I have been testing the EINSTAR VEGA 3D scanner for the last month, and I will be sharing my experience with it in this review. The VEGA is an All-in-One 3D scanner with two scanning technologies into one, which also has the processing build into the scanner, minimizing the need for a computer during scanning.
EINSTAR VEGA Packaging and Accesories
Packaged into an oversized carboard box, the EINSTAR VEGA carrying case holds the scanner and most of the accessories you get with it. The large box offers ample protection for it, so I don’t expect any problems when it comes to the delivery safety.
When it comes to the included accessories, the EINSTAR VEGA comes with the carrying case, the VEGA 3D scanner, the Calibration Board and the plastic holder for it. You also get an 100W USB-C power adaptor, a USB C cable, scanning markers, a wrist wrap and a SHINING mascot.
There is even a silicone scanner case which adds better grip to the unit, which is a nice addition when it comes to the ergonomic feeling of the scanner, but in my experience, it is easier to simply use the included metal tripod to handle the scanner and have a good grip on it, so I did not use it too much.
The metal tripod included is high quality and made well. I feel confident in using it for scanning, without concerns that it might fall or cause problems.
For the Vega scanner calibration process, you get a glass calibration board which is used during the setup process and from time to time to re-calibrate the scanner and ensure the highest accuracy.
A detailed video guide is provided on how to use the calibration board during the calibration process of the scanner. As expected, on the SHINING YouTube channel you can find a large number of tutorial videos on how to use it, which is very helpful in the process of learning how to use the scanner and get the best results.
EINSTAR VEGA Design
The design of the EINSTAR VEGA feels very premium, with an aluminum body and glass sections. When I first touched the scanner, it felt like an oversized, high-quality smartphone.
In the front, you have the scanning cameras and sensors covered by a single piece of glass to protect them while on the back, the entire surface of the scanner is covered by the large 6.4 inch 2K AMOLED touchscreen.
On the left side, you get the USB-C port which can be used for transferring files to your computer or for charging the scanner. On the right side, you get the power button and the capture button.
The bottom side of the scanner has the attachment point for the tripod / strap and ventilation for the hardware used by the scanner.
EINSTAR VEGA Specifications
| Parameters | Description |
|---|---|
| Working distance | HD scan mode: 100 mm ~ 350 mm; Fast scan mode: 350 mm ~ 1500 mm |
| Scan area | HD scan mode (100 mm): 26 mm (H) * 29 mm (V); Fast scan mode (1000 mm): 1028 mm (H) x 997 mm (V) |
| Scan speed | HD scan mode: 13 fps ~ 14 fps; Fast scan mode: 15 fps (up to 20 fps without open texture) |
| Resolution | Accurate to the minimum of 0.05 mm |
| Minimum scan dimensions | 10 mm * 10 mm * 10 mm |
| Supported alignment modes | Features alignment / Markers alignment / Texture alignment / Hybrid alignment |
| Device dimensions | 180 mm x 95 mm x 26.5 mm |
| Device weight | 643 g |
| Working temperature | -10 °C ~ 40 °C |
| Working humidity | 0 % ~ 90 % RH (no coagulation) |
| Screen | 6.4-inch 2K OLED screen |
| Light source | Class I |
| RGB fill light | White flash LED * 2 |
| Markers fill light | Infrared fill light * 8 |
| 3D camera resolution | HD: 2 mega-pixel; Fast: 1.3 mega-pixel |
| Texture camera resolution | 8064 px x 6048 px (48 mega-pixel) |
| Battery type | Lithium polymer battery (5000 mAh) |
| Data format | OBJ / STL / PLY / ASC |
| Interface | USB 2.0 or 3.0; BT; Wi-Fi 6 |
| RAM | 32 GB |
| ROM | 32 GB eMMC + 512 GB SSD |
| Compatible system (for StarVision) | Windows 10 or Windows 11 (64-bit); macOS (recommended: macOS 11.0 or above with Apple Silicon) |
Dual Scanning Technologies
One of the scanning technologies used by the VEGA is VCSEL (which stands for Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser) and it is used for long range scanning. These sensors are located on the top row of the scanner.
The secondary scanning technology is MEMS (which stands for Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) and it is used for short range scanning. The sensors are located on the middle section of the scanner, and are paired with eight additional LED lights on the sides to help with lighting the scanned model.
All-in-One Design with Powerful Hardware
As mentioned before, the SHINING VEGA is an all-in-one 3D scanner with all the hardware necessary to scan and process the model build into it. It has a 6.4 inch 2K AMOLED touchscreen, which is quite nice to use and interact with.
The only issue I experience with is the relatively low brightness it has. It is good enough when used indoor, but if you are using the scanner outside in bright sunlight, you will have a bit of a hard time to see the contents on the screen.
When it comes to the hardware side, the VEGA comes with 32 GB of DDR4 RAM and 32GB of eMMC storage, coupled with an additional 512GB SSD to store the scanned files. The CPU is an 8-code chip running at a frequency of 2.4Ghz, but no specific information is provided about the exact version used.
For connectivity, the SHINING VEGA uses the WiFi 6 and the USB Type-C connector on the side.
Scanning experience
The overall scanning experience was good. I was able to use the scanner as intended. The scanning speed is good, and I found it easy to adjust all the settings on the touchscreen to improve the scanning results.
What I was not very happy with is the relatively small view port when scanning in HD mode. The scanning surface is not very large, which can make it a bit harder in some situations to scan a model without using a lot of scanning markers. It is totally usable on smaller objects, but it becomes more tricky if you are scanning larger objects with no clearly defined features to keep the tracking working.
When using the Fast mode, the view port is much larger, but it also means it is best used with larger objects, so it will not work very well with small items.
Fortunately, I have seen updates coming to the VEGA, and one of them actually improved the scanning working distance for HD mode, as shown below which makes the scanning experience a bit better.
Besides that improvement, the new firmware has brought additional features like Auto Detecting the Base Plane, Screen Casting with remote control, Coordinate System Adjustment, Resume Scanning After Editing and Auto Holes Filling After Meshing to name the most important.
Battery Life and Charging
While testing the EINSTAR VEGA, I noticed that the battery life is a bit lower than I was expecting. I am able to get close to 1 hour of scanning time in HD mode, but getting more than that is a challange so make sure you keep a power bank ready to use.
In terms of charging, even if the unit comes with a 100W power adapter, I was not able to get over 45W when charging. I have tried this multiple times, and I also asked SHINING where they confirmed this is a normal charging speed, which can very based on teh charge level and temperature.
Small annoying issues
Setup bug and translation not available for initial firmware
When I first started the device, I had a constant “Initialization Failed” message showing on the screen which was then asking me to restart the device. I tried this for a few times, but I was not successful and the only way I could avoid this is to go very quickly through the setup wizard. Once I did this, the error message disappeared.
I contacted SHINING to let them know about this issue, and it was mentioned that it is caused by an older firmware and once I update to the latest version, the issue will go away, which was true. But when it comes to the software update, it is worth mentioning that the changelog was only written in Chinese for the previous firmware.
In the latest firmware update, the content was also correctly localized in English, which shows clearly that the team working on the software experience is listening to their customers to improve it.
Account bound, requiring activation
Another thing to note is the activation requirement. In order to use the scanner, it requires an account and device activation before you can use the software and transfer files on the computer. While I understand that this is a general requirement for a lot of devices nowadays, I am not a fan of such a requirement (if it does not include an offline/no account mode) as it is highly dependent on the internet connectivity and the availability of the servers to do so.
The process of creating the account was not complex, but it added an extra 10 minutes of hassle when I was simply trying to connect the device to my computer. Having the option to run it without activation would be a nice addition in a future software update.
StarVision
StarVision is the desktop software developed that is used with the EINSTAR VEGA 3D scanner to process and refine scanned data into high-quality 3D models. With it, you can import raw scan data, clean and refine point clouds by removing noise or unwanted areas, and align multiple scans to create a complete 3D model.
Models can be exported as .obj, .stl, and .ply
Overall, using the software is easy and I had no problems doing the small edits required to complete a scan.
Scanning Results of the EINSTAR VEGA
I have tested the scanning results of the EINSTAR VEGA by capturing a similar set of items that I have used with other scanners, to serve as a simple method to compare. A download link is provided for the scanned model results.
Killzone 3: Helghast Edition Helmet
The first test was with the Helghast Edition helmet included with the Killzone 3 game. Overall, the scanning results are good, with some problematic sections like the head strap which is black and required additional passes to get it right, and adjustment of the brightness.
Using scanning spray would eliminate this issue, so it’s worth keeping note of this detail.
The model scanned is shown in the image below:
Stone Elephant Statue
This scan is of a Stone Elephant which was very easy to scan. Considering that the stone grey texture is maybe a perfect scenario, I am happy with how it came out, and the level of detail. The result of the scan can be easily 3D printed without looking a lot of detail compared to the original
The model scanned is shown in the image below:
DBZ: Vegeta
In case of the Vegeta model, the scanner had some trouble with scanning the top hair section. I have tried a couple of times without success. And because of the small view port mentioned before, I found it a bit hard to adjust position and scann all the sides of the model. Again, with scanning spray, this could work better.
The model scanned is shown in the image below:
Battlefield 1 Statue
One of the hardest models I tried to scan is the Battlefield 1 Statue. Due to its shape and mix of colors and features, it is hard to scan without using scanning spray, but the results I got are still very respectable, even considering that some of the surfaces are shiny (like the bottom platform).
I tried to scan the same object with a Miraco scanner, and I was unable to get any usable result, but the VEGA managed to get very close.
The model scanned is shown in the image below:
Robin Bust
The next scan is a bust of Robin which was printed on a resin 3D printer. The scanning result is very good, and it was very easy to capture the model in a short period of time, thanks to its material proprieties. The scanner managed to capture a lot of detail and the item could be replicated with 3D printing.
The model scanned is shown in the image below:
Conclusions: Is the EINSTAR VEGA worth it?
The EINSTAR VEGA 3D scanner was able to handle most of the test models I tried to scan, offering good results. I had some issues with the items tha contained very dark sections, but increasing the brightness can help, and using scanning spray will solve the issue.
The software seems to also be advancing, bringing improvements and new features over time. I have received two firmware updated during testing, and hopefully it will continue to get them, becoming better and better over time.
Maybe one of the slightly annoying part is the relatively low battery life, that will require you to pack a power back if you will spend a longer time scanning away from a power adapter.
It is not a cheap 3D scanner, but it does its job as promissed, so I don’t have any reason not to recommend looking into it, if you are searching for an all-in-one 3D scanner.
EINSTAR VEGA Review
Design and Build Quality
Specs and Features
Scanning Performance
Ease of use
Price
Overall, the EINSTAR VEGA is a 3D scanner that does what it promises when it comes to scanning, but the battery life makes it mandatory to have a power bank at hand when you need to use it for a longer scanning session.
Where to buy the 3D Scanner?
The EINSTAR VEGA can be purchased from the following sites:
I recommend checking out the Discount Codes page before purchasing. I regularly update the article with discount codes for various online shops, and you might find one for this particular model.
The EINSTAR VEGA was provided free of charge by SHINING3D for the purpose of this review. While the article includes affiliate links, all opinions are my own. Nobody reviewed the article before it was posted, following the Review Guidelines.
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