Canon DR-G2090 | DR-G2110 | DR-G2140 | Review & Rating

These are the new Imageformula Canon DR-G2090, Canon DR-G2110 and the Canon DR-G2110 production scanners.

These models are Canon’s response to the influx of A3 production scanning equipment from other brands. We are talking about rivals, such as the Fujitsu FI 7600 and the bigger Panasonic model the KV-S8147, suited for really demanding environments.

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1. 1. 1. Canon DR-G2090
      2. Canon DR-G2110
      3. Canon DR-G2140

If you want to read more about its competitors, read our review of the Fujitsu Fi 7600 scanner. 

I actually think Canon might retire the DR-X10C quite soon. Given that the Imageformula DR-G2140 production document scanner has such a high scanning speed, I really don’t see the point of offering the DR-X10C any more. 

the Design of the Imageformula DRG2 series

Well, from the start I must say that the machine does look nice. The design is more or less in line with what you can expect in 2018 from a production scanner.

It’s not Appleish, but it doesn’t look like it’s 2010 anymore. For example the Canon DRG1100 A3 scanner is robust, simple to move around and looks like it could take a hit or two. Same goes for the DR-G1130 model.

But they look outdated, so Canon had to improve the design with the new model. It had to move on from the design of the old DR-9050C or DR-9080C they replaced some years ago. 

The control panel seems to be a bit more modern than the one on the previous model. It has more lines which make it easier to browse through it. You also get more buttons, which means easier shortcuts to bypass double feed detection or just improve the overall paper feed and output result.

One thing that strikes me is the resemblance to the old models. It would not amaze me if the DR-G2090, the DR-G2110, and the DR-G2140 all use the same base engine as the models they replaced.

Canon really does that with its scanners, and it’s a bit too obvious. But they are robust machines and always have been, so I don’t really care what’s inside as long as it works.

Design Score: 8/10 

Technical specifications of the DR-G2090, DR-G2110, and DR-G2140

If you have been reading up to this point, you probably know that the main difference in the models is the rated speed.

Being the smaller model, the Canon DR-G2090 will have a 90ppm speed. The DR-G2110 will have around 110ppm and the DR-G2140 is the flagship model at 140ppm rated speed. 

But to go more in-depth, here is a couple of things that Canon is claiming with the new models.

Canon DR-G2090

The Canon DR-G2090 is not really the most interesting of the 3. It’s more of a marketing exercise, toning down some of the specs. I guess it will be more focused to areas where there isn’t much scanning going on. 

• Speed – up to 90 ppm. At 90 the scanner is fast enough, but it will definitely lag behind some Fujitsu scanners, like the FI 7600. 
• Daily Duty Cycle – they say up to 30.000 scans per day. As you already know, while this is for marketing purposes, it also has a consumable calculation taken into account. My guess is that you can easily surpass this number.
• ADF Capacity – The ADF will only hold 300 sheets, for this model.
• Software: Capture On Touch Pro – I don’t know what to say about this software. Probably it will work with a big touchscreen monitor. I still have my doubts for real production projects, whether it will handle large batches as you would expect.

Check the price on Amazon for the DR-G2090.

Canon DR-G2110

This model is actually replacing the DR-G1100. It’s a bit faster than the old model, scanning at 110 pages per minute in simplex mode.

You can expect this to be the cash cow out of the 3. But we are not really sure. Yes, it is faster than the Fujitsu FI 7600, and it should be cheaper than the DR-G2140, but how much cheaper.

There aren’t many network scanners around in this category. Production document scanners are usually with USB’s as you connect them to a scanning station. But I guess it makes sense to be able to scan and upload directly to storage systems.

It comes with an improved daily duty cycle volume of around 50.000 sheets and it is quite fast, but I think it all comes down to the price difference between it and the DR-G2140.

• Speed – up to 110 ppm. This is fast enough for low volume production scanners and will help you process a decent volume of documents each day.
• Daily Duty Cycle – This is around 50.000 sheets per day. Compared to the Dr-G2090, the ImageFormula DR-G2110 this is around 15.000 documents more, and this will only be influenced by the increase in speed.
• Connectivity – The main talking point is that this is also a network scanner. Yes, you can still connect it through USB, but it has an ethernet input.
• ADF Capacity – The ADF on this scanner is an increase over the smaller DR-G2090 scanner, and will hold up to 500 sheets.
• Software: Capture On Touch Pro – I don’t know what to say about this software. Probably it will work with a big touchscreen monitor. I still have my doubts for real production projects, whether it will handle large batches as you would expect.

Check the price on Amazon now for the DR-G2110.

Canon DR-G2140

This is an additional product in the DR-G2 series. It’s a color duplex production scanner, and the scanning speed goes up to 140ppm in simplex and 280IPM when scanning in duplex.

Daily Duty Cycle should be around 70.000 documents, although you can easily beat this volume, considering the high scanning speed.

There is no sense in using this scanner with its bundled software. Get a Kofax Express software or an Alaris Capture Pro and scan at full speed with the productivity features you would expect in a professional scanning solution. 

I actually think the DR-G2140 is capable of being a huge success. There is nor real reason to buy the DR-X10C anymore, as it is bigger, heavier and more expensive. And lastly, it is not faster anymore. It doesn’t even offer superior image quality, as the CIS sensor in the DR-G2140 production scanner is newer.

The Canon Imageformula DR-G2140 is now Canon’s fastest scanner and we expect to be its best seller very soon. 

If you are interested in this model, you can check the price on Amazon for the DR-G2140.

We are still missing good software

If you just want to scan to file name and save, then you don’t need separate software.  Captureontouch Pro is what Canon offers for this scanner.

It reminds me a bit about the Fujitsu Scansnap IX500 software. And I think I know why. It’s because Canon developed the software for its office products. How they will work for this midvolume document scanner or A3 production scanning machines, we will have to see. 

For me, it is still a mystery why they are not developing a decent scanning software. Fujitsu has developed the Paperstream Capture and Panasonic has been successfully using ImageCapture Plus.

Yes, I do agree they are not on the same level as Kofax Express. But at the same time, they don’t cost you anything and can be downloaded for free.

CapturePerfect, the old Canon software can also be downloaded for free. But you will get so frustrated working with it, that you will end up buying Kofax for your scanner.

Don’t even think about using CapturePerfect for invoice processing, form processing etc. The software is not reliable or flexible enough, and it’s definitely outdated.  

Technical specifications: 8/10
Rating Justification: The Canon does not shine, but it’s a machine that meets your expectations and sometimes goes beyond them.

Canon DR-G2090  DR-G2110, and DR-G2140 Price

I remember working on a larger scanning project some years ago and asking for a special price from Canon for the DR-G1100.

They did not understand initially that we wanted 14 scanners. We were quoted for 1 scanner from one of their dealers. The price we got was less than the price for the entire batch from other manufacturers.

And that made me pay more attention to their product over the years. We did a bit of consultancy work some years ago, and always recommended the Canon scanner where it could be used. It helped some of our customers that did not have a budget for their project.

Coming back on topic, I do expect the DR-G2090 to be significantly cheaper than a Fujitsu 7600. You might ask why that is?

Well, software plays a big part. Fujitsu comes with software included, Canon software I can’t say I’m very pleased about. I would expect also the Canon DR-G2110 to be a bit cheaper than the Fujitsu. This is for the same reason, lack of good software included.

As for the DR-G2140, the price should be lower than for a Fujitsu FI 6800 and a Panasonic KV-S8147. These are models that have good software included in the package.

A good suggestion for Canon would be to maybe increase the price of the Canon DR-G2140 and throw in a bundled Kofax Express. It would be a great addon and a great selling point.

Price: 9/10
Rating Justification: If they maintain the same kind of price levels as they did with the older models, it’s almost close to a 10.

Competitors for the Canon DR-G2 models

Where to start…

I guess the main competition right now is the Fujitsu FI 7600. Yes, there are Kodak models out there, but most are more expensive and have no software included.

So, for the DR-G2090 and the DR-G2110, the Fujitsu FI 7600 is the main competition. I don’t know a Panasonic model in this segment of the market that can compare. Actually, I do think they will be launching soon.

The FI 7600 has a straight paper path, matches the speed of the DR-G2110 and comes with included software. Given that, I will say again that the DR-G2110 will have to come at a lower price point to be competitive. I am sure Canon knows that and they will do what is required.

Regarding the DR-G2140, here the competition is a bit more complicated. Because it is intended for labor-intensive environments, the price isn’t always the main selling point. You also have the software, models like the Fujitsu Fi 6800 or the Panasonic KV-S8147 come bundled with a great scanning software.

On this topic, I am waiting to actually test the new Canon equipment and get a better feeling. Yes, if documents are your standard office batch, and volumes are relatively high, the Canon will do a great job.

If the job does get a bit more complicated, we will have to see what Canon has in store for us.

Rating against competitors: 7/10
Rating Explanation: The Fujitsu FI7600 is just a more complete combination of machine and software. The Panasonic KV-S 8127 and 8147 are more robust. Both machines have great software bundled with the machine.

Overall impression of the new Canon DR-G models

Basically, Panasonic is starting where it left off with the older models.

1. • A great working machine that is still lacking proprietary software
   • If they maintain the price level it can usually be a steal
   • With a good distribution network that Canon usually has, it will be an important presence in most countries
   • The productivity expected with the DR-G2140 should make it a great choice for scanning intensive areas
   • In the official press release, Canon has used the term SDK more than 10 times. So they are using this as a selling point. Let’s see if the SDK will be used at more customers than the number of times it appeared in their press release.