A 3D scanner used to be something only professionals could afford. In 2021 the Revopoint POP brought it down to around 500–600 euros, and for the first time I had a working scanner on my desk. Here's what it does well, and the one thing it can't do: my beard.
From 2,000 euros to 600
Until a few months before this video, 3D scanners started at over 2,000 euros. The Revopoint POP arrived at roughly 500–600 euros, which makes it affordable for many more makers. Revopoint reached out and sent me a unit to review, and I was really excited, because a 3D scanner is something every 3D maker should have.
The unboxing felt premium. Inside there's a USB stick, black gloves, a manual, a small resin statue to use as your first test scan, a phone holder (you can use it outdoors with an Android phone), a black cloth, a cute tripod, USB-C cables, the scanner with its three cameras and a mains-powered turntable, so no batteries to worry about. I also printed a TPU bumper for it, designed by my friend Giuseppe of 3D Printall.
Setting it up and scanning
The software is called Handy Scan. I use a Mac, and the tricky part was connecting the scanner to Wi-Fi: I had to hook it up to a PC first to give it my home network. After that, every Mac in the house could see it. The software is basic and straightforward for a first-time user. You get the tracking camera in the centre, exposure on the left and, most importantly, the depth sensor view, which you can adjust manually. You don't need a powerful computer: it even ran on my very old, low-end PC.
Using it is easy. The scanner sits on the tripod, the object sits on the turntable, which is covered in markers that help with tracking, and the black cloth hides the background. When you're happy with one orientation, you pause, turn the object, and the scanner picks it up again and keeps going. The more points you capture, the more detail you get. Revopoint claims up to 0.3 mm detail. I'm a bit sceptical, but for the price it's a no-brainer.
Results: great on white, blind to black
I scanned the resin statue, turned it into an STL, fixed the base in Cura by sinking it slightly on the Z axis, and printed it fast at 5% infill on my Anet ET5X. The result was above expectations. A Homer Simpson on a donut came out full of detail, since white is the perfect surface for scanning. I also scanned a heavy Buddha statue my wife and I brought back from a trip and printed it on the Sidewinder X1.
The big issue: it doesn't pick up black. That's why the gloves are black. One of my main reasons for wanting a scanner was to scan my face, and the skin came out perfect while my black beard was basically empty. If you buy it, know that black objects won't scan.