The Epson Perfection V550 vs V600 vs V800 vs V850 Pro. This is the battle of the Epson Perfection flatbed scanners. Something you might think is not really important, but what we love to get to the bottom of it.
A a heads up on this article, the Epson Perfection V550 and V600 provide a very good value. This is mainly because they keep most of the features and resolution of the V800 / V850.
The latter though, they have the edge in certain parts Here is our round-up of the V550 vs V600 vs V800 vs V850 Pro, and below, you should be able to find a very interesting comparison table. The main features of each flatbed Epson Perfection are explained, so you can decide which is the most attractive instantly.
Click here to use this easy tool to help guide you through the scanner selection process.
| Product | Format | Optical Resolution | Connectivity | Color Depth | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A4 | 6400 dpi | Hi-Speed USB 2.0 | 48-bit Color or 16-bit Grayscale | Click for more info |
Our choice
| A4 | 6400 dpi | Hi-Speed USB 2.0 | 48-bit Color or 16-bit Grayscale | Click for more info |
| Epson Perfection V800
| A4 | 6400 x 9600 dpi | Hi-Speed USB 2.0 | 48-bit Color | Click for more info |
| Epson Perfection V850
| A4 | 6400 dpi | Hi-Speed USB 2.0 | 48-bit Color or 16-bit Grayscale | Click for more info |
We will now have a look at each product in particular. Analyzing each one individually is recommended so you can get a clear picture of the advantages and the disadvantages of choosing each of the models.
Epson Perfection V550
| Product | Format | Optical Resolution | Connectivity | Color Depth | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A4 | 6400 dpi | Hi-Speed USB 2.0 | 48-bit Color or 16-bit Grayscale | Click for more info |
If you are not familiar with the Epson V550, here is a quick overview. This flatbed scanner has a 6400 DPI optical resolution which is provided by its CCD sensor. The RGB color depth that it offers is 48-bit. The resolution is the same as with all the models listed in this article and considering the price difference, the V550 is extremely good value for money. The image sensor is backed up by a ReadyScan LED lamp which doesn’t need any time to warm up.
When it comes to Digital ICE features, those are applied through the Epson Photo fix software. It is not as advanced as the Silverlight photo editing software used on the Epson Perfection V800 but it does perform the basic functions. The scanner connects through USB 2.0 which is the standard for most flatbed scanners with the exception of the Canon Lide 400.
You can scan 35mm film negatives and mounted slides using the transparency unit that Epson provides with the scanner. The 6400 DPI image resolution is more than enough to get the most quality out of your photos and films.
Out of all the scanners here, it has the lowest price. When you compare the Epson Perfection V550 vs Epson Perfection V600 you will notice that they are more or less identical. Except for 3 key features: The speed is much faster on the V600. You don’t get the Photoshop Elements software on the CD that you get with the V600 and the Digital ICE features only work on film scans, not on scanned photos and documents. That’s basically it. Sometimes you can find the V600 discounted so it gets to the same price as the V550.
Epson Perfection V600
| Product | Format | Optical Resolution | Connectivity | Color Depth | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A4 | 6400 dpi | Hi-Speed USB 2.0 | 48-bit Color or 16-bit Grayscale | Click for more info |
When it comes to resolution, the Epson Perfection V600 vs Epson Perfection V800, it is exactly the same. Both the V600 and V800 have a 6400 DPI resolution. The difference is that the V600 only has a 3.4 Dmax and the V800 has a 4.0 Dmax, so the blacks are not as deep on the V600.
In terms of connectivity, in the V550 vs V600 vs V800 vs V850, they all have the same slow and sluggish USB 2.0 connectivity. As far as the size and weight are concerned, both the Perfection V550 and Perfection V600 have an almost identical size and weight. In terms of scanning speed, the V550 is the slowest with a 14 seconds scanning sped, the V600 is much faster with a scanning time of 6 seconds and the V800 can match that speed too in preview mode.
For scanning film, the Epson V600 has the same type and number of film holders as the Perfection V550, so there is no difference there.
When compared to the V550, it has the Photoshop Elements software as a bonus which will help you a lot with photo editing and the Digital ICE features for photos and documents. Using Digital ICE is more important for film than it is for photos because when the scratches are magnified. But the scanning speed is what makes a big difference for us. It is much faster.
In terms of software, it comes with the following apps: Epson Easy Photo Fix, Epson Copy Utility, ArcSoft PhotoStudio, ABBYY FineReader Sprint Plus OCR, Photoshop Elements. The OCR software is the same that you get with the V550.
Epson Perfection V800
| Product | Format | Optical Resolution | Connectivity | Color Depth | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A4 | 6400 x 9600 dpi | Hi-Speed USB 2.0 | 48-bit Color | Click for more info |
The Epson V800 has the same optical resolution as the V600 but this time, there are some differences. First of all it has a Dual-Lens system which will provide extra sharpness and detail. Then there is the 4.0 Dmax black density, which means a higher dynamic range and much deeper blacks in the scanned photos.
In the V600 vs V800 battle, as far as weight is concerned, the V800 weighs 5.6 lbs more than the V600 and it is much thicker and bulkier.
This photo scanner has 4 film holders instead of just two, for medium-format and larger films. You can scan more negatives and slides than you can with the ones provided with the V550 and V600.
The software is what makes a big difference between the two: On the Perfection V800 you get the SilverFast SE software which has many additional functions like 64-bit HDR, NegaFix for true color negative to positive conversion, Adaptive color restoration, an improved Digital ICE algorithm for removing dust and scratches, Unsharp masking, GANE for eliminating noise and film grain. These are features that you don’t get on the Epson V600 and for professional photographers and enthusiasts they just might make the difference.
Epson Perfection V850
| Product | Format | Optical Resolution | Connectivity | Color Depth | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A4 | 6400 dpi | Hi-Speed USB 2.0 | 48-bit Color or 16-bit Grayscale | Click for more info |
The Epson Perfection V850 needs to only be compared with the Epson Perfection V800 since it is in a price range of its own. What do you get for the extra money?
You get higher image quality from something called High Pass Optics, but the additional quality is disputable as when we compared scans, we couldn’t find a reason to spend the extra money. It has anti-reflective coating on the optics and high-reflection coating on the mirror.
The scanning speed is a bit faster, but not considerably faster. Spec-wise they are both rated the same but in reality the V850 finishes the same scan faster.
There is also an additional set of duplicate film holders, so you get 8 film holders in total. You load films on one holder, then while the scanner is scanning you load the other one and get a higher productivity. We do need to mention at this point that you can just buy additional film holders for your V600 or V800 on Amazon.
The Silverfast software is better, it is the SE Plus software which has a few extra features like multi-exposure, features for Kodochrome film and Auto frame alignment.
But the biggest difference is that you get a calibration software and calibration targets that are compatible with the X-Rite i1. After you’ve done the proper calibration, you’ll be amazed how off the colors were before you did it.
Epson Perfection V550 vs Epson Perfection V600. Which one to buy?
We think you should probably get the V600 Perfection model. Why? The price difference is small, you are not really spending a great deal extra on buying the V600 model.
For that extra amount, you will definitely get better scanning speed. Also, you are being thrown a good bundle of photo editing software and we think a bit better ICE features.
Epson Perfection V600 vs Epson Perfection V800?
The Epson Perfection V600 also wins this one. If you are looking for better value for your money, that is the one to go for. We don’t really think you are getting that much extra as a basic user.
If you are a professional user, that adds extra questions to the table. Might you need the extra image quality, deeper blacks and better post-processing software, get the V800. In that case, the extra cost brings also a bit of added value.
Epson Perfection V800 vs Epson Perfection V850 Pro?
If it were us, we would probably not spend the extra money for the V850. We mainly think that this is more or less the same scanning engine, so what really are you getting for the extra buck.
Still, we are not always right, so if you are an avid V850 user, and think we might be wrong on this one, do let us know. We are always looking to see if we can improve our review, and in this particular case, if the Perfection V850 Pro is worth the extra money.