Comments on: Why buy a $10,000+ 3D scanner when you can get one for less than $1,000?

By: Pauline Tang

Pauline Tang — Sat, 11 May 2019 21:35:27 +0000

I agree that it all depends on your needs, your technical skill level, and your willingness to spend time tinkering to build your own 3D scanner. If you want to spend the time and do research on putting together a DIY system, that works great for people who are highly technical and know what they are doing. For people who don’t have the time to spend on doing this, purchasing a turkey system might be better suited for them.

By: constantinos schoinas

constantinos schoinas — Sun, 28 Apr 2019 21:51:23 +0000

you can built a pro level scanner, applying the same workflow (structured light using projectors/cameras) for a fraction of the cost. but you will need to invest time, fight with bugs, alignments, software (dark paths), bulkiness/portability/durability etc. there are some tutorials out there for all this.

depending on the objects/use and your processing power/time available, you can also produce highly detailed 3D scans with photogrammetry, with no need of special tools and rigs.

professionals who make money and resell the services can afford the price and want to skip all the hassle. that is why companies can earn a load of money by selling inferior hardware but plug and play software/hardware solutions.

pros of the diy way is of course knowledge (that can make money by itself) and that usually the projectors/cameras that you use are non proprietary and with a correct setup they can have other usages, as well.

By: Pauline Tang

Pauline Tang — Fri, 26 May 2017 08:48:19 +0000

In reply to Andrey. Thanks for your feedback Andrey. We appreciate the diversity of opinions in our comments section. Our goal for this article is not to provide a ranking of 3D scanners. But we wanted to answer the general question of why there are price discrepancies between a consumer-grade 3D scanner (under $1,000 as we explicitly stated in our article) to professional ones. We agree that there are trade-offs when purchasing more expensive 3D scanners compared to more affordable ones. As we mention in our article, we acknowledge that the best 3D scanners out there aren’t necessarily the most expensive. You should get a 3D scanner that meets your needs in terms of scan quality and other criteria important in your consideration (whether it’s $1,000, $5,000, or $10,000 ). Don’t overpay for what you don’t need. We recommend people looking to purchase a scanner to research as much as they need before purchasing. Don’t be afraid to ask questions to 3D scanner suppliers and see if they are helpful in your purchasing decision.

By: Andrey

Andrey — Thu, 25 May 2017 06:00:25 +0000

Very questionable ranking. There are some systems under $10k that can give professional results (good accuracy and resolution). For sure there will some tradeoffs, like lack of blue-light technology or something loved by pros, but they can compete with system priced $10-20k.

By: Pauline Tang

Pauline Tang — Fri, 27 May 2016 08:48:56 +0000

In reply to Steve Ryan. Dear Steve, Your comment highlights an important point of the article. There are tradeoffs when it comes to buying any equipment, including 3D scanners. You can get an inexpensive scanner but the tradeoff is you will have lower quality scan data. If you want to have high quality scan data, it will cost more. The purpose of the article is to explain what factors contribute to the price difference between a consumer-grade 3D scanner compared to a professional-grade 3D scanner.

By: Steve Ryan

Steve Ryan — Fri, 27 May 2016 01:54:28 +0000

I thought this article was actually going somewhere and there was a scanner out there that was professional quality at a consumer price….