Labs

HP's Scanjet G2710 is the cheapest scanner here that can scan transparencies. It also has the smallest transparency scanning unit on test, which can handle only two frames of 35mm film or two 35mm slides. This unit is built into the lid, so there are no awkward negative holders to deal with. Unfortunately, it'll still take a long time to scan your entire negative collection two at a time, particularly as HP's scanner interface software doesn't let you scan each frame as a separate image.

As with HP's cheaper Scanjet G2410, the G2710's intensely annoying TWAIN interface made scanning more difficult. It doesn't retain settings or previews between sessions, and insists on closing after each scan if you use

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it with third-party graphics software. Alternatively, you can use the three buttons on the lid to scan an image instantly without first opening a graphics program, either producing an image file or a PDF, or sending it directly to a printer.

Scan speeds were quick for the most part, but turning the scanner up to its maximum resolution of 2,400x4,800dpi slowed it to a crawl. Scanning a single 35mm negative at this resolution took five-and-a-half minutes, which was almost five times as long as Epson's similarly priced Perfection V200 scanner. The results weren't as good, either, with scans lacking the sharp detail of those made with Epson's scanner.

Document scans were very good, and even the smallest type on original documents was clear when scanned. Colour reproduction on both our photo and document scans was excellent, with impressive pale shades, flesh tones, dark greys and blacks.

The Scanjet G2710 is the cheapest scanner here that can handle transparencies, but this feels like an afterthought. The slow scan speeds at the top resolution, two-frame slide scanner and poor reproduction of fine detail make Epson's Perfection V200 Photo a better choice for scans. That said, for office documents this scanner is quick and accurate, and comes with the excellent IRIS OCR software.