Epson V550 Vs. V600

The Epson V550 and the Epson V600 are both photo scanners that provide high performance and adaptability for whichever project you throw their way. They deliver remarkable scans from the user’s, slides, film photos, and other typical documents.

Both models share a lot in terms of features, which is why they are subjected to comparison quite often. For this post, we shall compare and contrast various specifications featured by these two Epson products to see which is better.

Cheering from the same manufacturer, both the Epson Perfection V550 vs. Epson Perfection V600 can be viewed as old-timers as they have been around since 2011 and 2009, correspondingly. However, they can still execute the task much better than most of the younger competitors, even though the design is simply outdated.

For a more comprehensive comparison, we are going to focus on the most critical aspects of both products including, scan quality, connectivity, size and design, what’s included in the box, value for money, and finally, pros and cons for each.

Possibly the most critical aspect of any scanning device is the scan quality. The same goes for connectivity; you don’t want to muddle through multiple cables while you can access and share your photos easily.

Product size and design are also crucial in that there will never be enough room on your work desk. Scanners are typically set in a visible place. For the box, it’s merely accessible things you get along with your purchase.

Epson V550 vs. V600 Scan quality

As previously stated, both the V550 and V600 deliver exceptional scan quality. They both boast a 6400 dpi scanning resolution, which is quite enough to scan films, documents, photos, and negatives amongst other documents promptly and flawlessly.

The V550 model can scan all the bumf and do it rather quickly with the preheating ready Scan LED technology. It incorporates a built-in Optical Character Recognition (OCR) that helps to scan various things into editable texts.

Besides, there are more special features like the Digital ICE light that allows you to scan old documents and get astounding quality. It can reduce the damage, dust, and scratches due to long-time storage.

Unfortunately, the technology is only valid on films and negatives. Not on photos. However, the easy photo fix can be of much help, and you can restore such pictures to their initial glory with just one press of a button.

It is quite unfortunate that the Digital ICE Light can significantly delay the scanning process. But the best thing is that Epson has attached film and negatives holders to ease the process. Still, some older formats of negatives and films might not be supported. That means you’ll need to have some other solutions to make sure they don’t curl during scanning.

The Epson V600, on the other hand, comes with a scanning resolution of up to 6400dpi. It’s designed to support documents, photos, and practically everything that V550 can. It can convert documents into editable content- ABBYY, Sprint Plus OCR, FineReader, but with one more improvement.

It supports digital ICE for prints and films so that it can perform magic on photos too, but when used, Digital Ice will slow the scanning process. For the V550, the users are much satisfied with the photo scan quality, especially with the negative and film scans. It also features the Epson Easy Photo Fix option.

Although both models share the same scan area of 8.5″ x 11.7″, optical resolution, built-in transparency, hardware resolution, and other performance-enhancing features, the Epson V600 is more effective. This is because it has Digital ICE for both films and printing, whereas the V550 can support only films.

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Epson V550 vs. V600- Connectivity

With Epson V550, there is no wireless connection to be involved. You can connect the unit to a computer using Hi-Speed USB 2.0. Another highlight is that it comes with shortcuts that enable you to share various scans on Facebook and other popular cloud services.

The Epson V600 is an older model, so we don’t expect many striking features here. Nonetheless, it comes with a standard Hi-Speed 2.0 USB cable, useful for connecting to a computer. There are no wireless connections, and it brings you shortcuts to email and PDF scanning.

Both models have one problem in common. The Mac OS installation for both scanners is not included in the disc, meaning you’ll have to download one. Another common downside is that you cannot scan a document and still open another program on your computer; the scanning program will most probably sleep unless you have it always upfront and are moving the mouse.

Size and Design

Both models are more like flatbed scanners. They have a simple and bulky design. The Epson V550 dimensions are 11.2″ x 19.1″ x 4.6″ and weighs about 9.6 pounds while the V600 model comes in at 11″ x 19″ 4.6″ and weighs about 9 pounds. The design for both models isn’t the best, but when it comes to product size, the Epson V600 is better due to its smaller size and weight.

What’s included in the box

With the V550 package, you’ll get the Epson V550 itself, Start Here poster, CD-ROM software for windows, transparency unit built into the lid, film holders, 6 x 22 cm medium format film holders, 35 mm film holders, Hi-speed USB 2.0 cable, Cord and C Power adapter.

On the other hand, the Epson V600 package also includes a transparency unit built into the lid, mounted slides, medium format film holders, Hi-Speed USB 2.0 cable, ArcSoft Photo Studio, Cord and AC Power Adapter.

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Epson V550 Vs. V600- Value for Money

The Epson V600 is priced 20% more expensive than the V550. They have the same scanning quality and many other features and software. The only real difference is that the V600 includes a Digital ICE for prints and films, while that of the V550 is only for films. If you want to get the best out of your scratched photos and damaged films, then the varying product cost isn’t any significant. But if you are satisfied with merely good quality in your old documents, then you might not get a lot by spending the extra money.

Epson V550 Vs. V600

Epson Perfection V550- Pros

•       Great Scanning quality
•       It’s made with recyclable materials
•       Digital ICE Light
•       Scan old films and negatives
•       Restore old photos using the Easy Photo Fix
•       Scan multiple documents at a time
•       Convert scanned materials into editable texts.

Cons

•       Simple and basic design
•       No other connectivity means apart from cable
•       Not effective as the V600 for scanning old photos
•       Issues with software solutions

Epson Perfection V600- Pros

•       Great scanning quality
•       It can scan multiple photos at a time
•       Can convert documents into editable text
•       Made with recyclable materials
•       Excellent for old and scratched, and damaged photos and film

Cons

•       Basic design
•       No possibility of wireless connection
•       Issues with software solutions

Although the compatibility of the operating system is essential, we base our final decision on more than just that. When it comes to software versions and updates of both Mac and Windows, there are a lot of variations in both problems. They also have so many things in common that can make it quite difficult for most of us to make a decision. Some of the striking features about both models include the high performance and ability to convert scans into editable docs. You can line up multiple photos for scan, and with a press of a button, you’ll have them scanned to your email. One more press and you’ll access the Easy Photo Fix. Another great feature is the built-in transparency unit. With either of these, you won’t have to go for a separate transparency unit, which is the case in most scanners out there. ABBYY, FineReader, Plus OCR, all present a flawless functionality with either model.

All the extras featured by both the Epson V550 and Epson V600 are just the same, and there is no significant difference in the product size to pick one over the other.

Lastly, we sided with the Epson V600. With the extra few dollars, the product comes with a competitive warranty, so reliability is rather assured. It is quite unfortunate that the V600 model doesn’t have an automatic scan for cloud features, but since you can still scan documents to PDF and Email, most users can excuse this unit and do without the feature.

Moreover, we found the ability to utilize the Digital ICE Light more effective on photos, and the ArcSoft is excellent for professionals and beginners. It might not have all the bells and whistles, but in case you have a backlog of photos for scanning and renewing, the Epson Perfection V600 is a great unit.

Conclusion

After comparing both the Epson V550 vs. V600, it is quite easy to choose one model over the other. However, the selection should be made based on personal preferences as both machines will produce excellent scanning results, whatever you choose, you won’t go wrong with it. The only dissimilarity is that the V600 model is better for old and damaged photos and prints. Otherwise, both models are excellent for scanning, and you’re bound to be impressed by their functionality.