The Epson Perfection V600 photo scanner is definitely in the higher class of scanners when you consider its fast scanning, handling of both documents and negatives/slides and imagine quality. It’s not your dad’s old clunker of a scanner, as it speeds through with its energy-efficient LED imaging. No warm-up is needed, which is a great improvement over the standard scanner most people are used to dealing with.
And with 6400X9600 DPI resolution, which is more than you’ll probably ever need, you can blow up a film strip to almost two feet in height. How’s that for power? There are a few minor drawbacks, which are outlined below, but overall the V600 Scanner by Epson a quality piece of equipment on any computer desk.
The Epson Perfection V600 Technical Specs
As mentioned earlier, you’ll be able to scan at 6400×9600 DPI. To put this in perspective, most printing establishments need at least a 300 DPI quality image for quality printing. This scanner can output a 6400 DPI image. Needless to say, image resolution will not be an issue with the V600 on the job. To save file space on your hard drive, however, you’re going to be just as well to use a lower DPI setting like 3600 or the like.
And keep in mind that computer monitors generally cannot display anything better than 72 DPI, so if you’re scanning for viewing online only, there’s little need to scan at a DPI much higher than 300 dpi. Of course, if you’re doing any image editing, you may want to scan a bit higher than 300 dpi then convert the file to a lower size as needed.
The Epson V600 runs on AC power, and it uses USB 2.0 for data transfer. This is the norm, and both of these cables are included. Since the V600 can scan so many different types of media/documents, a bit more hardware is included. It can scan 35mm film, mounted slides and 6×22 medium-format film handlers. In fact, the ability to scan medium-format film is one key difference between this scanner and it’s main competitor, the Canon 9000F Mark II.
This simply means that the Epson is an advanced scanner that can actually scan your photographic film, photo slides, negatives and 
transparencies. This is all in addition to the standard documents that will require scanning every now and again. Scanning documents larger than the bed of the unit is nearly impossible according to users, however, due to the fact that the scanning area is lower than the edges.
Summary of Specs:
- 6400 dpi optical resolution.
- 8.5 x 11.5″ scanning area.
- Supports 35mm slides and film and medium format strips.
- Digital Ice for scratch removal
- Easy Photo Fix software included
- Windows and Mac compatible.
Included with the Epson V600
The kit includes the cables needed for power and data transfer along with required attachments for film, slide and other scanning duties. Epson also includes a pretty healthy package of software including OCR software to actually convert your scanned documents into editable, searchable text. This is essential for scanning multiple text documents and then having the ability to search for them later on your computer.
Miscellaneous editing and photo software includes DIGITAL ICE, which attempts to enhance scanned photographs and get rid of blemished and tears. Adobe Photoshop Elements is also included in the kit, which gives you a lite version of the industry standard image editing powerhouse application.
The serious photographer or graphic artists may feel that the included software is a bit lackluster. Adobe Photoshop Elements is a stripped-down version of the main program, and this may be a hindrance for some power users. In that case I would suggest you have a look at the Epson V700. But for most users the included software package should be more than adequate and enable the scanning and editing of almost any media. And considering that Photoshop Elements costs around $80 on it’s own, it’s inclusion in this package will be a great bonus for basic users.
Overall, Epson Perfection V600 is a high quality scanner just as you would expect from a company like Epson. The vast majority of customers seem very happy with their purchase, just check out the reviews and ratings from Amazon. If you need a great photo scanner or slide scanner, the Epson V600 is certainly a top choice to consider.
