If you can master how to use a flatbed scanner you are on your way to success in digital imaging. A flatbed scanner can digitize some items (and even 3-D objects) better than a digital camera. You really need both to advance into the 21st century.

Reviews of digital cameras are on www.digital-photography.org. Reviews of scanners are on www.cameras-scanners-flaar.org. Now there is an additional source of information, test reviews, tips, and recommendations for flatbed scanners, namely www.flatbed-scanner-review.org. Here is a comprehensive index of this new site.

Buying a flatbed scanner solely on the basis of which model is cheapest is not the way to obtain adequate quality. Besides, it is the software that makes the difference. If you give two people each an identical scanner, but give one person the cheapo software that comes in the bundle, and give the other person software from Linocolor (Linocolor Elite, from Heidelberg) or SilverFast, the person with the superior software is most likely to consistently achieve better color, better quality, and resultant better prints at the end.

These links also cover drum scanners as well as 35mm film scanners for scanning all your 35 mm color slides or color negative strips.