Scanners are the successors of technological advancements that originally commenced in the 1860s. Of course, it has developed just a little since then. But what was once just another form of copying has since become much more.
The Epson Perfection V600 is a great example of how scanners have evolved. They can now perform a variety of other functions. And can even take us into the realms of repair and cleaning up images. There are those that are desperate to somehow save old fading photos. This machine is the answer, as we shall see.
Epson is just one of the companies providing scanning machines. But before we go through our in-depth Epson Perfection V600 Review, let’s take a quick look at who they are…
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Epson
Well-known of course, they are one of the world’s leaders in manufacturing printers for computers. They also have a reputation for producing other great image-related products, with scanners being just one of them.
Founded in 1942 in Japan, they are now part of the Seiko group. Their products come with all that we expect from an upmarket Japanese company. Good designs, functional, reliable, and at a cost-effective price.
Overview
The V600 is a follow-up to Epson’s flagship scanner, the V700/750, and includes many of the same features. But it does lack some of the finer points, the ability to profile the scanner being one?
On the upside, it comes in at about one-third of the price. That makes this scanner an excellent purchase, especially for those that can live without some of the professional features of the V700.
Easy setup…
It is a typical Epson product. Setting up is a matter of taking it out of the box and installing the software. Then all you have to do is turn it on, and you’re ready to Scan.
One thing we would like to mention is that scanners can be a little bit delicate. They are not like printers, which can handle being moved around. Decide where you want it and then leave it alone. That way, you will have a happy little scanner.
As we shall see later, it will handle Photos, Documents, and Film. Furthermore, for each medium, there are software packages included that work with them in providing a host of functions.
So, let’s now take a closer look at the Epson Perfection V600…
The Build
We have already alluded to the fact that scanners can be a little delicate. This applies to all of them, not just this particular model. Therefore, the quality of the build is quite important.
The V600 is a well-made product using quality plastic for the frame and its fittings. It measures 19 by 11 by 4.6 inches and weighs just 9.04 lbs. This means it is very lightweight. However, care needs to be used when handling it.
If you do have to move it, there is a lock on the rear. This will cover the USB port and protect the scanner. The lid is lifted from the front and hinged at the rear of the scanner and has a strong feel to it.
Glass scanning bed…
The scanner bed is made of glass, which is a significant step up from those with a plastic option. The scan area is 8.5 by 11.7 inches, and there is a transparency unit measuring 2.7 by 9.5 inches.
It uses a high speed 2.0 USB with the connecting port on the rear of the scanner, but unfortunately, there is no memory slot. The V600 has a zoom facility from a maximum of 200% down to 50% in one percent increments.
The Software
The Epson Perfection V600 has some more than useful software. We will look at those inclusions in more detail later when we discuss the functions of the scanner. But to briefly itemize them, they include the Epson creativity suite, along with Epson’s Scan Driver that includes Easy Photo Fix.
You can also use Adobe Photoshop and ABBYY Finereader. The latter using Optical Character Recognition.
Hardware-Based technology…
The inclusion of Digital ICE technology for both photo and film is crucial. This will give you plenty of options for repair and enhancements from damaged photos and film. We shall look at this further in the next section.
The Performance
Always the critical area for any consumer product is how it performs. The V600 produces an impressive variety of functions to help you achieve great scans.
Unlike some machines, this is ready to go to work when you are. It doesn’t need any warm-up time. It utilizes a ReadyScan LED light that is energy efficient, giving you greater productivity.
So let’s have a closer look at the functions and how they operate…
Enlarging…
For enlarging from photos, the V600 creates great colors and clarity with 48-bit depth. Fro film, the resolution of 6400 by 9600 dpi gives outstanding enlargements. It will reproduce these enlargements up to 17 by 22 inches.
Superior quality is achieved because it has 3.4 Dmax. Dmax measures the optical density and demonstrates how well the scanner can reproduce the finer and thinner elements of the film.
Document conversion…
Using the ABBYY FineReader Sprint that also has OCR, you can convert documents that you are scanning into text that can be edited. OCR stands for Optical Character Recognition.
This is not a unique technology to this scanner. In fact, it is commonplace. But its inclusion means that virtually any kind of document that has text can be turned into an editable format. A very useful addition.
Restoration of color…
If you have some old fading photos, over time, they may almost disappear. The ability to be able to scan them for the future and even restore some of the original colorings is a great asset. Epson’s Easy Photo Fix software allows you to do that. Just one touch will restore photos very nearly back to their original look. Photos, slides, and even negatives are restored.
The ArcSoft Photo Studio that is also included offers tools for the management of the colors. Thus restoring them permanently for the future.
Further options to edit and enhance your images exist by using certain elements of Adobe Photoshop, which is a well-respected and powerful editing tool for all imagery.
Image Repair…
So let us return to the Digital ICE technology built-in. It falls into two operative categories. Firstly, Digital ICE for photos that have been printed, and secondly for Film.
Digital ICE or Image Correction and Enhancement uses Infra-Red light. This will detect scratches and tears and other imperfections and remove them to produce better quality recreations. Digital ICE for prints goes as far as eliminating the appearance of any creases or tears.
Before this technology, you would have to use the services of those who could retouch photos. That was often quite expensive. Not anymore.
ICE for film…
A similar function is performed with Digital ICE for film. The appearance of any scratches or dust on the film is removed. This gives you a much higher quality reproduced product. This also works for slides, medium format film, and negatives.
Transparency unit…
This will allow you to scan slides, negatives, and certain film formats. In fact, the Transparency unit means you can scan just about anything. Books, magazines, documents, and even 3D objects fall into the scope of the operation.
The performance potential of the V600 is all-encompassing. It might not have some of the finer points of the V700/750, but all you need is here at your fingertips. And the quality of what it produces is outstanding for the price point.
The Controls
Just like most of their equipment, the Epson Perfection V600 is designed to be easy to use. Located on the front panel, there are four rectangular push buttons. These allow you to copy, scan, and scan directly to an email. You can also create PDFs. All very simple and nothing complicated.
To place documents, all you do is lift the lid of the scanner and put the material on the scanning bed. Close it, and you are ready to go.
The Compatibility
The V600 is TWAIN-compliant. TWAIN is an interface that controls the communication between digital imaging products and the software.
The scanner is compatible with Mac OS X 10.3.9, .4, and .5 and later versions. It also operates with Windows 2000, XP, XP Professional, XP Home, Vista, and Windows 7.
Pros And Cons Of Epson Perfection V600
Pros
- Nice solid build with easy to use controls.
- Easy to set up with quick software downloads.
- Plenty of software options are included for editing and repair images.
- Restoration of color using Epson PhotoFix.
- Optical Character Recognition.
- Digital ICE technologies.
- Very competitive price point.
Cons
- No memory card slot.
- Cannot profile this scanner.
Looking For Some More Superb Scanner Options?
There are a number of other scanners also worth considering, as well as some good printers/scanners.
So, check out our in-depth Best Scanner for Artwork Review, our Best Portable Scanners Reviews, and our Best Document Scanners Review.
Also, take a look at our Best Photo Printers Review, our Best All-in-One Printers Review, and our review of the Best Printers for Art Prints currently on the market in 2023.
Epson Perfection V600 Review – Final Thoughts
Some will say that it falls a little short when comparing it to the flagship of Epson scanners, the V700/750. However, that is to be expected when comparing the price points of both machines.
But with the V600, you cannot help but be impressed. It has plenty of editing and repair options and is able to produce some real quality reproductions. Good enough to ‘hang on the wall.’
It is easy to set up straight ‘out of the box’ and continues to be easy as you use it. Additionally, it is certainly a lot more than just a basic scanner and punches well above its weight.
Therefore, it is not difficult to recommend this scanner. It is a great option for those who can benefit from the many features it offers. And there are plenty of those.
Until next time, work smarter, not just harder.
