Epson Releases Enthusiast Photo Scanner

Epson's V200 captures images at a whopping 4800 dpi, allowing consumers to extract every bit of detail out of an aging photo or document.

If you have bigger plans for scanned images than putting them up on the Web or printing passable duplicates, Epson’s newest photo scanner may catch your interest. Unlike many of the scanners built into printers and faxes now, Epson’s latest V200 will pick up 4,800 dots per inch in resolution, targeting photo enthusiasts and people who want to archive their non-digital memories in archival quality.

Considering that a standard image on the web has 72 dpi, and that 600 dpi is usually considered high-resolution, 4800 dpi in a scanner may seem downright excessive, but the point is to create a master image that will never have to be rescanned to capture more detail. And if you intend to create an enlargement from a tiny original, the extra resolution will pay off quickly.

Besides the level of detail you can capture with it, the V200 also has a 180-degree lid that rises up to scan bulky items, and a built-in transparency unit to scan 35mm slides and negatives. If you can fit it on the bed, you can scan it.

The V200 also offers a package of software to help restore aging photos once they’ve been scanned, with features like dust removal, grain reduction, and color restoration. On the other hand, if you just need to scan a document for an e-mail, a one-touch interface lets you do that quickly, too.

The Epson V200 is available immediately for $99 through Epson’s Web site and other retailers.