Systems and methods for data reading, which in one example configuration is directed to an automated optical code data reader in the form of a tunnel or portal scanner having an open architecture configured with front and rear inverted U-shaped arches, a plurality of cameras (some or most of which have multiple fields of view) in each of the arches for reading the top live sides of an item being passed by a conveyor through a read region formed by the arches, and a bottom reader including one or more cameras under the conveyor for reading a bottom side of the item through a gap in the conveyors as the item is passed over the gap. Also disclosed are specific imaging schemes for providing effective views of the items with a minimum number of cameras.