CZUR Shine Ultra Smart Portable Document Scanner, Thin Book Scanner with OCR, USB Document Camera for Desktop/Laptop, Capture Size A3, Compatible with Windows & Mac OS (Not for Android & iOS)

This is an excellent product that is very handy for graduate students. If you are working with archival sources, taking this portable scanner along to the archive will make it much easier than using a phone or camera. You can pack it in most backpacks and carry it around with your laptop, which is the only other thing you need. It is quite small and light, but also can scan up to A3, which means you can put more documents together.The scanner is quick, readable and has many customization options for the scans (size, dimensions, OCR). It is also quite affordable and you get the proprietary software, as well as the excellent support for the scanner.Taken together, highly recommend for professional research use (recommended it for many colleagues), or even at home if you need to scan some paperwork.

I have used a number of scanners over the years, from built-in all-in-one printer/scanner/copiers, to standalone Fujitsu SnapScan scanners for documents, to flatbed scanners such as the Epsom v600 for photographs. Each of these has been good for its purposes, but each has its limitations. I also have used the CZUR Aura in a small business environment, and was very pleased with the experience I had with the Aura. The Aura I used had the benefit of its own internal battery and an app, so the scanner could be taken to other locations without need for a computer, and was often used in libraries or other locations where third-party documents needed to be scanned.The CZUR Shine is a smaller, more compact version of the Aura. There are not a lot of moving parts - just the dial to control the light, the up-and-down slide on the light stem to raise or lower the camera (depending on how large the scan needs to be), and the arm that moves from vertical to horizontal when you want to use the camera. The Shine does not have its own power source, and must be connected to a computer to operate. It connects using a standard USB-A connector, and has the foot-pedal to take the image, leaving your hands free to position the image, turn the pages, etc.The scanner came with a user manual and a CD with the software. As my laptop does not have a drive, I downloaded and installed the software from their website. The website was easy to navigate, and had the software downloads clearly marked based on model, operating system, etc. Once the software was downloaded, the scanner serial number was needed to activate the software, and it was ready to go. It took probably no more than 10 minutes to go from an unopened box to using the product.The Shine is also packaged in a more reusable and ready-to-transport box than the Aura. The internal packing contains a shaped foam to hold the scanner, the two cables, the thumb tabs, and the black mat. The box also comes with a built-in plastic handle. While it doesn't affect the functionality of the scanner, it does reflect some thought into not only the product, but the packaging to make the device more efficient, transportable, and usable. I always struggled with the Aura and making sure to bring the components, and do so along with notebooks, files, etc. This packaging makes it easier to bring the Aura as a self-contained kit.The Shine also comes with two yellow plastic thumb tabs to hold down the pages of the book. The best part of these tabs is the software is apparently coded to turn those tabs invisible, so that they don't appear on the pages. The most challenging part of using the tabs is getting used to the feel on your fingers, and making sure that they tab doesn't cover any of the material you want scanned.The Shine is the best all-around scanner that I've used. The image quality is outstanding. While it can't keep up with a document auto-feed scanner like a fujitsu, it has a broader, more versatile usage than a document scanner. It also has more versatility than a flatbed scanner, since the flatbed generally requires the item being scanned to be placed face-down. And, none of these scanner options have the ability to scan a book face-up, and remove the curvature of the pages. I still have and use the Epsom flatbed and the Fujitsu SnapScan, but their days of travelling are over. And, when they eventually stop working, they will not be replaced with newer models. The Shine can handle all of the functions those scanners do, in a more compact, and transportable fashion. And, if I had to make the decision to get rid of all of my scanners, except one, CZUR's product would be the one left on my desktop.This is also a great scanner if you want to leave it on a desktop, or need something for a small office workspace. The entire scanner takes up roughly 4x6 of desktop surface, so it can be easily put aside when it's not needed. The scanner will require more desktop for the mat when you want to scan, but it can be easily placed and removed on an as-needed (or not needed) basis.

This is a pretty nifty tool, though there is something of a learning curve in its use. For me, it was primarily getting the settings right (JPG size/quality) to get the best page scan, and then making quick type-of-scan changes when going from page to page (color, grayscale, B&W). The only thing that keeps me from giving it a five-star rating is the facing pages setting (scanning two pages at once). I'm currently scanning spiral-bound pages that lay flat on both sides, but the software thinks the pages are traditionally bound and tries to correct the image. If there was a way to turn off the auto-flattening function and allow me to scan the pages as they are, I would be able to work twice as fast. Also, the OCR function for making a searchable PDF seems to be pretty spot-on.

Great product. I borrowed an out of print book that I could not find anywhere else, and I was able to scan it and print it in minutes. Great for digitizing family history too.

Great scanner, here's what I thought about it broken down by different aspects:-PackagingComes in a nice, sturdy box with a handle so you can easily carry it and pack it up in an organized way when you're storing it between scanning sessions.-SoftwareThe software it comes with is straightforward and easy to use. I really didn't even read the manual, I just installed the software, plugged in the scanner, and figured it out and started scanning in like 5 minutes.-FunctionalityHow it works is it comes with a black mat, you put your book/paper on it and select single page mode or book mode. Single page mode scans one object at a time, and it automatically crops the page against the black background; there are some finger tabs for holding pages flat and the scanner software automatically makes them disappear. For book mode, it scans two pages at once, and splits each page into its own separate image. I have attached some example scans from this product, compare it to the setup photo I took with my phone - even though the page isn't level, it automatically flattens the perceived curve from the camera snapshot, so you don't need to fiddle with making the pages flat. The cropping and page flattening is great, it just works. When you're done scanning, you can export all the images as various document types such as word/pdf, or you can leave them as images. Of course, you can choose where to save the base images to help keep organized. My wife also uses this in her classroom as a visual presenter where she can put a page underneath and write on it, and project it in real time on her projector.-QualityI have attached photos for black/white mode, color mode, and a final word document export. I should also mention, the export automatically processes the image to identify words and does a great job. I picked a page with tiny text on a 5"x8" book and you can see from my attached images that the camera is good enough even for tiny text, and can accurately translate that into a word document. Note that for some glossy pages, the light can reflect back to the camera and reduce quality, but for matte surfaces and "regular" paper, it performs excellent.-SpeedIt comes with a foot clicker so you can fully use your hands to flip and position pages without slowing down. Flip the page, give the camera a second to focus, press the foot clicker and repeat. As you scan, you can see a preview image and it's pretty apparent if something went wrong, maybe 1 out of 2-300 page flips or so I find I want to do a rescan which is totally fine for me. Depending on how focused I am, I flip a page every 2-4 seconds, on average maybe 15-20 page flips a minute, so that's around 300 pages in 10 minutes! Which I think is super good.Overall it's straightforward to use, takes good quality scans, exports files well, and scans through books quickly. I am very satisfied with this purchase and recommend this for anyone who wants good, fast scans.