CanoScan 8800F

For those who wish to digitize their collection of 35mm film and slides, and regular photos as well, the CanoScan 8800F from Canon is an excellent scanner for them. With a 48 bit color depth, user-friendly setup, and the ability to scan up to 12 frames of film, this scanner means business. Also, at around $200, the Canon 8800F is very cheap to buy almost anywhere. However, this slide scanner does use quite a bit of power when in use and has issues with medium formats (if that matters to anyone).  Otherwise, the Canon 8800F is a sweet device for bringing the past back to life.

As you look at the front, the scanner has dedicated buttons to copy without having to open a program first. This is pretty standard for scanners, at least to make it easier for those who are not computer literate. The Canon 8800F plugs into a USB port, so there’s no need to open up a power outlet. Scanning regular photos and pictures from magazines are self-explanatory. If you wish to scan negatives, you can use the filmstrip holder to scan up to 12 photos at once or up to 4 slides if you have those as well.

Where the Canon 8800F shines is the picture quality. You not only get rich and vivid photos, but also up to 281 trillion colors to back that up. Whether you’re copying film or paper, the resolution is stunning at up to 4800 x 9600 dpi. Also, scanning is super fast to help people copy their photo albums and rolls of film within a day (or more if there’s that many). You also have auto-fix and retouching built-in to restore older photos with great clarity, no matter when it was originally taken.

For those who want to edit their scanned photos further, the Canon 8800F also comes with full versions and trail of editing software. The most versatile program included is Adobe Photoshop Elements, which can use photos for websites, logos, and even T-shirt designs. It takes some getting use to, but it pays off in a big way once you know your way around the program. If the setup is too frustrating, there are others that you can play around with to find the one that you feel comfortable using.  You can also use your own if none of the ones included do what you need.

The CanoScan 8800F is a great photo scanner for anyone wanting to digitize old photos and film. It’s simple to use, but offers the same quality as the more expensive (and complicated) scanners out on the market today. You can get the Canon 8800F for under $200 on most online stores that have it in stock. This is great for home use, but it’s recommended that businessmen look elsewhere for the proper scanner they need. Otherwise, you’re getting a great device for what you pay for. So, grab those old pictures of you great grandparents and start scanning with the Canon 8800F.

Next slide scanner review: Epson Perfection v500 Photo Scanner