Plustek Photo Scanner - ephoto Z300, Scan 4x6 Photo in 2sec, Auto Crop and Deskew with CCD Sensor. Support Mac and PC
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About this item
- The easiest way to scan photos and documents. Supports 3x5, 4x6, 5x7, and 8x10 in sizes photo scanning but also letter and A4 size paper. Optical Resolution is up to 600 dpi ( PS: two setting: 300dpi/ 600dpi).
- Fast and easy, 2 seconds for one 4x6 photo and 5 seconds for one 8x10 size photo@300dpi. You can easily convert about 1000 photos to digitize files in one afternoon and share with your family or friends.
- More efficient than a flatbed scanner. Just insert the photos one by one and then scan. This makes ePhoto much more efficient than a flatbed scanner.
- Powerful Image Enhancement functions included. Quickly enhance and restore old faded images with a click of the mouse.
- ePhoto Z300 works with both Mac and PC : Supports Windows 7/8/10/11 , Mac OS X 10.10 to 11.x. User can download the latest version on Plustek website.
Reviews
★★★★★
Verified Purchase
Scanning has never been so easy!
Coming from the prepress graphics industry in the past, I'm extremely impressed with the ease of use of this scanner. Obtaining high resolution scans without the need to crop is such a time saver. It will be very easy to scan old pictures we have collected over the years. I would highly recommend this product.
★★★★★
Verified Purchase
A Must For Baby Boomers Drowning in Paper Photos
This is the best scanner I have ever owned. The scans are of high quality. I haven't mastered the editing features yet and I probably won't master them because I have some great editing programs. When I bought this,all I was interested in was a high quality, easy to use scanner and that's exactly what I got. It also scans notes, cards, and special letters and makes them into jpegs. It is also very fast as far as scanners go. I was surprised that a relatively fast scanner could do so without compromising quality. The reason I bought this scanner was that I inherited a mountain of photos after both of my parents died. There are many precious memories in these photos but I knew they would be lost forever if they continued sitting by the thousands in boxes, bags, shoe boxes, you name it. This scanner was and is a lifesaver!
★★★★★
Verified Purchase
Great for Digitizing Old Prints!
Incredibly fast scanning at 300 resolution setting and in my visual comparisons of scans of new prints on a 24" HD computer screen, the results at 300 look at least as good, if not better than, the results at the much slower (but still acceptably quick) 600 resolution.
This is the first scanner my wife has declared easy enough for her to handle on her own the very first time she sat down at it.
Some hints:
1. Before you turn on the scanner the first time, be sure to remove the packing tape and foam from behind the bar across the front. Gently pull the bar away from the machine; it will swing down and away. Then push it back in place. Do this before you attempt calibration
2. Run back-to-back calibrations before you start scanning. Before proper calibration, I was getting closely spaced colored vertical lines throughout the scan output. The Calibration function is hidden behind the question mark icon toward the upper right of the software screen. Keep that white Calibration sheet safe for future use. You may well need it.
3. Use Maximum quality (100%) JPEG setting for best scan results. The resulting file sizes are modest my modern standards, even at 600 resolution.
4. Settings (gear icon) allows choice between 300 and 600 resolution and also allows pre-choosing a folder in which to auto save each scan. But you still have to select Save (floppy disc icon) for each scan. The scans are not auto-saved upon scanning; the "auto" part is auto selecting the proper folder in which to save each scan before you start scanning.
5. The auto crop/auto deskew function has worked very well for me so far.
This scanner is great for digitizing large quantities of old photos. It works very fast, easily, and produces high quality results at 300 resolution. No, the required proprietary software doesn't match the editing features of Photoshop, But what you lose in digital editing flexibility and quality, you gain back in huge dividends of speed and easy of use.
★★★★★
Verified Purchase
Best Photo Scanner for those old pictures you have sitting in a box.
If you don't want to read the whole review below, here is the conclusion. If your goal is to scan to back up old photos the Plustek Z300 is a winner. Affordable, fast, auto-crops and the color accuracy is great.
This review will be a comparison between two of my top choices for scanners. The Plustek Photo Scanner vs Doxie Go SE. At the time of my research, these two scanners were my top picks based on reviews, features, and price.
I bought the Moxie first and it proved itself to be capable with decent scan speeds, good image quality and a bonus feature of portability. Since it has a battery and internal memory I can take it anywhere in the house and scan. This wasn't a feature I was looking for but I can see it's appeal. Although the Moxie had two deal breakers for me. It failed to auto-crop and the color reproduction was subpar. Now don't get me wrong it's supposed to auto crop, but I could never get the feature to work even with a call from support. While the support was helpful the fact the scans clearly didn't look very true to the original image was a problem. Supports recommendation was to use a third party platform like Lightroom. While that is good advice, my goal was to scan hundreds of images I had in a massive box and not have to spend extra time cropping and editing. So while I liked the Moxie and see how it could be useful for other scanning scenarios the problems I experienced made me rule it out and move on to another solution.
Just to be fair to the Moxie I tinkered with the settings to see if I could "dial it in" and make it work but had to success. Next I used my flatbed scanner to see how it would compare. Needless to say, the flatbed produced exactly what I was looking for but it wasn't a good alternative because I didn't want to open that lid a million times, push the button endlessly, wait, and well you get the picture.
The second scanner I bought was the Plustek. After a quick 5 minute setup I threw in the same photo I was using as the test image. First, the speed was really impressive. I would say it was about twice as fast as the Moxie, not that speed was crucial since I would pick quality over speed if I had to. After saving the scan out Plustecks software, no editing, I compared it to my other test scans and wow. It was really close to the flatbed scanner! It auto-cropped perfectly and the color was great.
So far I would say the software for both scanners is good, although after a few minutes of use I prefer the Plustek.
If your goal is to scan a big box of photos the Plustek checks all the boxes. Affordable, fast, easy to use and excellent results the Plustek has earned its spot as my go-to for photo archiving.
★★★★★
Verified Purchase
Best Decision in Years
I wish I could convey how I agonized over this decision. I read reviews and I’m not very tech savvy, but I relied on Amazon’s customer service and return policy if anything went wrong. A few years ago I purchased a high quality flatbed scanner, but it was such a pain to set-up and take down, that I just stopped using it. Not to mention opening and closing hundreds of times and hitting the print button. Sounds ridiculous, but when you have 50+ years of photos, it’s a real factor. Fast-forward to now, and my niece calls ... My brother is retiring, can I send her family photos to add to a poster board they are making? So, that made the decision. It did take me 2 days to install the software. My laptop does not have a cd/dvd drive, so I downloaded the software from the website. I got it to download with no problem, but had trouble getting it to install. Once that was figured out, I scanned over 3,000 photos in 3 nights while I was watching tv. Just fed the photos through and it took seconds. After every 50 photos, I saved to my hard drive. I think there is a place I can upload a video of how easy it was/is. So, if you’re on the fence, like I was. Go for it! I now have 3 empty shelves in my guest room closet!!!
★★★★★
Verified Purchase
TOUGH JOB MADE EASY !!
Scanner arrived on time and in great condition. Loaded software with enclosed CD, then found instructions for update, so I immediately removed the software and installed the update 'on the fly'. That worried me some because I'm no computer expert; however, it turned out just fine. Calibration was a snap, and I scanned one photo right away to check. It came out fast and perfect. A few days later I scanned 386 photos in no time and the came out perfectly. I am thrilled with this product. My Grandson helped me with the scanning by loading the photos while I configured the results into folder groups (I could have done it all myself, but this was faster and I got to work with my Grandson). Now my Grandson wants to get one for his Dad. I have many many more photos to scan and happily, it's not going to be the daunting task that I had feared.
★★★★★
Verified Purchase
LIFE CHANGING!! If you have alot of old photos, YOU NEED THIS SCANNER!
This scanner is life changing. If you have alot of old photos, you NEED this scanner. It is fast, you can edit the photos if you want to. Before I got this I was scanning old photos on a flatbed scanner, it was taking forever. This scanner is well worth the investment! It will scan: wallet size, 3x5, 4x6, 5x7, 8x10 and documents. I was in to scrap-booking years ago and it will even scan photos that are odd shaped due to having been cut and shaped. This is the best photo scanner investment for the money and it would make a GREAT gift! I would give it more than 5 stars if I could!
★★★★★
Verified Purchase
Awesome product,/awesome reviewer
Hey, am I awesome or what? Despite the seller advising that you have to use their software with this scanner, I have got it to function with every other scanning software that I have, such as Abby fine reader, and a Microsoft scan utility that is free to download. All you have to do is make sure that you select this scanner in the application. It is a little awkward when you are scanning multipage documents because you have to and feed it with one and click the scan button in the application with the other. It sure would be nice to have a document feeder, but people in heck want ice water, too.
Another great feature is the fact that you don't have guide bars that you have to adjust with each different sized photograph. You just center them and drop them in.
So that makes this thing even cooler than I was expecting. It is a great little unit and there is nothing comparable for the price. I have already scanned 100 old photographs, and they all came out great. It auto crops them too, so that is pretty sweet and saves you photo editing time and effort.
Scanning at 300 dpi is very quick (a couple of seconds for a normal size print), and at 600 dpi it takes approximately 15 seconds for the same size. Certainly if you have the time and patience save at the higher resolution. I did a side-by-side check however and the differences are barely noticeable to the casual viewer. I have uploaded two identical photographs at the two different resolutions, which I won't identify, and you can make your own judgment.
If you are scanning a document in the product software you have to make sure that you select to save it as a PDF.
I have only had this a couple of hours now, so I certainly can’t comment on long-term reliability. It certainly seems to be well built and solid. I’m not crazy about the color but again I wish I had some ice water.
Even though I’m pretty awesome, I am also a dummy because I did not read the quick start instructions and did not at first remove some tape and foam covering over the rollers and so there was a bit of a problem at first until I figured it out.
I will certainly update this if any problems arise, but at this point I can wholeheartedly recommend it, and give it five stars.
★★★★★
Verified Purchase
Great scanner which I thought was defective on arrival
UPDATE: The scanner works great, but the problem is that the company only includes a quick guide, and not an instruction manual. The manual which explains that you must pull open the front and take off tape then close front is no where in the quick guide. This caused my problems and at first I got permission to return the scanner, but later after finding the problem I canceled the return. So my original review and problems were caused by the companies desire to save a few pennies and not include the well written and clear manual. In the end the scanner works great and is well worth the price. End update.
Defective from the first use, lines on scan. I carefully unpacked followed all instructions. Installed latest software from Plustek, and calibrated colors using calibration sheet. And it scanned badly with all scans. Maybe I just got a lemon? But after sorting my photos for months and looking for a good scanner, then waiting for the scanner to arrive, all to find it is defective is very depressing. Again I guess someone has to get the bad ones, but why me! See photos below: I tried 300 dpi, 600 dpi, gray, color, auto on, and auto off, and nothing working. And calibrated at least 10 times.
★★★★★
Verified Purchase
Scans Sharp as Flatbed
Update #2: It took about 80 minutes to scan 160 pictures or about 2 per minute. BUT BUT BUT that includes time to slide the pictures out of an album and return them to the album. The actual scan time for a 4x6 at 300 dpi still seems to be about 2 seconds.
The other reviews cover all important points -- read them.. (BE SURE to remove the little strip inside the cover.) But let me give you the result of an informal test. I scanned the same three pictures on my old HP Scanjet G3110 flatbed scanner at both 300 and 600 dpi. Then I scanned them on the new Plustek at 300 and 600 dpi. Then I opened the images side by side in Photoshop at 400%. At both resolutions the quality of the images seemed about the same. The Plustek seemed a TINY bit darker which I felt was actually a little bit more accurate. But the sharpness was the same. The Scanjet images were MUCH larger data-wise than the Plustek images, sometimes 10x larger. Yet as I said there is no difference in appearance or pixel size or bit depth (24). Not sure how to evaluate that.
At 300 dpi the scans took about 2 seconds. I intend to use 300 dpi mostly. The 600 dpi took about 17 seconds.
Update: I have used the scanner for a while now: mostly for photos, but also for some PDF documents. I am very satisfied in every way. It is a load off my mind to know I now have a way to archive all these old family photos so our children and grandchildren will have them.
Question & Answer
Question :
If your pictures still have a little adhesive on them or a small piece of tape on the back will it still work through the feeder?
Answer :
You mean is picture to thick? or the tape still sticky?
Z300 can accept about 0.76mm (0.03") , and is the tape still very sticky? or just like normal 3M sticky note? if sticky note, that will be ok.
but after you scan, please use wiping cloth clean scanner roller and glass.
Question :
I noted that this scanner came out August 2016 - wondered if there is a newer version as I am not finding it in a search?
Answer :
Hi BJU
For Hardware, is same. But our software already update more then 5 time (Half year have a new version release)
Plustek
Question :
Do you have to use the Plustek software, or is this recognized as a scanner and you can use other scanning software?
Answer :
Hi Shorpy
The Ephoto Z300 must use Plustek Ephoto software. If you want to use TWAIN to control the scanner. You can choose the Plustek PS286 plus.
BSI customer care
Question :
How fast does it scan each photo?
Answer :
Hi Lydia
For 4x6 size photo , each photo need 2 sec, for letter size (8.5x11.7") photo is 5 sec
You can see the video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=10&v=aqmMRJ026BY
-plustek
Question :
I have 100+ year old photos to scan, I need to protect the photos as well as scan, is this a good scanner for that? I can't risk damaging these!
Answer :
Hi JPen
I understand your worry. 100+Photo is a treasure.
ePhoto z300 design use soft roller to cover the photo.
http://plustek.com/us/products/film_photo_scanners/ephoto_z300/index.php
And if you still worry, would you please send me the photo (just use you phone Take pictures and i can ask engineer which model is best for those photo)
Plustek customer care
Question :
I want each image to have its own label with date, location and peoples; can this be done?
Answer :
Not with the supplied software. The algorithm used was the date and an additional digit to make it unique. You have the ability to change this in the settings, but you'll probably spend more time changing the setting than you prefer.
Question :
Are you able to download the software online? I do not have a disk reader on my computer.
Answer :
yes you can download the software onto your computer. This is an amazing little scanner. The software allows you to name and place the scanned items into the correct folder of your choice. I love it and recommend it. I am using it to scan thousands of pictures and it does a great job. It connects to the computer via a usb cable which is included. very easy and simple to install.
Question :
What quality are the photos printed from a scanned picture? Is it good enough to print as 5x7 or even 8x10?
Answer :
Hi Danielle Stewart
Normally photo print by 300DPI, if you visit Costco or CVS print out, they quality is 300DPI.
If you scan a 4x6 photo and want to print out to 5x7 or 8x10 , please select 600 dpi resolution to scan, but if you scan a 5x7 or 8x10 size photo and want to print out same size, you just need scan by 300DPI.
The 300 dpi mean 1 inch have 300 dot. 600 dpi mean 1 inch have 600 dot
David
Plustek
Question :
Can scanned photos be saved to a cloud
Answer :
Yes, you could modify the Save Path from the setting to any of your cloud service sync folder such as Dropbox on your local machine. The Setting icon is at the top right of the UI.
Question :
What is the ac voltage specification of the power adaptor? can i use either 220-240v ac or 110v ac?
Answer :
Hi David
The power adapter with this model can accept from 100V~240V , and output is 24V 0.75A.
Plustek
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