What are the differences between Epson v330/300 and Epson v500 scanners?

Question

I'm trying to decide between Epson's v330 (or 300) and v500 scanners. The v500 is clearly a higher spec scanner, but I don't think I need all the features. v300 goes for around £80. The v500 is £130.

However, I think the v500 may be able to scan more negative frames in one go than the v330 - I plan on scanning in all my old film so this may be a benefit. Can anyone advise if this is true?

Are there any other features it is worth spending an extra 50%+ on? I'm not a professional photographer. The negatives (and prints) are old family and holiday snaps taken before I thought a great deal before releasing the shutter.

Answer

Based on the Epson specifications:

Feature         | v300          |  v500
-----------------------------------------------
Native DPI      | 4800          | 6400 
Optical Density | 3.2           | 3.4
Slide Support   | 35mm          | 35mm & Medium Format
Reliability     | 10,000 cycles | 36,000 cycles

Features of the v300:

• Achieve exceptional clarity and detail with 4800 x 9600 dpi optical resolution
• Scan 35mm slides and negatives with ease using the built-in Transparency Unit (for beautiful enlargements up to 13x19)
• Restore the color to old, faded photos with one touch
• Do more with one-touch document scanning — send e-mails or create PDFs
• Quickly copy documents and photos for archiving purposes
• Enjoy remarkable versatility, plus fully automatic scanning
• Scan books, photo albums and 3D objects with high-rise, 180-degree lid
• Enjoy more efficient operation with exclusive ReadyScan™ LED technology — no warmup time and fast scanning speeds
• Rest easy with earth-friendly LED technology — no mercury included and lower power consumption
• Enhance your images with photo editing and creative software included
• Scan text with amazing clarity — Office Mode delivers sharp scans, even if text is on colored paper or a double-sided document

Features of the v500:

• Create extraordinary enlargements — create 13" x 19", 17" x 22" or larger sizes from film with 6400 dpi
• Remove the appearance of dust and scratches from film — DIGITAL ICE™ for Film
• Scan slides, negatives and medium-format panoramic film — built-in Transparency UnitRestore faded color photos with one touch, using Easy Photo Fix®
• Achieve greater productivity — greater productivity with the energy-efficient, earth-friendly LED light source — no warmup time, faster scans, lower power consumption
• Take your photos further — Adobe Photoshop Elements included, to help edit and enhance your digital imagesGet brilliant, true-to-life colors with amazing, 48-bit color depth
• Quickly scan multiple documents — optional Automatic Document Feeder
• Convenient connectivity — Hi-Speed USB 2.0 included

As far as I can tell, the v500 doesn't necessarily do more film in one go. It does, however, support more film types, including 6x12 panoramic medium format. A more important feature of the v500, I think, is its native resolution. For film, high scanning resolution is important in generating a digital image that can be printed at large sizes. If you only intend to print at 4x6 or 5x7 sizes, the v300/v330 would probably be enough. If you need to scan medium format film, or print at larger sizes up to 17x22, the v500 would be necessary.

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