Abstract: A system for scanning a surface moving rapidly parallel to the surface has a scanning panel fixed adjacent the surface and having a row of image sensors spaced in the direction and a stationary focussing unit arranged between the panel and the surface for focussing the sensors on respective fixed locations spaced in the direction. Thus portions of the surface successively align themselves with the locations as the surface moves in the direction past the unit. A shift register has a plurality of input stages each connected to a respective one of the image sensors to receive and store an output thereof and an output stage. This register is cycled to advance the contents of the input stages downstream toward and into the output stage. An output unit connected to the output stage receives the contents thereof as an image signal and a clock is connected to the register for cycling same and thereby moving the contents of the input stages toward the output stage.