Best Slide & Negative Scanners of 2026

"I managed to scan about 1500 slides in just a few months with this device. The setup was straightforward and I quickly found my rhythm, eventually getting up to 2-3 scans per minute. What I appreciate most is that it's reliable, fast, and produces great scans—a solid starting point for any post-processing I want to do in Photoshop. The scanner arrived in perfect condition and was priced right. Overall, it's an OUTSTANDING tool for digitizing old slides."

"For anyone looking to quickly and easily review and scan old family slides and negatives, this scanner is a solid choice. The auto-exposure feature is a game changer, making it simple to correct over- or under-exposed shots, and I especially like being able to select 'Color Negative' to instantly view and scan old negatives. The photos turn out as clear as the originals allow, and the workflow couldn't be more straightforward. My only wish is for a way to scan the full frame without cropping, but for my main purpose, I'm very satisfied."

"This scanner is simple, fast, and effective—perfect for giving new life to vacation memories. It may not be professional grade, but the resolution is more than enough for old amateur slides, and the file sizes are manageable. Manual or automatic color and brightness adjustments are helpful, and the nearly instant scans make handling large batches easy. For the price, it's a great way to digitize a lot of slides quickly and then choose the best ones for professional scanning if needed."

"I’ve used scanners from HP, Epson, Kodak, and Nikon, but the PlusTek stands out for reliability and speed. I found setup with my MacBook easy once I used a USB hub. Scanning is efficient, over 100 photos per hour at 300dpi, and the image quality is impressive. Compared to other brands, especially Kodak’s sheet feeder (which jammed constantly), the PlusTek has been much more dependable. The software is less buggy than most, and overall, I’m very pleased with the results."

"I needed a way to digitize thousands of old slides and negatives from my travels. The Plustek OptikFilm 8300i has easily converted over a thousand slides with very good results. The software has a lot of features, but I found it manageable. Even old negatives look as good as new after scanning. Just be aware, it’s not automated—you’ll have to do some manual loading and processing. But for what it delivers, I’m well satisfied and impressed by its performance."

"This scanner really bridges the gap between cheap digitizers and professional machines. As an amateur, it’s probably more than I need, but the results are fantastic. Scratch-fix works well and image clarity at 3600dpi is excellent—you can see the grain clearly. Scanning speed is good at around 30 seconds per image. The only tough part is learning SilverFast9 software, which takes some time, but Plustek’s own software is much simpler if you want hassle-free scanning. It’s a great choice for both amateurs and pros."

"I've been using the Plustek 8200i for a couple of months now, and it's become indispensable for digitizing my old slides and negatives. The scanner, paired with the included SilverFast software, has helped me start building a digital archive. While learning the software took some time due to its many features, the results are impressively clear. The infrared scanning option is a lifesaver for removing dust and scratches, and the ME feature enhances image quality even further. Customer support from SilverFast was quick and helpful, especially when I needed assistance with installation. Overall, the 8200i has exceeded my expectations."

"For anyone looking to scan individual slides, I think this scanner is a solid choice. The film holder is easy to use and feels smooth when advancing slides. The scan quality is excellent, and the operation is quiet and straightforward. While the included software can be a bit complex at first, once you get used to it, it works well. If not, third-party options like VueScan can be a great alternative. Build quality stands out, and I'm really pleased with the results."

"The image quality from this scanner is outstanding, and it’s inspired me to get back into analog photography. Although the technology feels a bit dated—for example, the USB cable and CD-based software—the performance makes up for it. I had to download the software online and purchase an extra cable, which was a bit inconvenient, but the scans are way better than what I could get with my camera and a macro lens."

"After weighing my options between the Kodak Slide N SCAN and the Plustek OpticFilm 8100, I’m really glad I picked the Plustek for its superior scan quality and flexibility. The scanner came well-packaged with clear instructions and helpful online tutorials. The SilverFast software is powerful and user-friendly—the built-in guides and video demos made it easy for me to learn quickly. After digitizing over 100 old film negatives, I’m delighted with the results and love the ability to fine-tune resolution, color, and sharpness. The automatic dust and scratch removal surprised me by working so well, even though this model doesn’t have infrared detection. My only wish is for a bit more speed, but overall, it’s a fantastic scanner for high-quality film conversion."

"I’m very happy with my Plustek OpticFilm 8100. Scanning my Kodachrome slides has yielded very accurate digital images, and the ability to crop before scanning saves a ton of space. It took a little effort to get the right version of the SilverFast software—downloading and account setup can be confusing—but once installed, it works great."

"With decades of experience in digital photography, I bought the Plustek OpticFilm 8100 to digitize my extensive slide collection. The scanner feels solid and works most of the time, but scanning is slow and tedious at high resolution—I can only do about 30-40 slides a night. The SilverFast software is feature-rich but complicated, and the licensing process is a hassle. While the results are good, I sometimes wonder if it’s worth the time compared to using a professional service. If you go this route, I’d recommend also requesting RAW or HDR files for the best long-term results."

"I was drawn to the compact scanner's clever trays and easy magnetic closure, which kept my slides and negatives well organized. The flip and mirror features also made orientation simple. However, I did notice some cropping in the final images and the colors leaned heavily toward red. Also, connecting the device to my computer wasn't as smooth as I hoped, and the slideshow function didn't work reliably. Ultimately, I decided to return it because it didn't meet my expectations."

"After returning my first unit because it wouldn't save scans to the SD card, the replacement worked as promised. The scanning process is methodical and time-consuming, but I was satisfied with the final results. While it takes patience, the quality of the scanned slides met my needs."

"This scanner is compatible with Windows 11, but only functions as an SD card reader. I found the batch scanning process slow, especially since I had to check each slide on my PC after scanning. Some images looked fine on the LCD but were out of focus once transferred. Overall, it feels outdated and could use some updates."

"After reading some negative comments, I was hesitant to buy, but I needed an affordable way to convert slides to digital for a friend. It worked flawlessly on my Windows XP system as long as I took my time. You just have to avoid rushing the process, or images won’t save. For the price, it’s a fantastic choice if you only need this occasionally. If you want a built-in viewer or higher-end features, look elsewhere. But for basic slide transfer, I’m satisfied."

"I mostly use this scanner for negatives and have had great results on my Windows 7 laptop. The resolution is much better than what I get from scanning photos. I’m not sure why others complain about color or quality; for me, the results have been fantastic."

"The device does what it claims and is straightforward to use. It’s manual, but that suits my needs, and the software is very user-friendly. So far, I’ve scanned a bunch of my old Kodachrome slides and the image quality has been good, whether the holders are paper or plastic. For the price, this is a great product if you’re fine with manual operation."

"I've found that this product performs flawlessly for digitizing my slides. Even after testing other software, I couldn't notice any difference in image quality, even at the highest settings. While the files can get quite large, it’s perfect for my needs—viewing on my computer and TV. Besides a rare issue with the cassette feeder, which resolved itself after a few days, the device has been totally problem-free."

"To quickly digitize a larger collection of slides, I think having a second frame holder is essential. It really speeds up the workflow when handling a lot of images."

"I found the price reasonable and slide scanning works especially well. However, it's a bit of a hassle since I can only scan one picture at a time."

"When scanning my slides, the resulting digital images look vastly better than projecting them on a wall. The improvement is quite significant after digital processing."

"I mainly wanted to digitize photos, but the scans of my photos often get washed out except for a small area in the center. With negatives, the scans aren’t washed out but seem somewhat grainy."

"After struggling with my old scanner, I tried this new model and was impressed by its exposure adjustment and ease of use. Most slides, even underexposed ones, came out with good quality after some color tweaking. The speed and ability to scan directly to an SD card made the process much faster than before, and it worked especially well with black and white negatives. While it may not be perfect for professional publishing, for on-screen viewing and personal archiving, it’s an excellent investment."

"I needed a way to digitize my large collection of 35mm film, and this scanner completely exceeded my expectations. The setup was simple, and the controls were intuitive and easy to navigate. Even though there’s a slight greenish tinge sometimes, the on-board settings help correct it easily. I’ve already scanned over 500 negatives, and the process is straightforward and fast. Family and friends are now asking to borrow it, which tells you how satisfied I am with its performance."