Home > Consumer Reviews > Epson Perfection V300 Photo Scanner (4800 dpi, USB 2.0)

I bought this scanner partly to update my ageing SCSI scanner and partly to scan old 35mm negatives and slides. While I have no problem with the quality and speed of reflective scans, negative and slide scans have been disappointing. The sharpness is no better than a scan from a normal sized print, while the grain seems to be strangely exaggerated - odd since as I said the sharpness is not good. I found there was no discernable difference in quality between a 2400 dpi and a 4800 dpi scan, and a 1200 dpi scan is not much worse. That suggests that the specified 4800 dpi resolution is not being realized. The graininess is improved if you remove the default unsharp mask and add grain reduction.

Also there seems to be poor gradation of colour, especially in smooth areas such as sky. This isn't improved by switching from 24 bit depth to 48. It's as if something in the hardware or software is not working at 48 bits, which makes the theoretical 48 bit depth useless.

That said, I am a bit picky, and the software is easy to use and does a good job of previewing negs and slides, and the default colour adjustment is fine. If you just want it to scan in some old holiday snaps and family pictures, it'll be fine. If you're a professional or serious amateur you'll probably want one of the higher end models. There's no cheap short cut to high quality photo scans.

Just when I thought all my colour slides, some from the early 1960's were beyond help I saw the Epson Perfection and decided to try it. Brilliant is all I can say, the best buy I have made in years, I have now scanned 646 slides and photo negative strips, some of my children when they were just babies and they are all perfect. Needless to say many CD's full of photographic memories are being passed around the family.

Good looking, solid robust product.
Easy to load software, easy to follow instructions and simple to use.
I am using it to scan hundreds of old family 35mm slide transparencies in order to archive them and store onto CDs for future generations.
Does a very good job. Very versatile, full auto modes or lets you touch up and enhance pictures.
Takes approximately 5 minutes to scan and process 4 transparencies.
Also enables you to scan paper photographs and documents producing good images for storage or printing.
In summary I am well pleased with this kit, does a good job at a good price.

I could not decide to either buy this or the much more expensive V700.
I eventually decided to buy the V300 and I am very pleased with the results.
Much better scans than I expected at this price level.
For most people this would be a perfect scanner at a great price.
The supplied software is good enough and is also great for OCR, I have scanned in many documents to make them editable in word.
Great stuff and I am pleased I did not spend more than this.

Scanned about three hundred slides in a couple of weekends. Very pleased with the results. Fast and no trouble. Thoroughly recommend.