I get asked about scanners a lot, especially now that the prices have dropped. I hope to answer all of these questions in this article.
Scanners are much cheaper now, and the setup is a lot easier.
Before you rush out and buy one, make sure you need one. If you're trying to get photographs into the computer, you may be better off purchasing a digital camera. The price has dropped to several hundred dollars, and with an inexpensive inkjet printer, you can get great results at home, saving money on film and developing. If you have old photographs or plan on scanning printed materials for work, a scanner is a great idea. You can get a 4x5 photo scanner, a small scanner specifically designed to scan photos up to 4 x 5 inches.