HP Scanjet 5500c

One look at the HP Scanjet 5500c reveals something special. It features a built-in automatic feeder for scanning up to 24 photo prints in succession, plus a transparency adaptor for 35mm filmstrips and mounted slides.

Photographers who haven't yet taken the plunge with a digital camera will find plenty to interest them here.

Below the feeder, the main scanner is capable of an optical sampling rate of 2,400 dots per inch (dpi) and 48bit colour depth.

Our lab tests proved that this is an exceptionally high-quality device, making it all the more appropriate for photographers.

Yet it is equally well designed for general office use, with software drivers letting you optimise scans for colour copying to your printer and optical character recognition, and also simplifying photo capture.

A set of buttons at the front make it possible to conduct a variety of actions with one push, such as scan, scan to web and scan to email.

Also included is a button that launches a Memories Disc Creator utility for scanning large numbers of pictures, and then saving them to a CD if you have a CD writer.

An LCD window above the buttons shows you the number of multiple copies (up to 99) you can make with one push of the copy button, adjustable with +/- buttons and a colour/mono mode toggle switch.

Unfortunately the transparency adaptor, basically a lamp in a separate block apparatus, is clumsy and fussy to use.

Another disappointment is the photo feeder's limitation to 6 x 4in print size or smaller, forcing you to scan the common 7 x 5in format prints by hand, and it's also very noisy.

Otherwise this is a powerful and speedy scanner.

SPECS

• Flatbed CCD
• Max resolution: 2,400 x 2,400dpi
• 48bit colour depth
• HP Photo & Imaging 1.2
• 545 x 317 x 167mm (w x d x h)
• 5.3kg
• USB2 (USB1.x compatible)

Price: £249 (£211.91 ex VAT)

Contact: HP 08705 474 747
www.hp.co.uk