Bad Scanner Warning - Any Good Ones?

Deano! · May 4th, 2008, 06:31 AM

I haven't been able to post anything here for a few months almost because my old fairly reliable Canonscan died.

So I bought a HP Scanjet G3010 yesterday and its the most unreliable thing I've owned for years. So far, I've managed to get a small corner of an A4 sheet scanned. It stops working halfway through a scan and locks up my computer (also a newish HP which is a great machine). The computer USB ports work on everything else. I even tried installing it on my laptop and its the same story. The software claims everything is fine and the USB ports recognize it as a HP scanner etc but it keeps shitting itself. Load of junk.

Anyway, that's my bad luck but I'm wondering if anyone has suggestions for particularly good reliable brands/models of flatbed manual scanners? My old Canoscan took about 30 seconds to scan an A4 sheet at 180 dpi by the time the picture came up for saving. Are they making faster ones yet?

Thanks for any advice and I hope this isn't an old thread being flogged to death - but I did a quick search and couldn't find anything.

**Xxphd** · May 4th, 2008, 08:17 AM

Here in Holland mainly Epson and Canon scanners have good consumer's reviews really. Especially the Epson Perfection V200 Photo is a very populair machine. Other, more expensive options could be the Canon CanoScan 8800F and Epson Perfection V500 Photo. No HP scanners present in the top five..

Deano! · May 4th, 2008, 11:30 AM

Ahh thank you for the advice. It seems that its not just me that has trouble with HP scanners then. I will investigate the Epson Perfection models.

**Name-Hunter** · May 6th, 2008, 06:49 PM

Wait.
Before you junk your HP make sure that you are running the latest version of the driver and application software made for your Scanjet G3010.

Here is the page:
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport...&lang=en&cc=us

Make sure you choose your OS first.

I am no apologist for HP.
I currently have an Epson 3490 and it works fine.

The reason to confirm if its a driver or software issue is this:
Hardware may be in the inventory chain for a long time before the unit is sold.
Long enough for the software to be out of date by the time of the sale.
This is very common!
The best strategy when installing any new application software or hardware is to go to the vendors site and download the latest version for your particular operating system before you intend using it.

Deano! · May 8th, 2008, 12:35 PM

Thanks for the advice Name-Hunter, but I tried the driver update. I agree its best to go straight to the maker's site and get the latest software. I've got an Epson scanner coming in the next week and getting the HP to work might just be a project for rainy days.

AEKara · May 8th, 2008, 01:10 PM

I've had an Epson 1250 for years, still good enough for me. As mabaline says it can be used directly from Photoshop. I used to sell them but I left retail 4 years ago so I don't know much about recent models.

glamourfan · May 8th, 2008, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Name-Hunter

I currently have an Epson 3490 and it works fine.

Another happy Epson 3490 user here. Scans negatives/slides as well as prints and if you want to know what the results are like, every photo I've put up on this forum so far has been scanned with it so there's an easy way to find out.

**ripchord** · March 14th, 2009, 06:22 AM

What's all this HP bashing? I've used a see through HP Scanjet 4670 since 2004 or so and it's been really reliable. It does get confused once in a while and the software is a bit clunky, but the upside of being able to lay the scanner flat on a page and look through it to make sure its straight, and that you have the edges square (important if you're going to weld a few scans together) far outweighs the clunkiness and the odd lockup. And I've probably scanned hundreds of mags, so its been used quite a bit. No real complaints.

Cheers, Rip

Oudezijds · March 16th, 2009, 09:48 PM

Over the years I have owned a large number of HP printers, scanners, and combos, pc's square wave and test signal generators, waveform and vector monitors which were oft times treated mules. Superb performance, high reliability, fair cost. I don't have the model you are talking about. Particular to scanners I have had numerous driver problems which had to be resolved before I could get satisfaction from the product. Once fixed they run and run.

You could be a dunderhead. What I mean is that AHA! moment when you realize you have been skipping over the one note in the instructions that would solve your issue. I hate it when it happens, but confess. I know you put your pants on one leg at a time. This has happened to you hasn't it.

I would have expected your issues to be with a product like Canon. Most Canon productsI have tried have been clunkers. Usually they are the product given away with the computer as a come on. Their products always seemed cheesy to me (especially their crappy cameras and lenses). They seem to have a race to the bottom strategy with price. Mentally I extrapolate that low cost products ...

Anyway good luck with your problem. Another scanner/poster is always welcome online.

- Oudezijds van de Wallen

**Leprechaun** · March 17th, 2009, 12:31 PM

Epson Perfection 1650.

Older model but good scan quality. They bargain it away at Ebay regularly. Driver package on the Epson website seems to be up-to-date - I still use XP Pro but I reckon that the latest Perfection drivers are also compatible to Vista.

May 4th, 2008, 06:31 AM	#1
Deano! Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 52 Thanks: 517 Thanked 861 Times in 45 Posts	Bad Scanner Warning - Any Good Ones? I haven't been able to post anything here for a few months almost because my old fairly reliable Canonscan died. So I bought a HP Scanjet G3010 yesterday and its the most unreliable thing I've owned for years. So far, I've managed to get a small corner of an A4 sheet scanned. It stops working halfway through a scan and locks up my computer (also a newish HP which is a great machine). The computer USB ports work on everything else. I even tried installing it on my laptop and its the same story. The software claims everything is fine and the USB ports recognize it as a HP scanner etc but it keeps shitting itself. Load of junk. Anyway, that's my bad luck but I'm wondering if anyone has suggestions for particularly good reliable brands/models of flatbed manual scanners? My old Canoscan took about 30 seconds to scan an A4 sheet at 180 dpi by the time the picture came up for saving. Are they making faster ones yet? Thanks for any advice and I hope this isn't an old thread being flogged to death - but I did a quick search and couldn't find anything. __________________ I only visit here to read the articles.

May 4th, 2008, 08:17 AM	#2
Xxphd R.I.P. Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Gone But Not Forgotten Posts: 6,562 Thanks: 37,001 Thanked 77,384 Times in 5,393 Posts	Epson or Canon.. Here in Holland mainly Epson and Canon scanners have good consumer's reviews really. Especially the Epson Perfection V200 Photo is a very populair machine. Other, more expensive options could be the Canon CanoScan 8800F and Epson Perfection V500 Photo. No HP scanners present in the top five.. __________________ We got to let love rule.

May 4th, 2008, 11:30 AM	#3
Deano! Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 52 Thanks: 517 Thanked 861 Times in 45 Posts	Ahh thank you for the advice. It seems that its not just me that has trouble with HP scanners then. I will investigate the Epson Perfection models. __________________ I only visit here to read the articles.

May 6th, 2008, 06:49 PM	#4
Name-Hunter Moderator Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: USA Posts: 8,845 Thanks: 33,180 Thanked 250,800 Times in 8,770 Posts	Wait. Before you junk your HP make sure that you are running the latest version of the driver and application software made for your Scanjet G3010. Here is the page: http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport...&lang=en&cc=us Make sure you choose your OS first. I am no apologist for HP. I currently have an Epson 3490 and it works fine. The reason to confirm if its a driver or software issue is this: Hardware may be in the inventory chain for a long time before the unit is sold. Long enough for the software to be out of date by the time of the sale. This is very common! The best strategy when installing any new application software or hardware is to go to the vendors site and download the latest version for your particular operating system before you intend using it. Last edited by Name-Hunter; May 6th, 2008 at 06:52 PM..

May 8th, 2008, 12:35 PM	#5
Deano! Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 52 Thanks: 517 Thanked 861 Times in 45 Posts	Thanks for the advice Name-Hunter, but I tried the driver update. I agree its best to go straight to the maker's site and get the latest software. I've got an Epson scanner coming in the next week and getting the HP to work might just be a project for rainy days. __________________ I only visit here to read the articles.

May 8th, 2008, 01:10 PM	#6
AEKara Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Temple of Pallas Athena Posts: 474 Thanks: 824 Thanked 19,313 Times in 548 Posts	I've had an Epson 1250 for years, still good enough for me. As mabaline says it can be used directly from Photoshop. I used to sell them but I left retail 4 years ago so I don't know much about recent models. __________________ *To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.* To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. *To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.*

March 14th, 2009, 06:22 AM	#8
ripchord 1970s Junkie/Fred Enke Worshipper Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 1,071 Thanks: 6,051 Thanked 122,170 Times in 1,070 Posts	Guys - Give HP A Break! What's all this HP bashing? I've used a see through HP Scanjet 4670 since 2004 or so and it's been really reliable. It does get confused once in a while and the software is a bit clunky, but the upside of being able to lay the scanner flat on a page and look through it to make sure its straight, and that you have the edges square (important if you're going to weld a few scans together) far outweighs the clunkiness and the odd lockup. And I've probably scanned hundreds of mags, so its been used quite a bit. No real complaints. Cheers, Rip

March 16th, 2009, 09:48 PM	#9
Oudezijds Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: suburb of Chicago/buitenwijk van Chicago Posts: 60 Thanks: 170 Thanked 6,471 Times in 57 Posts	No one ever got fired for buying HP Over the years I have owned a large number of HP printers, scanners, and combos, pc's square wave and test signal generators, waveform and vector monitors which were oft times treated mules. Superb performance, high reliability, fair cost. I don't have the model you are talking about. Particular to scanners I have had numerous driver problems which had to be resolved before I could get satisfaction from the product. Once fixed they run and run. You could be a dunderhead. What I mean is that AHA! moment when you realize you have been skipping over the one note in the instructions that would solve your issue. I hate it when it happens, but confess. I know you put your pants on one leg at a time. This has happened to you hasn't it. I would have expected your issues to be with a product like Canon. Most Canon productsI have tried have been clunkers. Usually they are the product given away with the computer as a come on. Their products always seemed cheesy to me (especially their crappy cameras and lenses). They seem to have a race to the bottom strategy with price. Mentally I extrapolate that low cost products ... Anyway good luck with your problem. Another scanner/poster is always welcome online. - Oudezijds van de Wallen

March 17th, 2009, 12:31 PM	#10
Leprechaun Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Germany Posts: 5,013 Thanks: 23,651 Thanked 77,921 Times in 4,988 Posts	Epson Perfection 1650. Older model but good scan quality. They bargain it away at Ebay regularly. Driver package on the Epson website seems to be up-to-date - I still use XP Pro but I reckon that the latest Perfection drivers are also compatible to Vista.

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