I need a cheap flatbed scanner.

I need a flatbed scanner with a minimum size of 8.5x11". I don't need anything fancy or complex, really.

The least expensive scanner I can find is an Canon LiDE120 at $55. Which seems fine. For some reason, they call it a photo scanner, as opposed to a document scanner. Scanners aren't really very intelligent devices, how would they know if what I'm scanning is a document or a photo? I'll mostly be scanning documents, but the occasional photo might come along.

Any other advice on cheap scanners?

If you're planning on doing a bunch of documents, get one with a sheet feeder. "Photo scanner" probably just means it will do color and has pretty good resolution.

I just threw out a really, really nice flat bed HP scanner. Don't have a SCSI card for it, and the drivers called for NT. The stuff you accumulate.

Dr. Hess wrote: If you're planning on doing a bunch of documents. . .

Not a bunch, so I'm not worried. Just some documents for archival purposes - stuff like that.

I'd be tempted to buy a all in one machine. We use a Brother MFC at the office for all our scanning, printing and faxing. That has the advantage of only tying up one spot on the desk. I think ours was only about $100.

Dr. Hess wrote: I just threw out a really, really nice flat bed HP scanner. Don't have a SCSI card for it, and the drivers called for NT. The stuff you accumulate.

A USB to SCSI adapter is about $15. Who knew they even made such a thing??

Toyman01 wrote: I'd be tempted to buy a all in one machine. We use a Brother MFC at the office for all our scanning, printing and faxing. That has the advantage of only tying up one spot on the desk. I think ours was only about $100.

I thought about that. I have a laser printer that I adore, and don't really want another. And with a lot of those multifunction thingies, when they run out of ink, they refuse to do anything - even something like scanning, that doesn't use ink!

Mrs. Oldtin has an HP officejet 7610 - 11x17 all in one. As a printer, it mostly sucks other than printing from an iphone wirelessly. As a scanner, it's not bad. Lots of large format scanners are well over a grand - this is more like $250.

EvanR wrote: And with a lot of those multifunction thingies, when they run out of ink, they refuse to do anything - even something like scanning, that doesn't use ink!

That's why I don't buy HP products anymore.

We have one of those feed through type bar scanners at work for all our electronic record keeping.....its been going strong for 4 years without issue.

I have a Canon LiDE200. I got it at Office Depot, and pretty sure I paid less than $100 for it. Seems to do a fine job with photos, documents, etc.

I just realized that I own a collection of old scanners :-(

My go to for the past 5 years or so though is a Canon. Its pretty basic, and I think I got it for free when an office in my building was moving. It is not fast, but the scan quality is really good.

The other scanner I use from time to time is an old Canon DR3020. It is a high speed document scanner. When I got it, I was running a little scanning business. It is awesome for that, but its only B+W and can be picky about paper.

I also have a larger format Fujitsu with the ADF. It is not as fast as the Canon, but it had its role.

At one point I had one of those little sheet feed scanners. A Logitech I think. If space is an issue and speed is not, get one of these little guys. I know there are some now that scan to an SD card. How cool would that have been in college at the library!? I also had an HP MFC when they first came out. HP scanners suck: Loud, slow, and the software is awful.

With all of that said, the $60 Canon will suit you well, or if you want something fancier, get one of the Epsons with the ADF and negative/slide adapters. The Epson will be my next.

David S. Wallens wrote: I have a Canon LiDE200. I got it at Office Depot, and pretty sure I paid less than $100 for it. Seems to do a fine job with photos, documents, etc.

I got mine from Staples. Had it ~5 years now and it had done everything I wanted to do. The software that came with it lets me scan several photos at once and save any documents as pdf's.

I use an app on my android phone called CamScanner. It can spit out PDFs and makes me feel like a spy from 1960s TV.

Have you considered going to UPS and having them scan and email you the files. At 13 cents page it'll take a while to pay off that 55 dollar scanner. And you don't have to worry about setup, possible breakage, or whatnot.

Check out the local Goodwill. I got an older but high end Epson for $4. I have to use 3rd party software (VueScan) but it was still cheap.

EvanR wrote: how would they know if what I'm scanning is a document or a photo?

Easy, when you tell it "I want to scan now" it will ask you "what you are scanning?" Select "document" and you're good to go.

Do you have a smartphone? There's an app for that.

Seriously, my iPhone spits out better scans and PDFs, much MUCH quicker, than my flatbed scanner.

There was an Android app suggested above. For iOS we use Genius Scan.

In reply to bastomatic:

I have genius scan. Can't make it work worth a darn. my hands lack the proper steadiness.