I know there have been a lot of threads asking about these scanners in the past, but I don't think this topic has been addressed. It's coming time for me to get a new scanner shortly, and I have some concerns. I've had two CCD scanners (the good kind) and two of the other kind, who's name I cannot remember at the moment. My first scanner was the absolute best- it could handle literally anything, including slides and negatives. Unfortunately, it is now too old for my computer to recognize, as I got it in 2005. But every card looked exactly like they did in hand when scanned.
My second scanner, which was also a CCD...stunk. The scans color was always a little off, the glass began to delaminate after a year and a half, but the worst part of it was that while it could handle any kind of card, including depth, it could NOT handle any kind of holofoil...as you can see below, it put lines all over everything. (Note also that I did not correct this scan, thus the white spots all over it) All foil generally scanned as black, as well.
I replaced that scanner with a new one that could handle holofoil, but could not handle simple things like Panini cards or many Upper Deck cards.
I bought a 4th scanner, the scanner I'm still using, in 2016 and it can handle most anything...here is the same card with the "new" scanner.
But the new scanner has no depth of field, and it cannot handle Stadium Club cards at all.
I had been using the 3rd scanner to do the Stadium Club cards and the 4th scanner to do everything else, but my new computer will not recognize my 3rd scanner so that avenue is now lost to me.
The 4th scanner is now nearing the end of it's useful time. I got almost 4 years out of it, which, considering how much I scan, is a lot. I can probably keep it going for a while more so it might hit the 4 year mark, which comes in May. (Scanner #2 lasted a year and a half, Scanner #3 three years). I have some cards and other things that I cannot currently scan because the scanner's depth of field is not deep enough, so I plan to get a CCD scanner the next time- but if if cannot handle the holofoils, like scanner #2, then it's pretty much useless. If I cannot be sure that I will not have that problem, I think I would rather just get another cheapish scanner that can do everything except Stadium Club cards, but can do pretty much everything else, as I put them through a lot of use and don't really want to spend a lot of money on something I will end up replacing in three years or so.
How do I make sure I get a scanner that can handle every card?
VERY slow trading due to health problems. Not transferrable so safe to trade with, just moving is painful and can't always access the cards.
Cardboard History My COMC
New Collection Website: Cardboard History Gallery (Still under construction)
Tips on how to make your scans look like the card does in hand (No more washed out, fuzzy scans!):