A3 Scanner

I need a good A3 scanner with a budget of £300 and would like to have some recommendations.

thank you.

I've no hands-on experience but you're probably looking at a Mustek ScanExpress Pro 1200 (or 2400) for your price range. Read the reviews so that you know the shortcomings (e.g. poor depth of field) and buy from a retailer with good after-sales service so that you can get a full refund if you're not happy. You should also consider buying VueScan since Mustek's bundled software has poor reviews. Mustek's scanners used to have a reputation for not lasting very long but they're cheap enough to replace if they conk out after the warranty expires.

Thank for the input. I don't mind increasing the budget to £400/£500 if that would get me something much better. Any suggestions would be helpful.

Since A3 scanners are considered to be specialist kit, you will probably not get anything much better than Mustek unless you are prepared to spend a lot more money. Providing the basic hardware works, you're quids in. If I was buying for myself I would try Mustek first of all. I have considered it in the past but the need hasn't arisen yet.

If you just want to scan basic documents and you're buying for personal use, then a Mustek will probably do the job. If the hardware is c**p, send it back and ask for a full refund. If you don't like the bundled software, get yourself a copy of VueScan. If you want to scan artwork, treat yourself to some colour profiling kit rather than an expensive scanner. This will come in handy for all sorts of stuff besides scanning.

Edited by micksharpe (Wed 18-Apr-12 11:35:25)

A few ideas here:

http://snipurl.com/234wkd0

Thanks folks