This is a guest post by Giacomo Sardelli (Disegni in Tasca). The original review was published in Italian.

Since I started the blog I have needed to publish my artworks in good quality, using a scanner for drawings and watercolour. After a month spent using the printer built-in scanner, I decided it was time to invest in a more suitable tool.

The Epson Perfection V370 Photo is an A4 flatbed scanner that also offers film and slide scanning function.

I'm not interested in film scanning, but I chose to buy this scanner anyway for several reasons listed below.

Before I start with the actual review, see this comparison between the built-in scanner of a printer (HP Envy 5530) and the Epson Perfection V370 Photo.

HP Envy 5530

Epson Perfection V370 Photo

CCD sensor suitable for watercolor paper

I chose this scanner mainly for its sensor. Scanners have two types of sensors, generally:

• CIS
• CCD

From an artist viewpoint, these are the differences:

• CIS (Contact Image Sensor): the sheet must be in direct contact with the surface, otherwise any part of the sheet that is lifted even by 1mm will be blurred.
• CCD (Charged Coupled Device): the color quality is better, scanning is faster, but the most important thing is the greater depth of field. So, even if the sheet is slightly detached from the plane, the image will still be in focus.

A CCD sensor is, therefore, the best choice for scanning cold-pressed or rough watercolor paper, or sketchbooks with a binding that lifts them from the scanner surface.

Resolution

The maximum optical resolution is 4800 DPI. Generally, I scan at 600 DPI, twice as much as requested for printing, while images for the blog and Instagram are reduced to 72 DPI.

Cover can be opened 180° to scan drawings on sketchbooks

Another interesting feature is the lid that lifts slightly, which is great for scanning thick sketchbooks. You can even unhook it and open at 180 ° to scan drawings more comfortably.

The lid lifts off the side of the hinge allowing for scanning of thick sketchbooks

Cover open at 90 °

Cover open at 180 °

Connectivity

The Epson Perfection V370 Photo connects to the PC via USB 2.0, the type B port is used at the scanner side, the type A (rectangle) port is used at the computer side. The USB socket and the power cord are on the hinge side of the lid, in a somewhat awkward position related to how I keep the unit on the desk.

It is worth specifying that there is no Wi-Fi connection, so the only way to connect it to the PC is by USB. It is not a great deal for me, because I prefer to have everything at hand on my desk.

All necessary cables are supplied.

Power and USB inputs

Film scanning

As I said, this scanner can scan 35mm films and slides.

I have not tried this function yet and I will avoid reviewing it anyway because it is not meant to scan drawings and watercolours. For those who want to digitize old family pictures is a nice feature, though.

The Epson Perfection V370 Photo in film capture mode. The document mat is removed to reveal the lamp in the lid, while the supplied film holder has to be placed on the document table.

When not in use, the film adapter can be stored in the lid and covered with the white document mat, so convenient!

Functions

The scanner has 4 function keys that allow you to scan and send via email, scan and save as pdf, send a copy to a printer, turn on the scanner and start Scan Utility.

I don't normally use these functions, but someone might find them handy.

Price

At the time of my purchase (June 2020) the Epson Perfection V370 Photo price was € 120 (in Italy), a more than affordable price for the features that the scanner offers.

A picture is worth a thousand words

To sum up, here is an image to help you judge. The image is uploaded as it was scanned, without any editing. Click for a larger view.

The picture was only compressed and scaled for faster loading time on the blog.

The interesting thing is that everything is in focus, even the cover that was at least 5mm above the scanner surface.

A cheaper alternative is the Epson Perfection V39.

Alternatively, if you want to spend less, a good scanner for drawings and watercolors is the Epson Perfection V39, these are the main differences:

• The sensor is CIS , not CCD, therefore quality is slightly lower
• The function for scanning films is missing, but this may not interest you
• The price is cheaper: around € 85 (in Italy)

Conclusion

The Epson Perfection V370 Photo is an excellent scanner for drawings and watercolors with an excellent quality/price ratio. The CCD sensor alone is worth the higher price compared to CIS scanners, and besides it has the function to scan films.

If you have any other questions about this scanner, please ask in the comments!