Plustek ePhoto Z300 Review

Performance Comparison

Scanning Performance

The Plustek ePhoto Z300 proved to be a below-average performer in our scanning performance tests. When scanning black and white documents and receipts, we found the text quality to be sharp enough, with just a little blurring when zoomed in, although all dark colors were significantly lightened in the scanning process. Still, the results were legible and usable.

In our photo scanning performance tests, the Plustek maintained poor color accuracy, adding a tint of blue, and consistently produced scans with a notable increase in graininess. Between text documents, receipts, and photos, this model failed to impress our team, and its performance trailed most average scanners we've tested.

Speed

Speed matters if you value your time, and a faster scanner will handle tasks more quickly, allowing you to move on to more important things than feeding a scanner. Unfortunately, the Plustek ePhoto Z300 is a very slow scanner. Slow scanning speeds and the lack of automatic double-sided scanning (duplex) will leave you feeding large jobs, one page or photo at a time.

In our single-page test, each scanner is tasked with scanning a single sheet document on the duplex, double-sided, 600 DPI color setting. The lack of a duplex feature forced us to manually feed the document, resulting in a process that took 40 seconds. By comparison, the fastest scanners completed the task in as little as 4 seconds.

In both of our 10-page document tests, for 600 DPI black and white simplex and duplex settings, the Plustek ePhoto Z300 completed each task in 428 seconds, and again the process required manual feeding. At an average page-per-minute speed of over 42 seconds, the Plustek is not a fast scanner. In fact, it's painfully slow. We wouldn't even consider it adequate for small tasks if you care about productivity and time.

Software

Perfect optical character recognition (OCR) simply doesn't exist yet, and while some above-average models we've tested have come exceptionally close, the Plustek ePhoto Z300 is more of an average model.

Optical character recognition turns printed documents and even handwritten ones into digitized documents and is an incredibly useful tool. OCR is by default on the Plustek and does a decent job of recognition with a low error rate. It accurately digitized words, only missing a couple in our test, and occasionally combined words.

User Friendliness

We rated the user-friendliness of each scanner, specifically evaluating the setup and user interface, and the Plustek proved to be about average.

Setup on a PC is performed via a CD, although a tutorial exists if you are a PC user and don't have an optical drive. Mac users are able to download drivers and software via the manufacturer's website. The user interface is non-existent. It lacks a screen, settings, or buttons. While not very robust, it does make the scanning process simple — you simply feed a photo or document one at a time.

Should You Buy the Plustek ePhoto Z300?

Slow speeds and lower-quality scans compared to its peers left our team wanting a lot more from the Plustek ePhoto Z300. As such, we can't recommend this model when there are so many other great options that offer better performance at a similar price point.

What Other Scanners Should You Consider?

The Plustek ePhoto Z300 is possibly the least capable scanner that we've tested. While it had a lot of promise, based on extensive research, product comparisons, and reviews, it simply did not perform at the level we expect from a good printer. For a portable device able to handle tasks on the go, take a look at the Epson WorkForce ES-60W. Not only is it portable, but it outperforms the Plustek and is a hair cheaper. Of course, if you are looking for the best performance from a scanner and aren't encumbered by budget, then look no further than the Canon ImageFORMULA R40. It offers exceptional performance and is fast enough to make quick work of any scanning tasks.