This is Part 5, the final part, of my review of the Epson FastFoto FF-680W Wireless High-speed Photo Scanning System - other parts are here: Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4.
At the end of Part 4, I said I would use this post to talk about how easy it was to set this scanner up (with one minor glitch), the things I didn't test (and why), and what I would use - and not use - this scanner for.
Scanner Setup
I carefully unboxed the scanner (since I will need to repack it to send back later) and followed the instructions on the enclosed "Start Here" poster. After unpacking, you go to www.fastfoto.com/getstarted in the USA to download the software.
Clicking on the blue "Download FastFoto Software" button brought up this page:
I clicked on Epson FastFoto FF-680W on the lower right, which led to this next screen, where I clicked on the Downloads tab (far left) and selected my operating system:
Finally, the "Drivers and Utilities Combo Package Installer" link became available, so I clicked the Download button (lower right):
After agreeing to the license, I had to select some installation options. I went with all the recommendations, and decided to send usage information to Epson as well, since I was testing the product. Then I clicked the Next button at the bottom.
After all the software was downloaded and installed, I followed on-screen instructions (as noted in step 4 of part 2, Install software, on the "Start Here" poster), and plugged in the scanner.
Next came the first surprise - selecting your connection method. I was under the impression this was only a wireless scanner. Wireless can be spotty in my house, so I was pleased to see USB cable as a connection option, and chose that.
Here's where things got weird. While I was still on this Connection tab, the screen went mostly blank, and nothing happened for a while. Then I noticed two blank buttons at the bottom of the screen. Being the type that believes sometimes you have to break something to fix it, I clicked on the darker of the two buttons, the one on the left, figuring it was supposed to say something like "Next" or "Continue" or "Yes" or "Accept," and the other, lighter-colored button to its right said the opposite.
When I did that, I had a pop-up window that was just as cryptic. It said EpsonInstaller with a big question mark, and Yes - No buttons. I picked yes.
Apparently, whatever I did must have been the right thing (I did tell my contact with Epson about this issue). This screen related to Epson FastFoto Setup popped up, pertaining to where you wanted scans to be saved and what to name them. I changed the setting for "Your scanned photos will be saved in this folder" from the default (for my computer) C:\Users\Owner\Pictures\FastFoto to E:\FastFoto (since my E hard drive is where I store all my data), but left the default file name alone. (These can both be changed on the Organization tab in Settings, and you can always specify a different folder or default file name before scanning a batch.)
The Enhancements settings also popped up. I set the scanner to do auto enhancements (brightness, contrast, and saturation), remove red eye, and restore faded colors. I also chose to follow the recommendation to apply these enhancements to a second copy of the photo, and not to the original scan. These can also be changed, on the Enhancement tab under Settings, before you scan each batch.
I believe at this point, the next screen to appear was the start screen for scanning:
What I Didn't Test (and Why)
1. I didn't test connecting the scanner to my wi-fi network. I prefer the hardwire USB connection, and I have the perfect little table (on rollers, and with a drawer and lower shelf) to put the scanner on and have it near the computer when I'm using it.
2. I didn't test some of the additional features of the FastFoto software that you can apply to completed scans, such as Share (only to e-mail like Outlook, not web-based email like Gmail), Upload (to Dropbox or Google Drive; requires linking to your accounts with those services), various Edit features on images you select (rotate left or right, crop, restore color, reduce red eye, add/edit/remove a date, enhance brightness/contrast/saturation, and undo all), and of course Delete.
3. I didn't test the Invoice/Receipt Manager in the ScanSmart software, because that required signing up for a trial.
4. I didn't test the supplied carrier sheet. It is used to scan certain items rather than sending them through the automatic document feeder without it:
• fragile, folded, irregularly-shaped, irreplaceable, perforated-edged, torn, wrinkled, or too-curled photos;
• folded items* (such as graduation invitations);
• valuable original documents or artwork; and
• anything too-small (smaller than 2 × 2 inches) or too large (bigger than legal-size paper).
You are supposed to load these originals one by one using a carrier sheet, which is considered a consumable item (i.e., you can purchase more of them). I didn't want to damage the one that came with this test machine. Also, my flatbed scanner handles these items just fine - and I have to do them one-at-a-time there too.
* The user's guide indicated you could scan envelopes, if loaded properly (front face down, point of the flap pointing to either side, not up or down), without using the carrier sheet. However, every time I tried to scan one, it would jam. This was disappointing as I have a number of letters to scan, with envelopes decorated on both sides, and was hoping to use the Epson FastFoto FF-680W to scan both envelope sides at one time.
How I Would Use the Epson FastFoto FF-680W Scanner
This scanner excels at scanning smaller (8" by 10" or less) standard print photos, black-and-white or (especially) color, particularly if there is any information written or stamped on the back. It is also excellent for scanning double-sided documents (or multi-page single-side documents), especially if you want to save them as searchable PDFs. I've also found it handy for scanning both sides of postcards and unfolded greeting cards (but sadly, not their envelopes). It's also very good (and faster than on a flatbed scanner) with paper business cards and plastic cards (IDs, etc.), although I don't see much need to scan any beyond what I already did. The scanner is very fast, even at 1200 dpi, and the ability to scan duplex AND to apply enhancements and corrections to an image is a plus.
I would use the Epson FastFoto FF-680W scanner in addition to my 20+-year-old Epson Perfection 3200 Photo flatbed scanner. The latter would be better (and faster when only scanning one side) for anything that would need to be scanned in the carrier sheet on the FF-680W, and for envelopes. In addition, I can scan slides and negatives (35mm and three larger formats) on the Perfection 3200, and I do a surprisingly large number of those.
© Amanda Pape - 2025 - e-mail me!
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