Despite being primarily known for its 3D printers, Creality’s branching out into different areas sometimes hits the mark. The 2023 Creality Scan Ferret, in addition to a goofy name, offers a surprisingly solid scanning experience for quite some money saved over the competition. In the All3DP lab, we found the user experience very smooth, and, despite the sparse walkthrough in the Creality Scan software, you’re up and scanning within minutes. Most scanners are simple pieces of hardware, and the Scan Ferret’s software mirrors this.

Launching into the tethered mode attached to your computer, you’ll find an uncluttered interface with a few modes and scan initialization options available.

Everything you need to capture scans and texture data comes in the box – itself a nifty (and compact) hard fabric carry case. For its slim $329 price point, the Scan Ferret offers solid scanning performance that, despite the drop in quality over pricier systems, is not bad by any stretch of the imagination. Convenience and portability are its strong suits, and while extreme patience is required to slowly and meticulously pass over the object, you can get surprisingly detailed scans out of it.

The Scan Ferret relies solely on feature data for positioning, with no dedicated tracker detection mode. This particularly puts it at a disadvantage when scanning featureless models with flat and symmetrical surfaces. For organic and asymmetrical forms, though, it performs well.

We found that, for its price, the Scan Ferret is a surprisingly usable option that continues to impress us.

Revopoint is quickly establishing itself as the go-to for a range of low-cost scanning tech. The Pop series forms the backbone of the company’s offerings, with the Pop 3, the latest (Sept. 2023), and most technically spiffy model yet.

The standard package comes with everything you need to be scanning within minutes. The only setup involves acquainting yourself with the various modes of operation and hooking the scanner up in your desired configuration (tethered to a PC, or connected via Wi-Fi to a PC). You can also skip out on a computer entirely and use the Pop 3 with the Revo Scan app. As with the Scan Ferret and its Creality Scan app, you’re limited to 2,000 frames on mobile, which is sufficient for a quick, rough scan of a detailed object or scene.

Revopoint’s Revo Scan software offers a pleasant project environment, letting you seamlessly work on your scans, merge multiple scans, and effect a full post-processing workflow with noise and overlap removal, plus other post-processing tools you may need.

The Pop 3 can go detailed, generating large point clouds, but for the advantages the hardware and software bring, there are downsides, most notably the device’s sensitivity to “runaway”, where a flat and mainly featureless part of an object is interpreted as a continuous move, resulting in the scan stretching to infinity of its own accord. Handily, you can use undo (Ctrl+Z) to nick the most recent frames of your scan and remove the runaway.

Revopoint’s ecosystem of addons can be controlled by an app or the Revo Scan software, too, giving you a more comprehensive workflow for your scanning. We’d characterize it as a close-to-mid-range scanner, offering great all-around performance.

Despite just launching the Pop 3 last fall Revopoint’s has two even newest color-capture 3D scanners out: the Inspire pocket-size 3D scanner just arrived in the All3DP review lab and we’re excited to give it a spin.

The successor to the Matter and Form V1, the V2 retains the hardware of V1 and introduced usability improvements. The V2 was launched in 2018, and while it’s still a solid scanning experience, some of the newer and lower price options above in comparison, show how far pocket-size scanning has come.

Hand-On Results

Matter and Form 3D Scanner V2 Review: Our Budget Pick

This is why we’re excited to get our hands on the newest from Matter and From due out in early 2024 and now on Kickstarter, called Three. We haven’t seen it, and can’t recommend it yet, but from the specs, and the fact that the company has been working on it for the past three years, it could be an impressive device for a several reasons.

First, it’s a multi-distance scanner, so you can scan a coin or a car, as the company says. Scanners with a narrow scanning distance are becoming less useful to today’s scanning professional.

Next, there’s the onboard software, web server, and Wi-Fi hotspot. Yes, there’s nothing to install on your computer, you don’t need an internet connection or a cloud service. The Three will work with any device that supports Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge web browsers.

The company is also boasting a new capture technology they’re calling ChromaSpec that uses the full spectrum of visible light to capture geometry and any color. We’ll bring you more soon.

The Scan Dimension Sol from Scan Dimension was created to be precise, portable, easy to use, and affordable, the company says. It’s geared toward hobbyists, everyday makers, and entrepreneurs who want to scan small- to medium-size objects (in the range of 25-mm square to something about 178 x 178 mm), such as jewelry.

It can handle various applications, from replacing or matching broken parts to replicating unique items. It scans both the geometries of objects and their texture. The company boasts a “one-click” scan, but there’s still some calibrating to do. SOL Creator is the 3D object scanner assistant software that comes with the scanner.

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Scan Dimension Sol 3D Scanner: Review the Specs

For about twice the price you can go pro with the SOL Pro ($1,900), which will boost your accuracy to about 0.05 mm with the same scan range.

Coming in just below the $1,000 mark and making it the cheapest scanner in their lineup, Shining 3D’s portable Einstar scanner “shines” with high-quality point clouds at 0.1 mm accuracy and a full-color RGB camera.

According to the manufacturer, the device is the perfect tool for beginners and entry-level 3D scanning applications for outdoor and indoor use. At 14 frames per second, smart tracking performance, automatic alignment, and intelligent algorithms, we found the actual scanning experience is fast and smooth. This is further supported with easy and capable software

Because it is based on projected light technology and not a laser, it is easy on the eyes and suited for face and body scans.

As with any 3D scanner in the more affordable range, the lighting conditions and objects you intend to scan heavily affect the performance of the Einstar. In testing, we initially found it a little unforgiving with regard to optimal range and lighting. Persist in tweaking your setup, though, and the Einstar’s quality shines through. Under decent conditions, the feature and marker tracking are superior to everything else we tested. Hybrid tracking is also uniquely useful, helping you cover objects that are part featureless but not worth the effort of entirely swamping in tracking markers.

The ExStar software provided with the Einstar is simple, possibly to a fault, with information such as scan parameters set once at the beginning of a job before being left behind as you work through the sequential tab workflow. It isn’t always apparent at what stage or operation of the scanning process you are and which tools are available to you, and when – which may prove challenging for novices. Such frustrations are arguably worth putting up with when the scanner can help you quickly pull together a detailed full-color scan.

It’s worth noting that the software seems to be a bit of a memory hog and will clog up even powerful systems. You need serious computing grunt to handle it.

Turn your iPad into a 3D scanner with the Structure Sensor Pro from Occipital. This multi-purpose 3D scanner attachment has a built-in tracking camera with a 160° ultra-wide-vision monochrome lens, boasts high depth resolution, and can be used indoors and outdoors. Occipital targets this scanner at the demanding healthcare environment for, say, custom-fit orthotics or accurate human body measurements.

The software the manufacturer provides is called Structure SDK and offers high-level developer tools and full low-level access for game and mixed reality development and 3D mapping. The device can also be used to create high-quality 3D models of objects for various purposes, including 3D printing. There’s also a comprehensive menu of apps that support the Pro, including medical apps for scanning body parts for orthotics.

Although this 3D scanner add-on was initially designed for use with iPad and iPhone, the company offers ‘hacking’ guides to get around any obstacles keeping you from using other platforms like Windows or Linux.

We went hands-on with the Revopoint Miraco, the company’s newest handheld 3D scanner that tries, and in many ways succeeds, to do it all.

Dubbed Revopoint’s first “standalone” 3D scanner, the unique selling point of the Miraco is that it is a genuine closed circuit. It can capture and process 3D scans, from points to mesh, textured and cleaned, without a computer or smartphone in sight.

Look Ma, No Cables!

True Wireless 3D Scanning for Less than $2K - Hands-On with the Revopoint Miraco

Starting at ~$1,299 for the standard model (a more capable “Pro” model doubles the RAM at $1,599), the Miraco accomplishes its computerless workflow with an “8-core 2.4 GHz” processor handling the, well… processing, and a large responsive touchscreen display to relay the scan in progress and viewport for subsequent editing. The UI and tools at your disposal are not too dissimilar from the Android app experience – the Miraco runs a Revopointified version of Android, so that figures.

Strapped to the front of its SLR-like frame is a bank of cameras, including infrared and full-color snappers, to capture both the structure and texture of the objects you scan. The cameras double up to offer “near” and “far” modes for up-close and mid-range work.

It is Revopoint’s most balanced scanner yet in terms of utility, with the up-close mode tackling objects as small as 10 mm cubed and the far mode with a maximum area of four meters cubed.

As a mobile device, the Miraco is more capable than Revopoint’s other scanners paired with a smartphone. There, processing is limited to 2,000 frames per scan, no matter the power of your phone. The base Miraco can handle geometry scans of up to 5,000 frames.

Its portability is a strength, but taking it into the field for opportunistic scanning reveals one weakness of the method by which the Miraco captures scans: infrared structured light. The device projects a pattern of infrared light onto objects to map and record the distortion. One source of infrared light that utterly overpowers the Miraco’s projection is the sun, direct or scattered through cloud cover. Taking the Miraco outside on even a miserable, overcast day is a no-go.

Overall, Revopoint’s Miraco is a comparatively low-cost piece of scanning hardware that lowers the entry point to device-centric 3D scanning dramatically and, with enough patience, can produce suitable results for many situations.

Available directly from Revopoint, the Revopoint Miraco costs ~$1,299 while the Revopoint Miraco Pro will set you back ~$1,599.

We know it’s not technically a 3D scanner, but no list of 3D scanners is complete today without taking a moment to acknowledge how popular 3D scanning has become. Just look at the 3D scanning ability designed into the iPhone from version 13 and iPad Pro versions.

These devices’ Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) scanner accurately measures distances to map out three-dimensional spaces. This technology is meant to enhance the phone cameras’ low-light photo ability but is also compatible with a growing array of mobile apps developed to 3D scan rooms and objects including yourself, if you want to upload a scan of your foot to custom fit shoes, for example.

Scanning Success

The Best 3D Scanner Apps for 2024 (iPhone & Android)

With a handful of apps to choose from, you can scan an object to create a three-dimensional image of it on your device and export it in the most popular 3D formats, including mesh data, FBX, OBJ, and glTF. But the resolution of the LiDAR sensor is meager, with only a few hundred dots in its measurement grid. If you want to scan, for example, a figurine to 3D print, it will take a significant amount of effort in your 3D software to get something printable. Even then, it will not have anywhere near the detail as the original. However, if you’re looking for a scan that will be a rough digital starting point for your project – and you already own this device – adding the scanning app might do the trick.

Even better, if you care more about the result than the process and don’t care whether you truly ‘scanned’ your desired object, photogrammetry, the method of using images rather than light, is available on selected  MacOS Monterey devices based on Apple’s Object Capture API. One exciting App that lets you create high-quality digital models in a matter of minutes is PhotoCatch. Best of all, it is completely free, provided you have the necessary hardware requirements. If not, you can still use their Cloud computing service for a small fee.

Several scanners from Shining 3D make our list, but the EinScan SP desktop scanner is among their most affordable. The Einscan can scan with or without a turntable, enabling you to capture objects of a wide range in size. White light makes this scanner safe and easy to use, while its compact size makes it accessible for hobbyists and a classroom setting. Shining also makes 3D printers and offers an attractive education bundle that includes a 3D scanner, 3D printer, educational course materials, and supplies.

The EinScan SP has high scan accuracy and can detect various colors and textures. Although the EinScan SP is undoubtedly impressive in its own right, the software is what makes this scanner shine. The EinScan software is exceptionally stable and has an easy-to-use interface, but you will need a good processor to calculate the meshes quickly. The software has functions that enable you to fill holes in your mesh, smooth and sharpen objects, and can also readjust the data coordinates in the post-processing process to provide more perfect 3D data for subsequent applications.

Peel 3D, the Creaform subsidiary that brought us the Peel 1, 2, and 2-S, released the wholly redesigned Peel 3 in Oct. 2023. This scanner boasts better accuracy than its predecessors and focuses on improving usability through an ergonomic design, haptic feedback, and intuitive touchscreen capability.

All these improvements aim to improve the scanning process for newbies and experienced veterans alike to achieve crisp, accurate scans.

The scanner is also offered as a bundle with proprietary Peel CAD software as the Peel 3.CAD version, specifically designed as a turnkey solution for reverse engineering applications. Peel 3.CAD supports exporting into industry-standard CAD programs like Solidworks, Fusion 360, or Solid Edge. The Peel 3.CAD is currently offered at an introductory price of $11,990, while the standard Peel 3 will currently set you back $8,490 and is shipped within 3 to 5 weeks.

Although Peel no longer offers the scanner’s predecessors on their website, third-party resellers still have them in stock. It might be worth looking into price developments for these machines over the following months. We also have some hands-on reviews of these models for further reading.

Hands-On Review

Peel 2 3D Scanner Review: Very Appealing

Released in 2020, the EinScan Pro HD aims to deliver improved performance in capturing high resolution and high accuracy with a handheld device. In fact, the Pro HD can achieve nearly identical handheld or stationary scan quality.

With new lighting projection hardware and software algorithms, Pro HD can scan a broader range of objects in dark or black color and casting metal surfaces, enriching the capability for 3D scanning of materials.

Ergonomically designed, the Pro HD is lightweight enough to use for long periods of time. You can easily take the scanner anywhere you go, and the easy plug-and-play interface lets you run the scanner without complex installation.

Shining 3D’s software for 3D scanning, ExScan Pro, featured both scan and mesh editing tools for generating high-quality 3D models. Take scan processing a step further with “Solid Edge Shining 3D Edition”.

Among the scanners and coordinate measuring machines (CMM) from US-based FARO, the Freestyle 2 is the most versatile. Capable of documenting everything from crime scenes to construction sites, this handheld scanner captures photorealistic 3D reality with a range of 0.4 to 5 meters.

A favorite among surveyors, architects, and investigators, the lightweight Freestyle 2 offers a real-time display for on-site review and works well in nearly any lighting level.

Couple this scanner with FARO’s Zone 3D software to create an accurate analysis of an event and produce detailed visuals, such as precise 2D and 3D diagrams, animations, and courtroom-ready reports. FARO Zone 3D Advanced, the most recent update, can import point cloud data from laser scanners and drones.

We’re going out on a limb by including the new Leica BLK2Go on our list since it is not a scanner for objects, it’s a scanner for spaces, like rooms. However, we’re excited about this technology coming to a handheld device.

Under the hood of this sleek and lightweight scanner are state-of-the-art LiDAR scanning and SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) technology in combination with one 12 and three 4.8-megapixel cameras. At a 0.5 to 25 meter range and 420,000 points per second, the scanner takes 360° scans horizontally and 270° scans vertically for mobile mapping of interior and outdoor scenes. The high mobility and significantly reduced operating speeds come with accuracy loss compared to tripod-mounted laser scanners like Leica’s BLK360. At an accuracy of +- 10mm in indoor spaces, this scanner is not suited for intricate and small objects.

The scanner is supported via the BLK2GO Live app for iOS and Android, with live 2D and 3D previews while scanning. For an additional $405, the BLK2GO comes with a transportation case, three batteries, a charger, a table stand, and a Wrist Strap. Considering the price point of this machine, spending a few extra bucks for protection seems like a sensible decision.

The BLK2GO is designed for operational simplicity and is aimed at professionals like traditional surveying firms. Other application areas include architecture, facility management, space planning, real estate, and even Hollywood movie productions.