The best photo scanner options to digitise old photos

[@amandalittlecott]

Which scanner do you use to digitise your photos? I would love to hear about them...😁

[@ms2668]

I use a Epson V600 jumping back and forth from Epson Scan to SilverFast 9 to VueScan (any chance you could do a comparison?) for scanning and Paint Shop Pro to adjust the resulting digital photos. The V600 is great for prints, 35mm slides and 35mm negatives. I have no complaints after 3 years of use.

[@amandalittlecott]

@@ms2668 Nice I like it and a Comparison is on the list!! Keep an eye out for it! Thanks for the suggestion. 😁

[@Dubinvero]

Thanks for a very good overview of the hard copy scanning alternatives. You were a little kind to the time and effort required for the flatbed scanner. I used to use the Epson Perfection 4800 flatbed scanner before I purchased the Epson FastFoto 640 the week it was released. The FastFoto is a great timesaver and does not damage the photos. I think a video of your detailed FastFoto process and settings would be very popular with your subscribers.

[@AndrewWatson64]

Are you planning to do a video on dedicated negative scanners? I think is the best way to scan your photos.

[@amandalittlecott]

Ah great minds think a like, I love it. Yes it has been on my list, but will it bump it up the list to make it sooner!! 😁

[@NessButterfly74]

Agree! My mum has old negatives from her parents & relatives & as they’re an unusual size it’s hard to use a standard scanner to digitise them. Definitely need help there with a video please 🙂

[@Lia_T]

I've used lots of methods over the years, often depending on the photos and where I was at the time. For instance, my mother lives in another country so when I visited I used my DSLR and a stand to photograph a large number of her photos but then took the rest to a photography place that offered a service like you do. They put the photos on a DVD and they were excellent quality. My own were fine too but they needed more work to get them sorted and saved. Since I already use Adobe products that's not too much of an issue. I have also used my flatbed scanner when at home. It has a lot of features to capture and adjust photos, name them and save in several formats. But I didn't have a negative scanner, so I bought one separately and have used that for slides and negatives. I use Adobe scan on my tablet or phone for capturing images of documents and clippings. Also for scanning music that has been fine as well. You can adjust white balance, straighten and do spot removal etc. and it saves to Adobe Cloud which is useful. Being a family historian it's often been my job to document events, past and present, so I'm never without a camera. I've ended up investing in a NAS to handle all my storage needs as well as several hard drives as backups. Not a job for the fainthearted or time-deprived!

[@amandalittlecott]

Wow that is amazing, full marks and a gold star ⭐I love your dedication to the memories, but yes not for the fainthearted. Keep it up!!! 😁

[@lyndonthejohnson]

Thank you very much for the illustrated, systematic overview of this topic!

[@amandalittlecott]

Glad it helped! Happy Scanning 😁

[@dougmichaelroossien9115]

interesting few videos I've seen so far...thank you. I am a songwriter and actually have a song about those kodak memories and polaroid moments ...Some one from Ireland produced it for me...(Called "Only just a picture") ...so I think I found a good person here to follow. I was wondering id you had any videos on capturing and saving old sony 8's and other formats to digital. There seems to be a lot of comments out there ...but who to believe. You seem honest and knowledgeable

[@amandalittlecott]

Welcome to my Channel! I don't have anything on videos but I will add it to the list so keep an eye out!! 😁

[@dougmichaelroossien9115]

@@amandalittlecottOnly just a picture like some long-forgotten dream Somehow… still a memory …” of something…used to be” Daddy saved this moment … me there on your lap …just a lad Only just a picture … but sometimes …sometimes I go back Mom, you had so much ahead, and I had all of mine Didn’t know, back then how much… you’d mean, in my life That picture’s worn and torn …from all the times I tried in vain… to return Only just a picture … but sometimes, I’m right there… with her They say you can’t go back…then how’d I get to here? Time and place, collide again, we travel through the years Daddy took that picture …like some long-forgotten song They say you can’t go home again… maybe they’re all “wrong” Only just a picture … but somehow …sometimes I go back We all have stacks of memories…family, friends, and such Life’s mysteries, broken dreams, first times we made love Only pictures, …only just a picture First time that I saw that girl, took a picture in my mind Promised her I’d write a song, the moment I had time Her hair a flowing rhyme, … her eyes they captured mine, and all of that It’s only just a memory … but sometimes …sometimes I go back They say you can’t go back… most times that seems right Raining now in Frisco… Sierra … drowns in dry But, I still ‘member Jackson Hole, you on your downhill run Me, just waitin’ by the fire, Writin’ one more song… about my love They say you can’t go back… but those words, …remember you so much They say you can’t go back …then how’d I get to here? Time and place, collide again, we travel through the years Only, just a picture …only just a song They say you can’t go back again …maybe they’re all “wrong” Only just a picture … but sometimes … sometimes I go back / sometimes I go back So… glad they’re saved ...remembering …Today my “polaroid slideshows” our “kodak memories” ….pictures

[@amandalittlecott]

@@dougmichaelroossien9115 I love it!😍

[@dougmichaelroossien9115]

@@amandalittlecott as you can see ..why i really enjoy your channel ...I write so much ...but when i do my KZbin video of the song ...I may ask you for some tips if you don't mind

[@amandalittlecott]

@@dougmichaelroossien9115 of course no problem! I look forward to seeing them! 😁

[@blacksheep7576]

I bought the V600 for digitizing all my old family photos 🤞

[@amandalittlecott]

Nice! Happy Scanning! If you want more info on the V600 I have done a whole video about it here kzbin.info/www/bejne/f6uQo6SBjZ5ng9k 😁

[@dsan2509]

Perfect. Just what I was looking for. Thanks

[@amandalittlecott]

Happy to help, let me know if there are any other topics you want me to cover. 😁

[@potvinplanpotvinplan1401]

Hello, re; FastFoto dating feature, Q1; can you edit photo date after it has been scanned ? I have literally thousands of photos in numerous albums, with most albums spanning multiple years & events. I would like to batch scan the photos per album (maybe 10 or 20 at a time) and go back to each photo and edit the date. Will the software allow me to do this ? Q2. Along the same line of thinking, the photo digitizing project/task may be divided bt siblings, some who only scan, some who would 'at a later date' take care of dating and naming each photo, .. will the software allow this 'back editing' ? 😇

[@JJ-of3ng]

good review, much better than what you get on a google search which is all advertisement

[@amandalittlecott]

You are very welcome. I am all about balanced independent reviews, so if I do start selling please call me out for it!! 😄

[@kevinrush4411]

You didn't talk about the topic of resolution. Which resolution is available for each option. Which resolution is best for what purpose? What resolution do museums use?

[@amandalittlecott]

You got ahead of me there, I am just doing videos specifically on the FastFoto and V600 where I talk about resolution. In short for prints 600DPI is the best option, any higher and the file size gets crazy and you won't get any more detail due to the print quality anyway. For slides and negatives, it is 1,200 DPI and above, 4000 DPI if you can get it due to how small they start off. If you want to great larger prints or canvas from your digital images you need at least 600 DPI, hence why a phone scan is not going to cut it. Keep an eye out for the specific videos!! 😁

[@cathyhayman2545]

Thank you. I'm just starting the journey of scanning MANY water damaged photos and looking at a flatbed scanner. I aslo want to file/label them as quickly as possible. Any suggestions?

[@amandalittlecott]

To files quickly check out The Big Mean Folder Machine on the Mac (kzbin.info/www/bejne/pKC5Z2erq7Koac0) or PhotoMove on PC (kzbin.info/www/bejne/gprRhoB5ecZmbtU). Happy Scanning and Sorting 😁

[@blacksheep7576]

I bought the V600 for digitizing all my old family photos 🤞 I have a $6,000 camera that I could potentially use for camera scanning, but I don’t think that would be the best way to do it at home because of how many other factors can effect the resulting image. Museums probably have like a $100k rig for doing it

[@amandalittlecott]

Actually $6,000 could get you a decent camera scanning setup, the areas to focus on for set-up is getting the best camera and lens. But the V600 is a great option too, if you want more info about the V600 have done a whole video about it here kzbin.info/www/bejne/f6uQo6SBjZ5ng9k Happy scanning! 😁

[@rong5666]

Looking for some help. I'm not sure if I need to purchase a new photo scanner or use my HP Envy 4502 to scanner a mixture of old polaroids. Thank you.

[@amandalittlecott]

Looking at the spec, it should be able to do able to scan at 600DPI and higher which is what you need for photos. Depending on the software you are using with the scanner check to see if you can influence the DPI settings that it uses (DPI is Dots per Inch, so the level of detail that it will scan. Happy Scanning 😁

[@rong5666]

Thank you @@amandalittlecott

[@IreneSheridan-Miller]

Very good thank you

[@amandalittlecott]

Always happy to help!😊

[@gregdavidson5898]

Amanda, Question. I have an Epson V600. for example: You set it to scan a photo @ 600 dpi. The photo is only 4 x 5. If you scan it without cropping it in the software is the 600 dpi going to be dispersed over the entire flatbed glass (81/2 x 12) and the 4 x 5 photo will only get a portion then of the dots? Compared to cropping the photo and then scanning, which I think would get the full dps. Make any sense what I said? TY

[@amandalittlecott]

Hey, so just done a test of a full scan cropped and cropped then scanned, and they both come up with the same resolution when done. So it is not an issue with the Epson software. Hope that helps 😁

[@gregdavidson5898]

@@amandalittlecott After I asked that question I did the same thing. The cropped with the software scan was really quick. When I did not pre crop the photo the scanner DID a lot more time as it it did scan the entire glass. I thought for sure I was right and the cropped version would be far better as the dots were only on the smaller area scan, >>> The results were the SAME. I blew both photos up and looked at some letters in the photo. I could them as well in both scans. This can't be! But it is... TY for the reply and doing that test.

[@amandalittlecott]

@@gregdavidson5898 I love to test stuff out, so thank you for the question and great that we both got the same result. Those scanners are just magic aren't they! Have fun digitising all your photos! 😁

[@Pat14922]

600 dpit (dots per inch) , is the same for every inch of every photo , wether 4 * 5 , or a4 size

[@gastromacho2]

Thank you. This is useful information

[@amandalittlecott]

Always happy to help. Let me know if there are any other video topics you would love me to cover. Happy scanning!😊

[@dougmichaelroossien9115]

I'm seriously considering buying an Epson V600. I have a lifetime of digital photos and years of film with the original negatives in them. I also want to eliminate 4 file cabinets worth of old records that are filling up my small office Four drawers worth of song starts would be easily accessible in digital forms. Doctor's records ..that have piled up by the weeks, exercise programs, i am a true collector of information, indeed. I keep hearing the term "photoshop"...Will that allow me to do special things with what I capture? You mentioned a lack of dating feature as opposed to the Epson Fast Photo. The number of negatives I am doing is not as big of a feature, in my priorities right now ...but it might surprise me once I start sorting through my cache lol. I saw a youtuber reviewing the Epson 39. Do you have experience or knowledge of that. It is quite cheaper. So many things to decide

[@amandalittlecott]

So the Epson 39 is decent quality but will only do documents and photos. It will not help you with your negative, which the V600 can help you with. If you have a lot of stuff it is worth having a sort out before as it will take a while to scan with the flatbed scanner so only scan what you definitely want to keep. Happy scanning! 😁

[@fireice2585]

I'm learning to do camera scanning now, and it is indeed expensive. I had to buy a camera, some good quality lights, a light meter, and an expensive color target. And then it took hours to tweak to get even lighting and to avoid reflection. What was the toolset called at 8:16?

[@amandalittlecott]

I am going to add a list of the kit to the description, but to avoid reflections use some museum non reflective glass and that should stop it You should be able to get some from any good frame shop😊

[@bakerwannabe4435]

Great video. Thank you

[@amandalittlecott]

You are very welcome. Let me know if there are any other topics you would like to know more about. 😁

[@PedroChehoud]

Amanda, what dslr do you use when photo scanning?

[@amandalittlecott]

Check out this more detailed video here kzbin.info/www/bejne/q4Gyf2Odrdp-o7s I've popped my kit list in thr description 😊

[@PedroChehoud]

@@amandalittlecott thank you Amanda

[@coonea1]

Anyone recommend any specific software for scanning bulk photos with a flatbed scanner? It would be really helpful if the software could handle multiple images on the bed at the same time. I'm running either linux, or windows.

[@amandalittlecott]

Depending on your scanner, native Epson software will crop the images out as it scans if the edges are clear, but also check out SilverFast or VueScan depending on what you are working on (PC or Mac), they both do auto cropping as you scan. Happy Scanning. 😁

[@bjamisonf]

So, as a professional, what scanner do you use?

[@amandalittlecott]

I use Camera Scanning, as it gives great quality and really good flexibility to do all sorts of sizes of photos. However I will say there is a steep learning curve (I mean steep)! That said if I have a quick job I have an Epson Perfection V600 flatbed, which I use and for really really clean very flat photos I have an Epson FastFoto to do it quickly, but there is a lot of cleaning involved. So mostly camera scanning!! But the others on the side. But I don't use apps at all. They are only really good in a pinch to share with someone quickly. 😁

[@SuperCartermom]

I tried FF680, but it made scratched on my glossy photos right out of the box and after cleaning. Maybe a defective one. Fast would have been nice.

[@amandalittlecott]

Oh no, that is not what you want, I have heard some users say that can be an issue, but never seen it myself. Another option, but clearly not as fast, is the Epson V600 (kzbin.info/www/bejne/f6uQo6SBjZ5ng9k) 😁

[@brianbirmingham1458]

What about using a 3d scanner for photos

[@amandalittlecott]

Tell me more, what were you thinking of.... 🤔

[@brianbirmingham1458]

@@amandalittlecott Iam just curious I have a 3d scanner and thinking would I have to create a lythophane and then scan it to create a 3d model of a picture

[@amandalittlecott]

@brianbirmingham1458 I haven't tried that but it sounds pretty cool, I would love to hear about the results you get!

[@MarxAnt]

So making photos of a photos gives you better quality than scanning photos? That was pretty suprising.

[@amandalittlecott]

As long as you do it right with the right kit, and not just using your phone, then yes! 😁

[@AliAhmed-bu7gp]

The scanner on printer is same as stand alone scanner

[@amandalittlecott]

It really depends on the specification of the scanner you have, to get a decent printed photo scan you need a scanner that can do 600DPI😁

[@notoriousvic27]

The Epson Expression Home XP-4205 says max scanner resolution dpi is 2400 would that be good ?

[@AliAhmed-bu7gp]

@@amandalittlecott so mine is enough because i dont really have that patient of time to scan my photos in 2400 or 6400 for me 600 is more than enough to get great quality with my pics

[@amandalittlecott]

@notoriousvic27 yes that should work, just double check the scanner is definitely set to the right DPI before you do a ton of photos. But also I wouldn't do 2400 as you won't get anymore detail just giant file sizes 😊

[@GlobalDrifter1000]

Dry helpful🫶

[@AliAhmed-bu7gp]

Option 4 is a no no to me because it only for rich people and need a lot of time with it

[@amandalittlecott]

Yes, the option for does require some investment, but lots of people don't realise that they have the biggest expense already... a digital camera!😁

[@AliAhmed-bu7gp]

@@amandalittlecott digital camera not always good because of the flash direct in the middle of the photo and i dont have patient enough to take many photos from each side of my old photos and fix each of it and combine it all in one pic that will be hell

[@amandalittlecott]

Ah so that is why you use the lights but also to stop reflections you can use some museum glass that you can get from an good frame shop 😊

[@indigosue3070]

No help at all.

[@michap.7909]

Za dużo mówisz.

[@karomancia]

I wish you go to the point. Bye.

[@mikelopez5865]

You are beautiful