Research methodology
How We Research 3D Scanners
How 3D Scanner Match checks manufacturer claims, dates prices, marks missing data and corrects mistakes. Our guides are source-based, not hands-on tests.
What a recommendation on this site means
A model listed on this site is worth investigating for the job described. It is not a guarantee of fit, accuracy, stock or throughput. The evidence that should decide a purchase comes from your part, your required file and an acceptance rule you agree with the vendor.
The selector turns your requirements into a list of candidates with reasons, risks and demo tasks. It does not test anything physically. When an important requirement has no documented answer, the result says so instead of assuming a pass.
3D Scanner Match helps buyers define a scanning job, compare published evidence and plan a useful vendor demo. Our guides are built from sources: manufacturer documents, official store pages and measurement guidance. We have not run controlled hands-on tests, so we never present a manufacturer specification as our own measurement.
On this page
Where the evidence comes from
Scroll horizontally to compare all columns.
| Source | What we use it for | Limit we keep in view |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer manual or technical sheet | Modes, definitions, setup requirements and stated performance | A claim may apply only to one edition, setup or test procedure |
| Official product and software pages | Product identity, supported workflow and license options | Marketing copy often omits test conditions and regional differences |
| Official store pages | A dated price, the selected package and whether it can be ordered | A listing does not guarantee stock, delivery or the final checkout price |
| Standards bodies and measurement institutes | What measurement procedures mean and cover | General guidance does not validate a specific purchase |
| Independent reviews | Questions and failure modes worth testing | Someone else's experience, used only with the author and conditions named |
We prefer a source that matches the exact model and claim. A statement about a product family does not automatically apply to every edition. When two official sources disagree, the page says so until the model, region, mode or date explains the difference.
How to read dates and missing information
A check date records when we reviewed a source, not when anything was tested. Prices and stock carry their own dates and can change the next day. Confirm the package, region and total before you order.
Unknown means the sources we reviewed did not answer the question. It does not mean zero, free, unsupported or discontinued. A missing accuracy figure is evidence of neither good nor poor accuracy.
Before relying on a specification, open its source and check the exact field name. The accuracy guide explains why point distance, resolution and accuracy cannot stand in for one another.
A correction: VEGA point distance is not accuracy
An earlier version of our EINSTAR VEGA pages listed 0.05 mm as VEGA's accuracy. On September 26, 2026, we found that EINSTAR's US product page gives 0.05-3 mm as the point distance in HD mode, and neither EINSTAR page we reviewed publishes an accuracy figure. We removed the claim.
The VEGA evidence review now shows accuracy as not published rather than replacing one guess with another, and says openly that the earlier figure was wrong.
How corrections are handled
Found a mistake? Contact us with the page address, the disputed claim and a supporting source. About 3D Scanner Match introduces the project and its contact.
When a claim is questioned, we record the page, the exact sentence or field, the product edition, the source and the date. We then decide whether the problem is a factual error, an outdated price or stock state, or an interpretation that went further than the evidence. We correct the underlying record and every page that uses it, not just the sentence that was noticed.
A new check date is not a new test. And a wording change should not hide that a claim was previously unsupported, which is why the VEGA correction above stays on this page.
Commercial relationships
At the time of writing, this site has no affiliate links and receives no payment from the brands it covers. If that changes, paid links will be labeled next to the link, and commercial relationships will not change which models are listed or in what order.
Use this evidence check before a purchase
Copy these six questions into your comparison notes. They work for a scanner, a software license or a complete package.
- Which exact model, edition, mode and region does the statement cover?
- Is it a manufacturer claim, a store listing or a measured result with a disclosed method?
- Does the source define the number, the unit and the conditions?
- When was the source checked, and is the offer the same today?
- What is still unknown, and who has to supply it?
- What result on my own part and file would make this candidate fail?
To put this into practice, see 3D scanners for reverse engineering for a vendor demo brief and the scan-to-CAD workflow for a handoff checklist.
Sources and scope
- EINSTAR VEGA official US specifications - the source for the VEGA correction.
- NIST research on structured-light scanner errors - background for judging measurement claims.
- ISO/IEC 17025 overview - laboratory competence, not scanner certification.
Our guides help you compare options and plan a demo. They do not replace a measurement procedure for your application or a demo on your own part.