You may well have thought that the days of the flatbed scanner are behind us, thanks to multifunction print/fax/scan/copy machines and digital photography. But no. They continue to sell well to people with old photos, negatives and slides that need scanning. This is because the flatbed offers a better scanning quality and accessories than all-in-ones.

The 4490 offers much of the appeal of the 4990 Photo but at a far lowerprice. It boasts the same 4800x9600dpi resolution for a start, thoughthe stratospheric resolution figures being bandied about

One of the aims of such tests is to establish how much you need to payfor a flatbed scanner. Central to this is whether you want high-quality film scanning, as this is what tends to bump up the price.

Do you have stacks of old prints and slides, and want high-quality scans? Perhaps you can't afford a dedicated high-end film scanner? Then consider this Epson model. It's a high-quality flatbed with print and slide adaptor frames for volume scanning

The 3590 Photo isn't Epson's cheapest scanner. Indeed, the nearidentical 3490 is £20 cheaper. However, the 3590 has an extra featurethat marks it out as something special - its automatic filmstriploading.

For an extra £120 on the price of an Epson 2480 scanner, you can get a far better-built model for your cash. The Epson Perfection 4180 is a chunkier scanner than the 2480, and has a larger-format film adapter as standard.

There's a lot of scanner in this small and unassuming grey box from Epson. For starters, you get a competent scanner with 2,400 x 4,800dpi resolution and a film adapter for scanning slides and negatives.