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Cheapest & Most Reliable 3D Scanners

3DPrints 2015 Buyer's Guide
by Brian Krassenstein | Jul 16, 2015 | 3D Printing, 3D Scanning, Editorials / Opinions |

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While most individuals are not skilled 3D designers, the one thing thats so great about the 3D
printing spaceis that you dont need to be able to model your own products in order to make a 3D
printer a worthy purchase. There are over 1 million available models online for anyone to
download, most which are absolutely free. If, however, there is something you cant nd on the
various model repositories, or you wish to replicate a common object or even a person, it may be
time to purchase a 3D scanner.
There are numerous 3D scanners on the market. In fact it seems as if every week or two another
product is announced. The sheer number of scanners that are becoming available can be incredibly
overwhelming, especially if you have no idea what you really need. Weve decided to make things a
bit simplerfor all of you, taking some of the guesswork out of the purchasing process. Below, with
the help of the writers and editors at 3DPrint.com, and in a similar fashion to the 3D Printer Buyers
Guide we published earlier this year, we have curated a list of some of our favorite 3D scanners
based on price, usability, and quality of scan. This list will be updated on a consistent basis to
reect what we feel are the top devices on the market at any given time.

Matter and Form MFS1V1 3D Scanner

If you are looking for an aordable, accurate, stationary 3D scanner, there are few products which
compete with the Matter and Form MFS1V1 3D Scanner. Dont let the price of under $575 fool you.
This device is an incredible addition to any
makers garage, or can also be the perfect t for
design studios and small businesses which
required the scanning of smaller objects. You
certainly cant scan an SUV with this device, but
with the ability to capture a staggering 2,000
points per second and scan at resolutions of
around 0.43mm, this scannerwill hold its own
against any other stationary deviceon the
market. Additionally it is able to fold up,
collapsing to a size of just 3.5 x 8.35 x 13.5 inches, which combined with a weight of just under 7
pounds makes it incredibly portable. High resolution scans will take approximately 5 minutes and
once a model is scanned, the software allows for the user to export it as a watertight 3D printable
le with ease.
Pros: Price, Scan quality, Portability, Ease-of-use
Cons: Limit on object size, Quality of construction
DAVID Laserscanner SLS2 High Speed & Resolution 3D Scanner
If you can aord the rather steep price tag of $2995, this is an incredible buy. Produced by David
Vision Systems, the Laserscan device will allow you to scan objects in 3D at 1280 x 800 pixels. The
quality of each scan (0.1% of object size
up to 0.05 mm) will simply blow you away,
while accuracy is second to none at this
price point. Relying on the companys
innovative Structured Light technology,
this device will allow you to scan objects
large and small (60-500 mm in size) in a
matter of just a few seconds. Additionally
the mesh density that this device allows
one to achieve is a staggering 1,200,000
vertices per scan, which can be exported using any of the three main 3D model le formats, OBJ,
STL and PLY.
Pros: Quality scans, Reliability, Bang for the buck, Scan speed
Cons: Installation/setup time, Image processing time
Fuel3D Scanify Scanner
This is one of the more remarkable handheld scanners. Instead of requiring a userto move the
scanner around an object, this device works just like your typical digital camera. Using precalibrated stereo cameras with photometric imaging, users can simply click a button and within a
fraction of a second a 3D image is captured. While you will not be able to capture complete 360
degree 3D data, the scan area is quite large for not requiring any image stitching or movement on
the part of the user. I have used this scanner in the past and can say its an impressive device for

sure. Priced at just $1,500, its hard to go wrong with this

camera/scanner.
Pros: Incredibly fast, Accurate, Simplistic
Cons: Diminished viewing angle will not permit entire 360
degree scans
Occipital Structure Sensor
Like the 3D Systems iSense Scanner we have mentioned
below, the Structure sensor by Occipital works in a similar
fashion by attaching to ones iPad. Priced under $380, this
scanner is the most aordable onour list. With scanning
resolutions as high as 0.5mm and accuracies ofup
to 4mm, this scanner is perfect for the beginner as
well as those with some experience within the
space. Users are able to capture 3D imagery at
distances between 40cm and 3.5m, making this
device incredibly versatile. The scanner attaches to
any iPad, version 2 and up, with ease, and is
incredibly simply to set up. Although this is not a
device if you are trying to scan intricate objects for
replication via 3D printing, it is the perfect scanner for less intricate jobs.
Pros: Price, Ease-of-use, Reliability
Cons: iPad required, Scan quality of smaller items
3D Systems iSense 3D Scanner
This scanner ts snugly onto your iPad, turning its 2D camera into a fully functioning 3D scanner.
Made in the United States, this scanner is backed by one of the worlds largest 3D printer
manufacturers, 3D Systems. While it may not have incredibly high resolution, this scanner is great
for the beginner. It can function at a scan distance
of 3.5 meters and has a view eld of 48 degrees
vertically and 58 degrees horizontally. Since you
arent paying for the actual computing power of
the iPad, which you presumably already have, this
is an exceptional bang for yourbuck. The battery
lasts approximately 3-4 hours of active scanning or
1,000 hours at standby. This scanner is priced at
just under $500.
Pros: Price, Size/weight, Versatility
Cons: iPad required, Battery life, Scan quality
XYZprinting Da Vinci 1.0 All-in-One 3D Printer
If you dont have a 3D printer yet, then this is the perfect product for you. Although the printer is
not the best of quality, the price of $600 for both a 3D scanner and printer make the Da Vinci All-inOne machine a no-brainer if you are a beginner looking for an aordable scanning and printing

option in one. Using sophisticated scanning

algorithms and asymmetric 2-way laser scanning
technology, XYZprinting is able to integrate a
decent scanner into this machine. The software
that this machine comes with is exceptionally easy
to use, and one can pretty much plug the
printer/scanner in and begin using it within a few
minutes. As long as there are no calibration issues,
which sometimes can be a bit of a hassle, this is as
close to a plug and play device that you will nd.
Pros: Price, Easy to use software, Two technologies
for the price of one, Scan quality
Cons: Calibration issues, Speed
Artec Eva 3D Scanner
You may have noticed that all of the scanners we have mentioned above are priced under $3,000.
Weve decided to add one higher price device to
the list simply because of its incredible quality.
Priced at $19,800, the Artec EVA is a monster of a
handheld scanner. Artec has made a name for
themselves within the 3D scanning space, and the
Eva certainly doest diminish that clout. With
incredibly high accuracy of 0.1mm and resolutions
as high as 0.5mm, this scanner only weighs 1.9
pounds. If you need a product which will be used
for more than just tinkering around, the Eva may
be the perfect t.
Pros: Scan quality and accuracy, Weight, Portability
Cons: Price
There you have it!Let us know if you have any feedback on any of these devices, or if you think
another scanner should make this list. Discuss in the Best 3D Scanners of 2015 forum thread on
3DPB.com

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