A scanner for scanning an increased area of a finger held or pressed on a concave elliptically cylindrical surface having two focal axes includes a linear light source positioned at one focal axis of a first reflective cylindrical elliptical surface, the other focal axis coinciding with one focal axis of the concave elliptical surface in contact with the finger. A second reflective, cylindrical elliptical surface has two focal axes where one of the axes coincides with the position of a linear array combination of photosensitive elements and charged coupled devices and the other coincides with the other focal axis of the concave elliptical surface in contact with the finger. The linear light source resides within a scanning drum having a longitudinal opening or slit and suitable rotated whereby a line of light is projected along the cylindrical elliptical surface of the first reflective surface whereby light rays are reflected to the finger contact surface to scan a finger held thereon and then totally internally reflected to the second reflective surface and then reflected therefrom as an image on the linear array.