John
Yes - it is called - wait for it - a scanner.
I have an HP scanner on my desk next to my computer monitor - all I have to do is open the cover, lay the photograph or document on the glass window (face down), invoke the software, and scan the image. The output is typically a .jpg graphic image file. It cost less than $100 and plugs into a USB port on my computer. Scanners come with the software drivers needed to actually use them.
The scanner software provides the ability to do a preview, and then crop the scan to exclude unwanted stuff. It also has the ability to switch from color to gray scale or black/white, and to set the contrast and brightness, as well as the resolution of the scan. But it can also be used in 'dumb mode' where it defaults to a generic setting that works most of the time.
A scanner can be used as a copier (scan and then print) or to send faxes. However, to send faxes, it is necessary to have a telephone modem in your computer and to hook your computer up to a phone system - either a landline or a cell phone. My computer (which is newer than my scanner) doesn't have a modem, but that's not a problem because about the only people who routinely want faxes these days are lawyers (and I certainly don't want to have anything to do with them!) For ordinary folks, its good enough to scan a document to create a pdf file that you then transmit as an e-mail attachment.
The main purpose for a scanner is to create a digital image file, But depending on the software that comes with the scanner, it may also be possible to scan a printed document, and then convert the scan to text that can be imported into a word processor for editing.
You can also purchase so-called 'three in one' printers that both print and scan. The 'three' name is applied because they can also be used to send a fax. The price for a decent 'three in one' printer isn't all that different from the price for a basic printer. I currently have a basic HP wireless printer on top of a file cabinet on the other side of my office. One of the frustrations with printers is the cost of ink - a set of replacement ink cartridges for my printer costs about what I originally paid for the printer, and I typically burn through two sets per year. So I'm thinking that the next time I run out of ink, I will throw away both my printer and scanner, and purchase a new 'three-in-one' box to save space.
Most scanners are designed to scan ordinary material on opaque paper, and many can also do a passable scan from transparent things such as photographic negatives and slides. But if you need true photographic-quality scanning, there are specialty photo negative or slide scanners available. They are pretty expensive.