i would love to scan old photos onto my laptop. what sort of equipment do i need. what is the best make?

Question

and model???

Answer 1

any model would be fine
hp psc 1210 all in one
its good

Answer 2

Are you talking about prints or negatives/transparencies?

If the former, then any flatbed scanner will do the job, though you may need an A3 if the prints are large.

If you are talking about the latter, then the best scanner is a dedicated film scanner, though most of those are for 35mm film. If it's bigger (glass plate, 5x4 sheet film or 6x7 roll film), you'd be better off with a flatbed photo scanner.

The best is the Epson V750, especially if you get the liquid film adapter. It's slightly fiddly to use, but the scans are superb. The problem: £500.

Epson are releasing a new flatbed photo scanner in a couple of months called the v500, which falls between the £100 v350 (35mm transparencies only) and the £300 v700 (slower version of the v750). At £200 approx, it could be a winner, but there's been no advanced reviews of it yet, so I can't recommend it.

Personally, I only use Epson or Canon scanners. Mainly cuz I like the software interface. The HP ones suck (IMO).

My current scanner is a Canon LiDE600f. Cheap, a bit slow, needs no power adapter (USB powered, so needs either a port on the PC or a powered hub), but quite good quality. And comes with a 35mm film adapter.

Hope this helps.

JBV^_^

Answer 3

I don't have a scanner, so I photographed some old black and white photos (school photos) with my digital camera and loaded them on to the pc, have even copied 1 of my grandmother, that was done in the early 1900s.Give that a try it works best with photos that have been done professionally.

Answer 4

Epson do ideal scanners: http://www.epson.co.uk/scanners/epson_scanners.htm
I own the Epson Perfection 3170 Photo and it is excellent.
But remember, before you purchase a scanner, think about what you are going to use it for, then look at the type/price of the scanner that will do the work you require.
:-)
If you do not own a printer, it might be worth purchasing an all in one (includes scanner).

Answer 5

Any A4 flatbed scanner will do what you're trying to do for you. What you must remember, though, is that the higher the specification i.e., the more dots per inch resolution, the more detail that can be included.

Answer 6

the best one ? money is no object ?

http://reviews.cnet.com/scanners/microtek-scanmaker-i900/4505-3136_7-30822156.html?tag=prod.txt.1

the best one around 150 bucks
http://reviews.cnet.com/scanners/microtek-scanmaker-i900/4505-3136_7-30822156.html?tag=prod.txt.1