The Canon CanoScan N650U: A Review of What You Should Know Before You Buy One
Written: May 26 '01 (Updated Jun 15 '01)
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Pros: Small Size, No Power Cord, Good Scans
Cons: Unable to Scan 3-Dimensional Objects, Software Interface
The Bottom Line: This very small scanner has some drawbacks, but overall it performs at an acceptible level for most needs.
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| DrDad's Full Review: Canon CanoScan N650U Flatbed Scanner |
This review of the Canon CanoScan N650U examines its Pros and Cons and compares it to a less expensive scanner, the Visioneer 4400USB. I will also explain the differences between the various Canon scanner models (the N650U, N656U, N1200U, D660U, D1230UF, and the D2400UF). The CanoScan N650U is listed as the Highest-rated scanner by Epinions members, but that does not mean it is the best scanner for your needs. I will end this review with purchase recommendations based on your scanning needs. Finally, I have tried to write this review in simple terms that require little or no technical expertise.
Here is an outline of this review:
1. Canon CanoScan N650U: Specifications
2. The Technology Inside, Size, and Why it Matters
3. Ease of Use: Canon's Scanner Software
4. Noise, Speed, and Quality: CanoScan N650U versus Visioneer 4400USB
5. What the Model Numbers Tell You
6. Should You Buy the CanoScan N650U?
7. Related Links for Scanner Information
Before I begin, I should say that I purchased this scanner for the Psychology Department at the University where I teach. We needed a scanner that could be moved easily from one office to another. The N650U was highly rated here at Epinions, with almost every reviewer commenting on the scanner's small size. We have used the scanner to scan both photos and documents and are generally pleased with the purchase. However, if you are a novice to scanning devices, please read this full review before purchasing the CanoScan N650U.
1. Canon CanoScan N650U: Specifications
The N650U is a flat-bed scanner that measures 10.1 inches wide by 14.7 inched deep by 1.3 inches high. That's right, just over one inch tall. In addition to being small, the N650U requires only one cord (the USB cord also supplies the power, so there is no need for a separate power cord). The fact that this scanner is so small and lightweight (3 pounds) makes it very portable.
The N650U is a 600 X 1200 dpi scanner. Most new scanners have resolutions of 1200 X 2400 dpi. In this review, I won't go into a technical discussion of what these numbers mean, but basically they refer to the resolution at which the scanner captures images. However, don't be fooled into thinking "I want top quality, therefore I want the scanner with the highest resolution". The resolution you need depends upon the purpose for which you are using the scanner. ***If you plan to scan photos to e-mail to friends or put on a web page, or if you plan to scan documents, a 600 X 1200 dpi scanner will more than meet your needs.***
The N650U is a USB only scanner (that means that the cord that you use to plug the scanner into the computer is a USB cord). There is no option to plug the scanner into a parallel port (the port in which your printer is plugged). Furthermore, the scanner will work with Windows98, WindowsME or with Macintosh systems. Your computer should have at least a 133 MH processor with at least 32 MB of RAM.
2. The technology inside, size, and why it matters
How did Canon make the N650U so small? They did it by using a scanning technology different from traditional scanners. Traditional scanners use what is called CCD (Charged-Coupled Device) technology which scans an object by shining a bright light on it and using mirrors and sensors to "capture" the image. The N650U uses CIS (Contact Image Sensor) technology which involves a small, sensor-filled, LED bar passing under the object and capturing the image. How these technologies work isn't as important as understand what effect the technology has on scanning.
The advantages of the CIS technology is that it allows for a much smaller scanner than the CCD technology, and it uses less power (thus there is no separate power cord). The N650U (and any other scanner that uses CIS technology) is about one inch thick whereas CCD scanners will be two to three inches thick and will have larger width and depth dimensions.
The disadvantages of the CIS technology are that scans tend to be lighter (sometimes appearing "washed out") than scans from CCD scanners (see EXAMPLE-1 from Section 4 of this review). Also, with CIS scanners (like the CanoScan) the item to be scanned must be FLAT against the glass for the scan to capture properly (see EXAMPLE-2 from Section 4 of this review). What this means is that the Canon n650u is unable to scan three-dimensional images. Many people use scanners to create images of items they are selling on eBay, and this scanner cannot do this.
I have not been displeased with the quality of scans from my CIS driven CanoScan. But I am glad that I have access to a CCD driven scanner at home in case I need one.
3. Ease of Use: Canon's Scanner Software
For me, this was the first major drawback to the Canon N650U. The main interface that this scanner uses is called the "Canon ScanGear Toolbox" and it has six buttons (Fax, Mail, Copy, Save, Settings, and Help). The Settings button allows you to set the scanning resolution (and other options) for the Fax, Mail, Copy and Save functions. So the basic idea for scanning an object is to place it on the scanner, push the button on the front of the scanner (which brings up the Toolbox on your screen) and then click Fax to fax it, Copy to print it, or Save to save the image on your hard drive.
What is good about this interface is that it is relatively easy to use for a computer novice who just wants to print or e-mail a scanned picture. The problem I (and my co-workers) had was that we wanted more control over the resolution settings and scanning options than the Toolbox allows. To access advanced options such as Descreening and Gamma settings, you have to access the ScanGear CS-U TWAIN Driver software. The method of viewing these options isn't obvious to the novice, and therefore novices might miss out on taking full advantage of their scanner's abilities. However, once you figure out how to access and set the advanced options, the Canon 650U does a more than acceptable job of capturing images.
If you plan to use the CanoScan for scanning text documents and editing them in your word processing software, you should know that OmniPage Pro 9.0 ships with this scanner. OmniPage is OCR software (Optical Character Recognition) which basically "reads" the text of a scanned document and converts it from an image format into a text format. Problems with OCR software can occur, for example, when the software reads "Hello" as "He110". My experience with OmniPage is that it is 98-100% accurate. However, most of my scans were textbook material where the printing is very clear. OmniPage made significantly more errors when reading a document that had been printed by an inkjet printer on plain paper.
Other software that comes with the CanoScan 650U is ArcSoft PhotoStudio 2000 (a decent photo editor) and ArcSoft PhotoBase (which I have never used, but I believe it allows you to make electronic albums of your images). I haven't used PhotoStudio extensively, but it appears to have more options than many of the other photo editors I have seen (including Microsoft's Picture It).
4. Noise, Speed, and Quality: CanoScan N650U versus Visioneer 4400USB
I have the Visioneer 4400USB at home and the CanoScan at work (actually, I have them both at home right now). The Visioneer is also a 600 X 1200 dpi scanner, but it uses CCD technology so it is much larger than the Canon. The Visioneer cost me $15 after rebates (yes, I did send in the rebates and yes, I have received the money). The Canon cost my department $99. Here is how these two scanners compare.
Noise: These two scanners make different sounds when scanning, and the Visioneer is probably a little bit louder than the Canon. Neither scanner is particularly noisy, but neither one is whisper quiet either.
Speed: The Visioneer wins the scanning race every time, but the Canon is not horribly slow. Looking at the actual scanning speeds I have clocked when scanning a 4 inch by 6 inch photo at different resolutions, you see that most scans will occur in less than 2 minutes. These test were run on the same computer within minutes of each other.
Visioneer - 200dpi - 13 seconds
Visioneer - 400dpi - 32 seconds
Canon - 200dpi - 26 seconds
Canon - 400dpi - 51 seconds
Quality: For scanning photos and text, the quality of both the Canon and the Visioneer is more than acceptible. The Canon, with its CIS technology, does produce lighter images than the Visioneer with its CCD technology. In my opinion, even though the Visioneer images are darker, they are of a better quality than those of the Canon (especially when enlarged). Outside sources that I have examined, and my own personal experience with both CCD and CIS scanners, suggest that the CIS technology isn't quite as good as CCD for capturing objects. Furthermore, for scanning 3-dimensional objects, the Canon simply will not work.
You can decide for yourself which scanner image you like better by following the links below. Because of the high resolution (yes, 150dpi is high for a web image), the images may take a minute or so to load. Example-2 actually loads faster than Example-1.
EXAMPLE-1: 4X6 photo at 150dpi scan
http://www.consumer-reviews.f2s.com/photo.html
EXAMPLE-2: 3-D object at 300dpi scan (cropped and enlarged)
http://www.consumer-reviews.f2s.com/third.html
My Review of the Visioneer 4400 USB
http://recommended.epinions.com/content_24494902916
5. What the Model Numbers Tell You
Canon has several different models of flatbed scanners (see appropriate link below). Basically, models that begin with the letter "N" (N650U, N656U, and N1220U) use the CIS technology and are therefore thin. Models that begin with the letter "D" (D660U, D1230UF, and D2400UF) use the CCD technology. The letter "U" in every model lets you know that they all use USB ports to connect to your computer. Model numbers that begin with a "6" have 600 X 1200 resolution, models that begin with a "12" have 1200 X 2400 resolution, and the D2400UF has 2400 X 4800 resolution. The letter "F" at the end of some models tells you it has a built-in film adapter so you can scan negatives and slides.
By the way, the difference between the N650U and the N656U is that the N656U is $30 more expensive and is metalic grey instead of beige. That's right, you can pay $30 more for the same scanner with a different finish.
6. Should You Buy the CanoScan N650U?
The N650U does a good job at scanning photos for print, e-mail, or web display. The software interface could be improved, but you will get used to it. It also does a good job scanning text and the OmniPage software that comes with it does a good job reading the text. For these purposes, I do recommend this scanner (especially if small size and portability are needed, as was our case). Furthermore, if these are the only purposes for which you will use your scanner, I do not recommend you buy one with a higher resolution (1200 X 2400). For the items I mentioned, you will rarely (if ever) scan at a resolution higher than 400dpi. I also do not recommend this scanner to anyone who will need to scan 3-D objects. For example, if you are selling your pocket knives or jewelry on eBay, you could not scan them with this scanner.
If you are looking for a scanner that is even less expensive than the Canon Canoscan n650u, I recommend you take a look at the Visioneer 4400 (link provided below).
7. Related Links for Scanner Information
Flatbeb Scanners by Canon
http://consumer.usa.canon.com/scanners/index.html
Basic Scanner Info and Buying Tips by SmartComputing
http://www.smartcomputing.com/editorial/article.asp?
article=articles%2Farchive%2Fl0701%2F10l01%2F10l01%2Easp
PC Magazine compares CCD and CIS technologies
http://www.zdnet.com/products/stories/reviews/0%2C4161%2C2144725%2C00.html
The Visioneer 4400 USB: A Great Scanner for only $19.00
http://recommended.epinions.com/content_24494902916
8. Conclusion
I hope this review of the CanoScan N650U has been helpful to you as you make your purchase decision. Be sure to use the link on this page to "Check the latest prices" because this scanner should go down in price quickly as new models are introduced. Good luck with your new scanner.
Bret (DrDad)
(updated 6/8/01)
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 99
Interface: USB
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