It has been a while since I have had a scanner, as my old Epson scanner wasn't compatible with Win7, when I built a new PC. I researched several major brands and models before settling on this Canon LiDE 110. It was a very close choice between the 210 model and this one, but in the end I didn't really need the extra resolution of the 210, so opted for the 110 and saved the £20+ price difference.
The box and the scanner itself are very slimline compared to my old Epson Scanner, which is now 14yrs old! It is also very light, but still feels reassuringly sturdy, not flimsy or cheap. The instructions were fairly clear, and an easy to use CD containing the driver and additional software is included. Installation on Win7 needs to be done carefully, as you don't want the auto driver installation to take over when it detect new hardware, as that just delays the process and the CD software has to remove that installation before reinstalling the supplied software. Otherwise the installation is very simple, with an on-screen guide and the option to do a custom install of only the basic driver if you really wanted to. I chose the complete package installation.
There is no power lead or power supply with this scanner as it is powered through the USB lead. That didn't cause any problems for me as I have a home built PC with a heavy duty 650w power supply, but might be a problem with an already overworked power supply. Before you start the scanner, you also need to find and click on the hidden lock switch, under the front edge of the scanner, or else it won't work - It is to protect the scanner mechanism when not in use and stored on edge, so recommend locking it again when finished scanning. I haven't experienced any problems with an error message suggesting the lock needed to be unlocked, when that had already been done, but according to many reports I read prior to purchase, such messages can occur if the power supply is insufficient and is not necessarily a fault with the hardware. It can be either a low powered laptop or old PC, or even just a faulty USB socket and switching USB ports or the connected computer makes the scanner work again.
There are simple buttons on the front edge of the scanner to make a PDF of a document, auto scan, copy and e-mail. I didn't try the e-mail button, but the other buttons all work very well, with on-screen prompts when needed. The copy function appears to work with any connected printer as you can choose from any installed printer as the output device. In my test I used an HP laser printer, as I was only copying a black & white document.
There is also an on-screen settings and options menu, with various choices at various stages of each function, as well as customisation of your preferred options for regular use. This software is easy to use, but has lots of more detailed settings for the more experienced user, such as higher or lower resolutions, brightness and many other tweaks. The most impressive thing for me was the way it auto-detects the type of document placed in the scanner. It must do some sort of preview to suggest the correct type of scan, as it could tell the difference between greeting cards and photos, not just documents or photos. I also loved the way the auto-scan detects multiple photos and separates them for you, cropping each one close to the edge, but not too close to under scan the photo. With my old Epson scanner that was all a manual job.
From my first impressions and first few uses this is a very impressive scanner. The quality of the scans is very good and it is much faster then my old scanner. It has lots of very useful and intuitive functions that are easy for the first time user and lots of deeper setting for the experienced user too. The only very small dislike was the high pitched whine it makes when scanning. It is only a very minor dislike, but my old scanner had a much more tolerable lower pitched sound, but I am sure I will get used to it. I would recommend this scanner for a whole range of uses, from photos to copying documents or even creating PDF documents from originals. Very good value at just over £50 including delivery.
| Brand | Canon |
|---|---|
| Product Dimensions | 25 x 37 x 4 cm; 1.6 kg |
| Item model number | 4507B010AA |
| Manufacturer | Canon |
| Series | LiDE 110 |
| Wattage | 2.5 watts |
| Are Batteries Included | No |
| Lithium Battery Weight | 40 g |
| Item Weight | 1.6 kg |
| Guaranteed software updates until | unknown |
