With the likes of the Canon 3200F and Epson Perfection 2480 Photo scanners combining high quality document, photo and even transparency scanning for as little as £70, the new HP ScanJet 3770 is trying to muscle its way into a hard-fought market. The HP has made quite an entrance, however, combining stylish design with an incredibly low price tag of just £56. But what exactly is under the fancy, ‘glass effect’ lid of the new title contender?

In spite of its slimline but long form factor, the 3770 features a CCF (Cold Cathode Fluorescent) light source and CCD imaging unit, capable of 48-bit colour depth. While the 1,200x2,400dpi maximum optical resolution matches the Canon 3200F scanner, it falls short of the class-leading 2,400x4,800dpi resolution offered by the Epson 2480. Even so, the HP’s resolution enables impressive enlargements from colour photos or other reflective originals and caters for reasonably large scans from 35mm transparency or negative film.

Starting with document scanning, the Readiris OCR software provides for accurate scanning of text pages. For handy versatility, three one-touch scanning buttons enable direct scanning to file, to print (via any printer attached to the host PC) or to the web, via HP’s InstantShare software.

The speed of the 3770 is adequate but not as impressive as some of its competition. For example, a 4x6in photo took about 20 seconds to scan in our tests, compared with just five on the Canon 3200F and eight on the Epson 2480. Even so, image quality is good, with accurate brightness and contrast from the auto-exposure facilities. Colour is also good for reflective scans, though not as accurate as the Epson 2480. Similarly, transparency scanning using the 3770’s built-in adaptor (that accommodates both mounted 35mm slides and strips of 35mm film), proved second best to the Epson. In common with most flatbed and dedicated film scanners, the HP offers better results for transparency rather than negative film.

The DP 3770 offers a bargain entry into general purpose scanning. However, for the best image quality for photography, we would spend the extra £20 and go for the Epson 2480.