If you’re thinking of scanning all your old photos using a traditional flatbed scanner, let me be the first to tell you what a royal pain in the ass it is. I’ve done it a few times in my life and I put it up near the top of the list of things I don’t want to do, right underneath “helping someone move”.
This “photo converter” looks a lot quicker and more convenient. It’s not a scanner, though — it actually takes a photo of your photos using a 5-megapixel digital camera and then zips the file into your computer via USB.
You’ll notice a single button marked “COPY” which ought to be straightforward enough. You load your photos into one of three trays — 3×5, 4×6, or 5×7 — drop it into the box, and hit the button.
No lifting the scanner lid, aligning the photo just right, scanning it, and then cropping or rotating the finished image file because the picture moved when you took your hand off of it.
This thing is just $50, which is down from a list price of $200. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but that actually seems like a fair price.
Hammacher Schlemmer Photograph Converter [Buy.com via dealnews]