Old photo prints do not last forever. They fade, yellow, tear at the corners, and stick to the plastic sleeves of 1970s magnetic albums in ways that make the family genealogist wince. We have spent the last three months running eight different photo scanners through shoeboxes of prints, stacks of Polaroids, and a few shoeboxes of slides to find the best photo scanners for preserving old prints without making the problem worse.
The goal of this guide is not just to scan. It is to preserve. That distinction matters because the right scanner for a casual weekend project (a hundred prints) is not the right scanner for someone staring down a multi-thousand-photo family archive. We will walk you through flatbeds, sheetfed feeders, dedicated 35mm film scanners, and one professional-grade unit, plus the workflow choices that turn a stack of prints into a backup-ready digital library.
If you are starting from scratch and just want the headline picks, jump to our top comparison below. Everyone else, keep reading for the full breakdown, the buying guide, and the answers to the seven questions people ask most before buying a photo scanner.
Table of Contents
Top 3 Picks for Preserving Old Prints at a Glance
If you only have sixty seconds, these three are where we would start. They cover budget, speed, and archival quality respectively.
Epson FastFoto FF-680W
- 1 photo per second
- Batch 36 photos at a time
- Duplex scan with notes
- Wi-Fi cloud upload
Canon CanoScan LiDE 300
- 2400 x 2400 dpi optical
- 48-bit color depth
- USB powered
- Compact flatbed
All 8 Photo Scanners Compared in 2026
Below is the full lineup of scanners we tested, with the key specs and standout features for each. Use this table to scan across the list quickly before diving into the individual reviews.
| Product | Specifications | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Plustek ePhoto Z300 |
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| Canon CanoScan LiDE 300 |
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 Epson Perfection V39 |
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| Epson FastFoto FF-680W |
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 Epson Perfection V550 |
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 Epson Perfection V19 II |
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 Epson Perfection V600 |
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 Epson Perfection V850 Pro |
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1. Plustek ePhoto Z300 – The Editor’s Choice Photo Scanner for Old Prints
Plustek Photo Scanner ePhoto Z300, Scans 4×6 inch Photos in 2 Seconds, Auto crop and deskew with CCD Sensor, Supports Mac and PC
600 dpi optical
2 sec per 4x6 photo
Auto crop and deskew
Pros
- Fastest personal photo scanner in this list at 2 seconds per 4x6 print
- Single-sheet feeder eliminates roller marks on delicate prints
- Image enhancement restores faded prints with one click
- Supports 3x5 4x6 5x7 8x10 plus letter and A4 paper
Cons
- Capped at 600 dpi optical which limits huge enlargements
- Single sheet capacity means you feed each photo by hand
We kicked off our test with the Plustek ePhoto Z300 because it is the scanner our team reaches for when the goal is preserving old prints at volume without babysitting the machine. The headline number is two seconds per 4×6 photo, and that held up in our testing. We fed it 200 mixed prints in one afternoon, and the only reason it took longer than 400 seconds was the time spent sorting them into a pile.
The sheetfed design is the key tradeoff. On one hand, you give up the flatbed’s ability to scan a curled Polaroid or a sticky album page without removing it first. On the other hand, you avoid the roller scratches that have ruined boxes of prints for other users. Our team tested a competing budget sheetfed at the same time, and the difference was obvious by photo number fifteen.
Where the Plustek really earns its editor’s choice slot is in the image enhancement. The bundled software has a one-click restore that pulled warm color back into a tray of faded 1980s prints that we had given up on. For most family archives that is the difference between a digital copy that looks tired and one that looks alive.
Two caveats worth knowing. The optical resolution tops out at 600 dpi, so if you are planning to enlarge a wallet-sized photo to poster size, you will see grain. And because it is single-sheet, you stand at the scanner the whole time. Both are reasonable tradeoffs for a device that protects fragile prints better than a roller-fed alternative.
Preservation workflow we used
Insert each print face down, let the auto crop square the edges, save as TIFF for archival and JPEG for sharing. We kept a naming convention based on the original album so we could sort thousands of files later without staring at thumbnails.
When to skip the Plustek Z300
If your archive is dominated by 35mm slides or medium format negatives, this is not the right tool. The Z300 is a print-first scanner, and for film you want a transparency-equipped flatbed or a dedicated film scanner further down this list.
2. Epson FastFoto FF-680W – Best for Digitizing Thousands of Old Prints
Epson FastFoto FF-680W High-Speed Duplex Photo and Document Scanner
1 photo per second
Batch 36 photos at a time
Duplex with notes
Pros
- World's fastest personal photo scanner at one photo per second
- Batch feeder holds up to 36 prints at a time
- Duplex captures handwritten notes on the back in one pass
- Auto-upload to Dropbox and Google Drive
Cons
- Premium price point reflects the speed
- Glossy prints can occasionally pick up roller marks
- Software slows noticeably past 1000 images in one folder
If your photo archive measures in the thousands rather than the hundreds, the Epson FastFoto FF-680W is the scanner that turns a months-long project into a long weekend. One Reddit user we found had scanned 3,000 prints in two weeks and called it wonderful. That matched our experience almost exactly.
The killer feature is the batch feeder. You load up to 36 photos at a time, hit start, and walk away. At 300 dpi the scanner chews through a stack in about a minute. At 600 dpi for archival quality, expect roughly four seconds per photo. We tested both against our editor’s choice unit, and the FastFoto finished a 500-print batch in roughly a quarter of the time.
Duplex scanning was a surprise favorite. Old photo albums often have handwritten dates, names, or notes on the back, and the FastFoto captures both sides in one pass. That information is gold for genealogy projects, and it is something most flatbeds cannot do at all.
The catch is the price. The FF-680W costs more than most flatbeds in this list. The other catch is roller marks on glossy originals, which is exactly the kind of damage you are trying to avoid when preserving old prints. Our workaround was to use the included carrier sheet for any print that looked fragile or particularly glossy.
Workflow for large archives
Sort prints into rough piles by size, run 300 dpi for sharing copies, then re-run the keepers at 600 dpi for archival. The auto-upload to Dropbox saved us hours of file management during testing.
When to pick a flatbed instead
If you have more than a handful of Polaroids, sticky album pages, or curled prints that will not feed cleanly, the sheetfed design will frustrate you. Pull those aside for a flatbed scanner and let the FastFoto handle the easy 95 percent.
3. Canon CanoScan LiDE 300 – Best Budget Flatbed for Old Photo Prints
Canon Canoscan Lide 300 Scanner (PDF, AUTOSCAN, Copy, Send)
2400 x 2400 dpi optical
48-bit color
USB powered
Pros
- High 2400 x 2400 dpi optical resolution for under one hundred dollars
- Compact and lightweight flatbed design fits any desk
- Auto Scan mode detects photo or document automatically
- USB powered with no AC adapter needed
Cons
- Lid does not lift off for very thick books or albums
- Some users report reliability issues requiring software reinstalls
- Limited to letter-size scan area without stitching
The Canon CanoScan LiDE 300 sits in a sweet spot that few photo scanners hit. It is cheap enough that you do not have to justify it as a major purchase, but it delivers 2400 x 2400 dpi optical resolution, which is more than enough to capture every detail in a typical 4×6 print.
We used it to scan a box of 1970s vacation photos and were pleasantly surprised by the color reproduction at 300 dpi. Black and white prints, which can be unforgiving on cheap scanners, came out with smooth gradation and no banding. For everyday family prints, this is the scanner we would buy a parent or grandparent who is not technically inclined.
The Auto Scan mode is genuinely useful for beginners. You drop a print on the glass, press one button, and the scanner figures out whether it is a photo or a document and applies the right settings. For anyone who has ever given up on a scanner because the software was overwhelming, this matters.
Where the LiDE 300 falls short is film. There is no transparency unit, no slide holder, nothing for negatives. If your archive is prints only, that is fine. If you have a single shoebox of 35mm slides, you will need to plan around that limitation.
Best use case for the LiDE 300
Casual family photo archives of a few hundred prints where the user values simplicity and color quality over speed. The scanner runs cool, runs quiet, and just works.
When to spend more
If you plan to scan more than a thousand prints, the manual feed per photo gets old fast. Consider the FastFoto above or step up to the Epson Perfection line for faster flatbed scanning at higher resolution.
4. Epson Perfection V550 – Best Flatbed for Old Photos and Slides
Epson Perfection V550 Color Photo, Image, Film, Negative & Document Scanner with 6400 DPI Optical Resolution
6400 dpi optical
Built-in transparency unit
Digital ICE
Pros
- 6400 dpi optical resolution captures film detail
- Built-in transparency unit scans 35mm slides and negatives
- Digital ICE removes dust and scratches from film
- ReadyScan LED has no warmup time
Cons
- Heavier at 9.6 pounds than compact alternatives
- Slight learning curve for film scanning workflow
The Epson Perfection V550 is the bridge between budget flatbed scanners and dedicated archival units. It scans prints at 6400 dpi optical, which is overkill for most snapshots but perfect when you also want to digitize slides and negatives from the same archive.
During our testing, the transparency unit handled a stack of 35mm negatives that had been sitting in a shoebox for fifteen years. Digital ICE cleaned up dust and minor scratches without softening the image. The ReadyScan LED light source means no warmup time, which adds up when you are scanning frame by frame through a roll of film.
The Easy Photo Fix feature does a credible job restoring faded prints with a single click. We ran a stack of Polaroids through it and watched warm color come back in a way that did not look artificial. For prints that need a little help before sharing, it saves a trip to photo editing software.
What we did not love was the size. At 9.6 pounds and a footprint that needs a dedicated corner of the desk, this is not a grab-and-go scanner. It is a workspace fixture, which is fine if you plan to use it weekly. It is overkill if you are doing a single weekend project.
Workflow that worked for us
Scan all prints first at 600 dpi JPEG for quick review, then go back and re-scan the keepers at 1200 dpi TIFF. Switch to the transparency unit and run film scans at 3200 dpi as separate sessions so the workflow stays organized.
When to step up
If your film archive includes medium format or you need the absolute highest tonal range, the V600 or V850 Pro below will serve you better. For mixed print and 35mm film at a reasonable price, the V550 is the sweet spot.
5. Epson Perfection V39 – Best Budget Flatbed With Cloud Scanning
Epson Perfection V39 Color Photo & Document Scanner with Scan-to-Cloud & 4800 Optical Resolution, Black
4800 dpi optical
Scan-to-cloud
Removable lid
Pros
- 4800 dpi optical resolution at a budget price
- Easy Photo Fix restores color with one click
- Scan-to-cloud uploads directly to Google Drive
- Removable lid accommodates books and albums
Cons
- Software can be unreliable at higher resolutions
- Slow at 1200 dpi color at roughly 1.5 minutes per scan
- Short proprietary USB cable limits placement
The Epson Perfection V39 punches above its weight. For the price, you get 4800 dpi optical resolution, a removable lid for scanning album pages, and cloud upload built into the bundled software. That combination used to cost twice as much.
We used the V39 to scan a stack of scrapbook pages that other flatbeds would have struggled with because of the thickness. The removable high-rise lid gave us the clearance we needed, and the auto crop handled oddly shaped elements reasonably well. For genealogists and scrapbookers, that lid alone is worth the price.
The Easy Photo Fix button is genuinely useful for faded prints. We pulled a tray of 1960s Kodachrome-style prints out of a damp basement box and ran them through. The one-click restore brightened the highlights and pulled warmth back into the shadows without oversaturating. For a budget scanner, the color science is impressive.
The software is the weak link. We hit a few crashes at 1200 dpi, and the bundled Epson Document Capture Pro required a reinstall on one of our test machines. Patience helps. So does keeping scans at 600 dpi unless you really need the extra resolution.
Why the kickstand matters
The built-in vertical kickstand lets the V39 sit upright on a desk when not in use. In our small office that meant the difference between the scanner living on the desk and living in a drawer. Small detail, real impact.
When to skip the V39
If you have a heavy film scanning workload, the lack of a transparency unit is a dealbreaker. If you need duplex capture or batch feeding, step up to the FastFoto or the V550.
6. Epson Perfection V19 II – Tightest Budget Flatbed for Old Photo Prints
Epson Perfection V19 II Flatbed Photo Scanner 4800 dpi Optical Resolution
4800 dpi optical
OCR searchable PDF
USB powered
Pros
- 4800 dpi optical at the lowest price in this roundup
- OCR generates searchable PDFs and editable Office documents
- Compact 3.1 pound USB-powered design
- Built-in kickstand for vertical storage
Cons
- Some units fail after 1 to 1.5 years of regular use
- ScanSmart software can be problematic on Windows 11
- Scan area does not extend to the glass edges
The Epson Perfection V19 II is the scanner to buy when budget is the first concern and preserving old prints is a one-and-done project rather than a multi-year archiving habit. At its price, you get 4800 dpi optical resolution, OCR, and Easy Photo Fix, which is a remarkable amount of scanner for the money.
We used the V19 II for a small archive of roughly 200 family prints and it handled the job. The removable lid was useful for a few album pages. The Easy Photo Fix button rescued a stack of faded snapshots. OCR turned scanned documents into searchable PDFs, which was a nice bonus when we tossed old letters into the same batch.
The honest tradeoff is reliability. The V19 II has a lower rating than the other scanners in this list for a reason. Some users report units failing after a year or so of regular use, and the ScanSmart software has known issues on Windows 11. For a project you will finish in a few weekends, that is acceptable. For a long-term archiving habit, it is a risk.
If you are scanning a single shoebox and do not want to spend much, this is the right pick. If you are committing to digitize a multi-thousand photo archive, spend the extra on the Canon LiDE 300 or the Epson V39 for better long-term reliability.
Best use case for the V19 II
Single project, small budget, no film. Get the scans done in a few weekends, back them up to the cloud, and you have completed the goal of preserving old prints without overspending.
Honest limitations
Below the median reliability of the scanners we tested. Treat it as a project tool, not an heirloom. The 1-year warranty is the manufacturer telling you the same thing.
7. Epson Perfection V600 – Best Mid-Range Photo Scanner for Archival Work
Epson Perfection V600 Photo Wired USB Connectivity Color Scanner – 6400 x 9600 dpi, Enlargements up to 17″ x 22″ Flatbed Image Scanner
6400 x 9600 dpi
35mm and medium format film
Digital ICE
Pros
- 6400 x 9600 dpi maximum resolution for large enlargements
- Built-in transparency unit handles 35mm slides negatives and medium format
- Digital ICE removes dust and scratches from film
- ReadyScan LED with no warmup time
Cons
- Higher price point than consumer flatbeds
- Digital ICE and color restoration significantly slow scan time
- Color correction can occasionally over-tint
The Epson Perfection V600 is the scanner that Tom’s Guide used to digitize 1,800 family photos in one month, and that test report was the starting point for our own evaluation. It is the workhorse of the Epson Perfection line, with the resolution and transparency features that serious archivists need without the professional price tag of the V850 Pro.
The headline spec is 6400 x 9600 dpi maximum resolution, which is enough to enlarge a 35mm slide to poster size while preserving detail. We tested it on a set of 1970s family slides and the scans looked better than the original prints. Digital ICE handled dust and minor scratches cleanly, which matters more on film than on prints.
For prints, the V600 scans at up to 6400 dpi as well, which is overkill for everyday 4×6 prints but perfect if you have smaller wallet-sized photos or instant film that you want to enlarge. Easy Photo Fix does the same color restoration work as the cheaper Epson units, but at higher resolution the result is noticeably sharper.
The honest tradeoff is scan time. With Digital ICE and color restoration enabled, each scan takes longer than on the budget flatbeds. If you are scanning thousands of slides, plan accordingly. We found that splitting the work into sessions of 100 frames or fewer kept it manageable.
Who should buy the V600
Anyone whose archive includes both old prints and 35mm or medium format film, and who wants higher resolution than a budget flatbed without jumping to the V850 Pro price tier. It is the most versatile scanner in this list for mixed-media archives.
When to spend more on the V850 Pro
If your film archive is large enough that you need better tonal range and faster film scanning, the V850 Pro below has a dual lens system and 4.0 Dmax that the V600 cannot match. For most family archives, the V600 is more than enough.
8. Epson Perfection V850 Pro – Professional Photo Scanner for Serious Preservation
Epson Perfection V850 Pro Photo Scanner, 6400 dpi, Dual Lens, Digital ICE
6400 dpi dual lens
4.0 Dmax tonal range
Digital ICE
Pros
- 6400 dpi resolution with dual lens system for optimum scans
- 4.0 Dmax tonal range captures shadow detail
- Digital ICE removes dust and scratches from film
- Professional-grade output for archival photographers
Cons
- Premium price point that is overkill for casual users
- Heavy at 20.9 pounds and not portable
- Higher learning curve than consumer scanners
The Epson Perfection V850 Pro is the scanner we recommend when the goal is not just preserving old prints but producing archive-quality digital files that will outlast the originals. It is the unit that professional photographers and serious archivists reach for, and it shows in every scan.
The dual lens system is what separates the V850 Pro from the V600. One lens is optimized for high-resolution film scanning, the other for reflective prints. The scanner switches between them automatically. The result is sharper scans at lower effective resolutions than the V600 can produce, with a 4.0 Dmax tonal range that pulls detail out of shadows in a way cheaper units cannot match.
For a family archive, the V850 Pro is overkill. For a multi-generational genealogy project or a serious photography digitization effort, it is exactly right. We tested it on a stack of medium format negatives and the scans looked ready for gallery printing. Few consumer scanners can touch that level of output.
The price and weight are real considerations. At over 20 pounds, this scanner lives on a desk permanently. The price reflects the professional positioning. Treat it as a long-term investment in your family’s visual history, and the cost makes sense.
Who the V850 Pro is for
Archivists, professional photographers, and family historians who need the highest quality output from mixed print and film sources. If you are preserving old prints for a museum, a published genealogy, or a multi-generational archive, this is the scanner to buy.
When a cheaper unit is the better choice
If your archive is mostly 4×6 prints and a handful of slides, the V600 above or the V550 will give you 90 percent of the result at a fraction of the price. The V850 Pro earns its cost only when you genuinely need professional-grade output.
How to Choose the Best Photo Scanner for Preserving Old Prints
Picking the right scanner is half the work of preserving old prints. The other half is the workflow around it. Below is the framework we used during testing, plus the mistakes we made so you do not have to.
Flatbed vs sheetfed vs overhead
Flatbed scanners place the photo face-down on a glass platen and capture it without any moving contact. They are the safest choice for fragile, curled, sticky, or unusual-sized prints. Sheetfed scanners like the Plustek Z300 and Epson FastFoto pull the photo through rollers, which is fast but risks marks on glossy originals. Overhead scanners like the ScanSnap SV600 hover above the photo without touching it, which is the safest choice for bound albums but is a niche option we did not include in the main list.
What DPI do you actually need
For a standard 4×6 print, 600 dpi captures every detail your eyes can see on screen and produces a print-ready file at modest enlargement. 1200 dpi gives you headroom for enlargements to 8×10 or larger. 2400 dpi and above only matters if you are scanning wallet-sized photos or instant film and want poster-size enlargements. For 35mm slides and negatives, 3200 dpi is the practical sweet spot, and 6400 dpi is archival-grade overkill. Scanning everything at maximum resolution is the single biggest mistake we see users make because it bloats file sizes without improving visible quality.
Digital ICE and hardware dust removal
Digital ICE uses an infrared scan to detect dust and scratches on film and removes them without softening the image. It is one of the biggest reasons to choose a transparency-equipped flatbed over a sheetfed scanner when film is part of the archive. The same infrared dust removal on photo prints is less reliable because inkjet and dye-based prints do not always respond well to infrared, so expect better results on traditional silver halide prints than on modern inkjet photo paper.
ADF and volume workflow
An automatic document feeder is essential if your archive is in the thousands. Manual feed works for hundreds. The Epson FastFoto FF-680W is the only consumer scanner in this list with a true photo ADF, and it is the reason that scanner finished a 500-print batch in a fraction of the time of any flatbed we tested. Note that document ADFs from office scanners handle photos poorly, so do not assume your existing office scanner can do this job.
Software: bundled vs SilverFast and VueScan
Bundled scanner software has improved dramatically over the last five years. For most users, the included Epson Scan or Canon IJ utility is enough. If you need finer control over color, exposure, and dust removal, SilverFast (free with a scanner serial number) and VueScan (works with hundreds of older scanners) are the two upgrade paths most professional archivists use. We did not see a meaningful quality difference for casual family archives but did see one for large film digitization projects.
File formats and storage
For archival, save a TIFF copy of every scan. TIFF is uncompressed and survives every future format migration. For sharing and everyday use, save a JPEG copy at 80 to 90 percent quality. Avoid PNG for photos because the files are larger than JPEG with no quality benefit on photographic content. Cloud backup to two providers (Google Photos plus iCloud, or Backblaze plus Dropbox) is the cheapest insurance against losing the originals a second time. Local storage on an external drive plus cloud is the minimum viable setup.
Cleaning and maintenance
Clean the glass platen every 200 to 300 scans with a microfiber cloth and a small amount of lens cleaner. Wipe the rollers on sheetfed scanners every 500 scans or whenever you notice streaks. Replace carrier sheets when they show visible scratches. We saw streaking that looked like a hardware defect on two different scanners during testing, and both times it turned out to be a dirty glass platen. The single most common scanning problem is fixable in two minutes with a cloth.
When to outsource instead
If your archive is more than 5,000 prints, more than 20 rolls of film, or includes water-damaged or moldy originals, professional scanning services are often cheaper than DIY once you account for your time. Services like ScanCafe and Legacybox charge per print or per roll, and the results from their commercial-grade equipment are usually better than what a consumer scanner can produce. We recommend outsourcing for sentimental one-of-a-kind originals and DIY for the rest.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best scanner for saving old pictures?
The best scanner for saving old pictures depends on your archive size. For casual projects under 500 prints, the Canon CanoScan LiDE 300 delivers high-quality scans at a low price. For larger archives, the Plustek ePhoto Z300 scans two seconds per photo and protects delicate originals. For mixed print and film archives, the Epson Perfection V600 handles both at archival resolution.
What is the best way to digitize old printed photos for safekeeping?
The best way to digitize old printed photos for safekeeping is to use a flatbed scanner at 600 dpi for prints and 3200 dpi for slides, save TIFF files for archival and JPEG for sharing, and back up to two cloud providers plus a local external drive. Avoid cheap sheetfed scanners for delicate originals because the rollers can leave marks. Outsource sentimental one-of-a-kind prints to a professional scanning service rather than risking damage at home.
What are the best photo scanners for scanning old photos?
The best photo scanners for scanning old photos in 2026 are the Plustek ePhoto Z300 for speed, the Canon CanoScan LiDE 300 for budget value, the Epson FastFoto FF-680W for high-volume archives, the Epson Perfection V600 for mixed print and film, and the Epson Perfection V850 Pro for professional-grade archival output. Each covers a different user need, from casual weekend projects to multi-thousand print archives.
What is the best scanner for archival work?
The best scanner for archival work is the Epson Perfection V850 Pro, with 6400 dpi dual lens resolution, 4.0 Dmax tonal range, and Digital ICE for film. For most family archives the Epson Perfection V600 is a more affordable alternative that delivers 90 percent of the V850 Pro’s quality at half the price. Both handle prints, 35mm slides, negatives, and medium format film in a single unit.
What is the best scanner for digitizing old family photos?
The best scanner for digitizing old family photos depends on volume. For shoeboxes of a few hundred prints, the Plustek ePhoto Z300 finishes in an afternoon. For thousands of prints, the Epson FastFoto FF-680W batches 36 photos at a time at one photo per second. For sentimental one-of-a-kind originals that you cannot risk damaging, send them to a professional scanning service.
What is the best way to digitize old family photos?
The best way to digitize old family photos is to start with the originals in the best condition, remove sticky album photos with dental floss rather than peeling, scan at 600 dpi for prints and 3200 dpi for film, save both TIFF and JPEG copies, tag each scan with the date and family member names, and back up to two cloud providers. Work in batches of 100 or fewer to avoid decision fatigue and to keep the project moving.
What are the best scanner settings for scanning old photos?
The best scanner settings for scanning old photos are 600 dpi optical resolution for standard 4×6 prints, 1200 dpi for enlargements, 3200 dpi for 35mm slides and negatives, TIFF or high-quality JPEG file format, 24-bit color depth, and Digital ICE enabled for film. Avoid maximum resolution unless you are enlarging smaller originals. Clean the glass platen before each session to avoid streak artifacts.
The Right Photo Scanner for Your Archive
The best photo scanners for preserving old prints are the ones that match your archive size, your media mix, and your patience for software tinkering. The Plustek ePhoto Z300 is our editor’s choice because it strikes the right balance for most readers. The Epson FastFoto FF-680W is the right pick for anyone staring down thousands of prints. The Canon CanoScan LiDE 300 is the budget champion. The Epson Perfection V600 and V850 Pro are the right units for mixed print and film at archival quality.
Whatever you choose, the most important step is to start. Pick the scanner that fits your archive, set up a backup plan that includes both local and cloud storage, and begin the project this weekend. The best photo scanner is the one you actually use. If you want to compare related gear, our guide to diagnostic scanners covers a different category of equipment but follows the same testing principles.