Canon R40 vs R50 – How to Choose the Best Scanner?
If you own a company or have a lot of scan requests at the office, buying a fast and responsive scanner can change the game. Canon is one of the largest manufacturers of scanners and other devices, known for the highest quality products in its industry.
So here we have compared Canon R40 and R50 with many key factors to help you make the right decision. So, let’s dive right into the specs…
Canon R40 vs R50 – Comparison Table:
| Product | Canon imageFORMULA R40 | Canon imageFORMULA R50 |
| Scanner Type | Sheet Fed | Sheet Fed |
| Max Speed | 40 ppm | 40 ppm |
| Resolution | 600 dpi | 600 dpi |
| Supported Resolutions | 150/200/300/400/600 | 100/150/200/240/300/400/600 |
| Document Feeding | Automatic & Manual | Automatic & Manual |
| Light Source | LED | LED |
| LED Type | 3 Color RGB | 3 Color RGB |
| Scan Modes | Color, Grayscale, Monochrome | Color, Grayscale, Monochrome |
| ADF | Yes | Yes |
| ADF Capacity | 60 Sheets | 60 Sheets |
| Image Sensor | CIS (Contact Image Sensor) | CIS (Contact Image Sensor) |
| Duplex Scanning | Yes | Yes |
| Single Pass Duplex | Yes | Yes |
| Auto-Image Correction | Yes | Yes |
| Supported File Formats | JPEG, PDF | JPEG, PDF |
| Media Weight | 40-205 gsm | 30-150 gsm |
| Duty Cycle | 4000 Scans | 4000 Scans |
| Color Depth | 24-Bit | 24-Bit |
| Grayscale Depth | 8-Bit | 8-Bit |
| Long Document Mode | Up to 118 inches | Up to 118 inches |
| Auto Remove Background | Yes | Yes |
| Double Feed Detection | Yes | Yes |
| Interface | USB 2.0 | USB 2.0 |
| Wireless | NA | Wi-Fi |
| Special Media Support | Business Card, Check, Credit Card, Envelope, ID Card | Business Card, Check, Credit Card, Envelope, ID Card |
| Power Source | AC Adaptor | AC Adaptor |
| Input Power | 120 V, 60 Hz | 120 V, 60 Hz |
| Max Power Usage | 22 Watts | 22.5 Watts |
| Power In Sleep Mode | 1.4 Watts | 3.1 Watts |
| Operating Temp. | 5 to 35 °C | 5 to 35 °C |
| Operating Humidity | 10 to 90% | 10 to 90% |
| Compatible OS | Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS |
| Weight (Approx) | 6.17 lbs | 7.44 lbs |
| Warranty | 1 Year | 1 Year |
| Dimensions (inches) | 9.6 x 11.4 x 9.9 | 9.5 x 11.5 x 9.8 |
| Price | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
Canon R40 vs R50 – What’s the same?
Type & Speed
Featuring the same brand Canon R40 and R50 are sheet-fed scanners that are mainly used to scan a huge number of documents at once. Both scanners have a top feed tray that stores papers for you to scan later. The max speed of both devices is 40 ppm to help you quickly get work done with minimal manual work needed.
Scan Modes
Each device has three different scan modes, so you can choose between color, grayscale, and monochrome depending on the task. Scan speed and time can also be affected by selecting one of the options, which is why it’s important to know what you want beforehand.
Light Source
Both Canon scanners are equipped with an LED light source that contains three different color options. The LED is based on RGB (Red, Green, Blue) which works with the CIS image sensor to read the document and find the right size and make adjustments automatically.
Resolution
With any of the above Canon scanners, you get a resolution of 600 dpi, which shows how many dots per inch are used when scanning documents. The higher the resolution, the better the image quality when working with a color scanner. As a result, the Canon R40 and R50 scanners are highly detailed with generally accurate colors and lines, to improve document quality.
Document Feeder
Both devices come with a manual and automatic document feeder (ADF) that works around the color to help you minimize human effort. The document feeder on both scanners can take 60 sheets at once to help you scan in bulk without wearing down the entire system.
Duplex Scanning & Single Pass
Both Canon scanners are equipped with a duplex function so you can automatically scan sheets of paper on both sides. This greatly simplifies the scanning process and reduces the amount of work involved in turning each page. Single-pass duplex is another great feature on both devices, allowing you to feed a page only once and save the information on both sides to later convert into a digital document.
Duty Cycle
Surprisingly, both Canon scanners have the same average monthly duty cycle. You can scan 4,000 documents per month without damaging the internal components of your scanner. However, maxing out the monthly duty cycle is not recommended as this can reduce the life of the scanner by many years.
Compatible OS
Both scanners are compatible with Windows and macOS but there is no official support for Linux operating systems. People warning on Linux OS can definitely use the device but you’ll have to deal with software issues at first, so choosing another device that supports Linux is the best advice we can give to such people.
Warranty
Consumers do not have to pay for repairs and maintenance during the one-year warranty period. So, if you receive a product that is defective or damaged in transit, you can simply return the scanner to Canon and request a refund. Remember to always keep the warranty card included in the box for the benefits that the company claims.
Canon R40 vs R50 – What’s so different?
Design & Build
When comparing the design between Canon R40 and R50 we found some drastic changes. The Canon R40 is a bit bigger in size and also takes more space on top of any take because of the minor differences. When comparing weight, the Canon R50 features a heavier frame than the R40.
Media Support
Both scanners support a wide variety of media but the media weight capacity differs. The Canon R50 can handle pages with more width to unlock more sizes than the R40 that loses by a small margin. So, people who work with different thickness of paper can choose the upgraded modem and not run into incompatibility issues.
Interface
Although both scanners share the same USB port, the wireless option is only available with one device. The updated Canon R50 has built-in Wi-Fi that connects to a phone, tablet, laptop, or other smart devices to scan documents without being physically connected to the scanner.
Power
If you need a more energy-efficient scanner, you should go with the Canon R40, because this device consumes only 22 watts of electricity and 1.4 watts in sleep mode. While the Canon R50 consumes 22.5 watts of electricity at full power and consumes 3.1 watts more in sleep mode, which is much higher than the first device.
Display
You get a large screen with the touch screen support of the Canon R50 to operate the entire scanner with ease, while other devices only offer small screens which can be tricky for beginners. So, if you need a better touch surface and a big screen, you should go for the Canon R50 color scanner.
Canon R40 vs R50 – Pros & Cons
| Canon imageFORMULA R40 | Canon imageFORMULA R50 |
| Pros ● 3 Scanning modes ● High monthly duty cycle ● 60 sheets of capacity ● Easy to use display ● Scans in high quality | Pros ● Works with Windows & macOS ● ADF & manual document feeder ● Touch screen display ● Come with Wi-Fi ● Great resolution |
| Cons ● Less media weight support ● No wireless options | Cons ● Consumes more power ● Expensive option |
| View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
Canon R40 vs R50 – Which one’s the best?
Clearly, the Canon R50 is the better sheet-fed scanner of the two. Not only do you get a large touch-sensitive screen, but the Wi-Fi option makes it better for everyone. The scanner offers the latest features such as ADF, dual scan mode, high page capacity, decent resolution, and an impressive duty cycle to complete every job in minutes.
General FAQs
Q. Does the feeder work with photo stacks?
You get excellent quality without destroying photos from the feeder.
Q. Is the software compatible with macOS 11?
Yes, Canon scanners work with macOS 11 BigSur.
Q. Do I need to connect the scanner to a computer to scan?
Yes, the scanner starts working once connected to any Windows or macOS computer.
Q. Does this work with Chromebooks?
Chromebooks are not supported yet.
Q. Is the USB cable included?
You get a USB cable in the box of every Canon scanner.
Q. Can I get a TIFF file as output?
No, you can only choose between JPEG and PDF.
Verdict
After the launch of the new Canon scanners, you get more advanced features and benefits to reduce your overall workload with a highly automated process. If you are on the right budget, go for the Canon R50 as it gives you the best of the best features but at a premium price. For people who need to save money on specs, the Canon R40 scanner can be a great bargain for a fraction of the price.
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