. As others have said, quality photo scans cannot be done at high volume (20 ppm). Fujitsu also makes more industrial type scanners that may work for you.

- Barron

[Frank Petronio]

I think Kodak makes scanners that will do this sort of automated work for bureaucracies... they're expensive

[George Stewart]

This is what you are looking for:

http://www.fujitsu.com/us/services/c...n/fi-6770.html

At 600 DPI it should be more that satisfactory for photos, and has an ADF that will feed everything from 2x3" to 11x17". However, at up to 60 PPM you might need a Halon system to keep the photos from burning up.

I have their Scansnap for home use, and it is great.

[Greg Blank]

Like Peter said, DSLRs are the best low budget option. From flat art you don't want a scanner, unless you are making a large print like over 20x24. Then a digital scanning back is the best option if you can afford one and have the business to warrant the price.

Without enough business to warrant a scan back, shoot 4x5 film positive and scan it
on an Epson 750V or a drum scanner.

Hello!

I'm looking for a photo scanner to scan pictures, small to large formats and provide scanning services for those who want to convert their old family pictures to digital files. I've been "researching" on the internet for the "best" scanner and cannot come to a conclusion, yet. So I'm asking for your help, anyone with actual experience or knowledge on scanners that can do the following.....

1) OS X compatible
2) High DPI output
3) Firewire or wireless connection
4) 20 PPM or higher
5) Has an automatic document/photo feeder

Your help would greatly be appreciated!

[John Cahill]

Looks like nobody here understands what I'm asking for. I'm not asking for opinions on how to run a business. What I'm asking for is any recommendations for a premium scanner (specs listed on previous posts) based on personal scanner experience, that's all.

Sounds like and appears like everyone here is like a bunch of old ladies who love to give their random opinions, not listening and answering the (repeated) original question. I already have grandmothers and mothers doing the same thing and I don't need anymore.

I'm done with this forum. Looks like no one knows anything.

*******
Set up a virtually outlandish set of criteria, then get huffy when someone won't come up with the "answer" you wish. Let us know when you finally are set up and running: I, for one, want to be there to watch someone's heirloom photographs get jammed in your document feeder.