Review: Canon Canoscan LiDE 600F scanner

Scan photos, documents and old negatives in three different positions

Canon’s LiDE 600F has replaced the LiDE 500F. It features a 4,800 x 9,600dpi optical resolution and 48-bit colour depth – the first compact scanner to bring both of these features together.

A very slim-line scanner, the Canoscan LiDE 600F weighs a mere 2.15kg (without the film scanner), making it highly portable. Interestingly, it can be used in three positions; flat, open 180 degrees and upright (a small stand is built into the base of the unit). The double-hinged lid is very useful when it comes to scanning from large or bulky books.

Apart from being bulky, the film adapter isn’t the easiest one to use when it comes to positioning photographic negatives. Its lack of support for 35mm slides is a real let down too.

Canon has given the 600F seven EZ buttons that can be customised with the Canoscan Toolbox software. Four of the buttons will scan documents straight to Pdf, while the other three control copying, scanning photo/film and preparing the scan to be sent in an e-mail.

Installing the accompanying software is simple and, unlike printers, scanners tend to come with USB cables so it's simply a case of plugging it in and you're away.

Scanning at 300dpi took just over 11 seconds to preview an A4 page and just 20 to scan it. Time increased to just over four minutes at 1200dpi.

For quick photo scans, Canon’s Multi-Photo mode allows ten photos to be scanned in a single pass, each being automatically cropped and straightened.

As is usual with Canon's scanners, a wealth of software is included for editing images and documents; Arcsoft Photostudio, Presto Pagemanager and Scansoft Omnipage. Canon’s own Canoscan Toolbox and Scangear have both been upgraded to provide better functionality and image quality too.

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