Should you buy a scanner before trying phone photogrammetry?
Our position, and the 'real scanners are better' counterpoint.
Our position
Phone photogrammetry is free, works on gear you already own, and handles a surprising number of the use cases schools actually have. Students scanning clay models, documenting historical objects, making avatars of themselves - all possible on a phone. Buy a scanner only after proving the program has a real, recurring use case the phone cannot handle.
Other voices
Reputable sources worth reading before you decide. Labels reflect our honest read of each source's general stance, not direct quotes.
Polycam / Scaniverse output quality
Broadly agreesModern phone photogrammetry apps produce output genuinely usable for 3D printing. Five years ago this was not true; today it is.
Dedicated-scanner speed
Nuanced / mixedA dedicated scanner captures a model in 5 minutes vs 30 minutes with a phone. For high-volume programs, the time savings matter.