A solid entry into the under-$100 scanner class, the Epson Perfection V30 is a flatbed scanner that delivers no-fuss usage with excellent imaging. Those needing a great bit of detail will make use of its 4800 DPI resolution mode, as this is far more than most ordinary users will need. Easily accessed one-touch buttons on the unit make quick intake of documents or photos a breeze, with some small caveats.
The Value of the Epson Perfection V30 Scanner
The Epson V30 is a scanner that provides high-quality, 4800 DPI scans at a reasonable cost. That is its main feature. There are few external bells and whistles on the chassis, which gives a minimalist feel to the unit. In this price range, however, users should look more for quality than needless extras.
Epson does include four large buttons for a “one-click” style scan, and they allow you to automatically scan to straight to PDF, email your document, make copies, and to perform a normal scan. The lid of this flatbed opens broadly, allowing larger documents and odd-shaped media (books, etc.) to be scanned. The V30 can crop out the outer edges of your documents, though, so bear this in mind when scanning full-bleed images.
The V30 is another of Epson’s “no warm-up” units, which cuts down on the time the scanner needs to prep itself to perform its duties. Those of us older than 20 can appreciate this greatly, as most scanners need several seconds to get the juices flowing.
Affordable Photo Scanning
While the Epson V30 isn’t marketed as a photo scanner, it does have a few features that make it a good choice if you are looking for a cheap photo scanner. First is the 4800 dpi resolution mentioned above. Second is the Epson Scan software which incorporates Epson’s Easy Photo Fix technology.
The Easy Photo Fix technology is offered with all of Epson’s image scanners and provides an easy option for photo restoration. If you have old photos to scan and don’t want to be bothered with photo-editing software, this one-touch feature is a nice inclusion.
Included in the Box
The Epson Perfection V30 runs on AC power and USB 2.0 for data. Both cables are included. Also included are CD-ROM software and a (de facto standard) large fold-out poster containing easily-followed instructions for setup.
Thankfully, setting up a scanner in a modern operating system software is a snap, but the fold-out should sufficiently assist those new to the process. Also important to know is that this scanner is compatible with both Windows and Mac systems.
Epson Perfection V30 Bundled Software
The software included with almost any scanner or printer can leave a lot to be desired. In this case, Epson has done a respectable job. In addition to one-touch intake to PDF format, other software apps are included to retouch photos. Color enhancement, scratch and dust removal, and other adjustments can be made from within the software.
Of course, not all is perfect. The included software detects multiple photographs on the scanning bed and will scan and save them each as an individual picture. This can be a big time saver, but it has a little habit of slicing up images that do not need to be sliced up according to user reviews. This did not happen that often, but it’s a kink that needs to be sorted out on the next release of the program. Also, reports of incompatibility with the newest Mac operating system OS X Lion are floating around online, so keep this in mind if you’re a Mac user.
The Epson Perfection V30 is a good scanner and a great value for this price range. The image sensor is excellent and delivers images up to 4800 DPI. The included software does its job admirably, for the most part. Overall, picture quality and ease of use win out according to most users.
