Brother DS-720D

Product	Images / Minute	Format	Connectivity	Max. document size	ADF Tray	Weight	Price
Brother DS-720D	10.6 IPM	A4	Hi-Speed USB 2.0	8.5 in. x 32 in. (215 x 812 mm)	No	1.1 lb. (0.49 kg)	Click for more info

We would like to start with the Brother DS-720D. With a scanning speed of 10 IPM, it is quite slow compared to most portable scanners featured in this article. However, it has duplex scanning, which can help with the process. Like most portable scanners featured here it has an Optical Resolution of 600 DPI.

The scanner has Hi-Speed USB 2.0, which means it can be connected to a laptop or PC. Designed to handle A4 format, the Brother DS-720D will accept documents that are up to 8.5 in. x 32 in. (215 x 812 mm) in size.
As we mentioned before, this product has duplex scanning, so you can scan double-sided papers at the same time, reducing time and effort, which also means an increase in productivity.

However, this device does not have image enhancement features like Automatic Color Detection, Automatic Image Cropping, Background Removal, Punch Hole Removal or Automatic Deskew (a software feature that aligns documents that were not scanned straight). It is worth noting that 3 out of 4 portable scanners that we feature in this article have these features.
Nonetheless, the device is equipped with OCR, i.e, Optical Character recognition. This feature takes each image and creates a searchable document from it. Most of the time it is in PDF or Word. It can also be used to create Excel files, eBooks etc.

The ADF tray is also lacking in this portable scanner. On par with most scanners featured in this article, the Brother DS-720D has a weight of 1.1 lb. (0.49 kg) and dimensions of 11.4 in. x 1.6 in. x 2.6 in. (28.9 x 4 x 6.6 cm).

Epson ES-50

Product	Images / Minute	Format	Connectivity	Max. document size	ADF Tray	Weight	Price
Epson ES-50	22 IPM	A4	USB 2.0	8.5 in. x 72 in. (215 x 1828 mm)	No	0.59 lb. (0.26 kg)	Click for more info

1. The second model under 150 $ that we will look at is the Epson ES-50. With a scanning speed of 22 IPM (Images per Minute), it is on par with most devices we will cover in this article.

It can scan up to A4 documents, at a resolution of 600 dpi. Just like the previous model, it is equipped with USB 2.0. The maximum document size supported is 8.5 in. x 72 in. (215 x 1828 mm). However, the Epson ES-50 does not have duplex scanning, but is comes with a lot of image enhancement features such as Automatic Color Detection, Automatic Image Rotation, Automatic Image Cropping, Automatic Deskew, and Punch Hole Removal (this feature can detect if there is a punched hole in the area. It will then correct it by making it white or the color of the background of your document). It does not have Background Removal though.

Optical Character recognition (OCR) is included. It can be interesting if you need to create a searchable document from the image, most of the cases in PDF or Word. It can also be useful to create Excel files, eBooks etc.
The Epson ES-50 does not have an ADF tray, but this is the case for the majority of portable scanners that we feature in this article.

Quite compact compared to most portable scanners in this price range, it has a dimension of 10.7 in. x 1.3 in. x 1.8 in. (27.1 x 3.3 x 4.5 cm), and a light weight of 0.59 lb. (0.26 kg). It has a quite small footprint, compared to most portable scanners featured in this article.

Canon imageFORMULA P-215

Product	Images / Minute	Format	Connectivity	Max. document size	ADF Tray	Weight	Price
Canon imageFORMULA P-215	30 IPM	A4	Hi-Speed USB 2.0, USB 3.0	8.5 in. x 39.4 in. (215 x 1000 mm)	Yes	2.2 lb. (0.99 kg)	Click for more info

With a scanning speed of 30 IPM through Hi-Speed USB 2.0, USB 3.0, the Canon imageFORMULA P-215 is the most productive scanner under 150 $. Just like in the other portable scanners covered here, it is A4 format and has a resolution of 600 DPI (Dots per inch).

The maximum document size is 8.5 in. x 39.4 in. (215 x 1000 mm), which is ok because A4 documents are only 11.69 inches long.

The Canon imageFORMULA P-215 falls in the 50 percent of portable scanners equipped with duplex scanning, allowing users to scan both sides of a document at the same time.
As for the image enhancing features, the only things missing are Punch Hole Removal and Automatic Image Rotation. Indeed, it comes with Automatic Color Detection, Automatic Image Cropping, Background Removal, and Automatic Deskew.
It also has OCR included, as well as an ADF Tray, which is present in only 1/4 of the portable scanners we reviewed here.

The high performance of the Canon imageFORMULA P-215 does have a downside. The device is quite heavy and large, with dimensions of 11.2 in. x 1.6 in. x 3.7 in. (28.4 x 4 x 9.3 cm) for a weight of 2.2 lb. (0.99 kg).

DocketPORT 468

Product	Images / Minute	Format	Connectivity	Max. document size	ADF Tray	Weight	Price
DocketPORT 468	6 IPM	A4	USB 2.0	8.5 in. x 14 in. (215 x 355 mm)	No	0.78 lb. (0.35 kg)	Click for more info

The DocketPORT 468 has the slowest scanning speed among the portable scanners featured in this article. Its 6 IPM speed, and the absence of duplex scanning makes it the most time-consuming device in this price range.
On par with the other portable scanners that we feature in this article, it comes with a 600 DPI resolution, and it has USB 2.0 connectivity.

However, the DocketPORT 468 stands out with its ultra-compact footprint. At about the size of a three-hole punch, this device 12.4 in. x 1.7 in. x 2 in. (32.7 x 5 x 8.6 cm) takes up far less space than flatbed scanners. It weighs 0.78 lb. (0.35 kg), and supports 8.5 in. x 14 in. (215 x 355 mm) documents.

The only image enhancing feature missing here is the Punch Hole Removal. Automatic Deskew, Background Removal, Automatic Image Cropping, Automatic Image Rotation and Automatic Color Detection are all available.

This device however, does not have OCR or an ADF Tray.

In order to determine which scanner is more value for money, we compared productivity, footprint, image enhancement features, and additional features. Each of the four portable scanners featured in this article stands out one way or another. For instance, even if it has a very low scanning speed, the DocketPORT 468 is ultra-compact. It is also worth noting that the Brother DS-720D and Epson ES-50 have been tagged as Amazon’s Choice.