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11/10/2003 08:39:24 PM · #1 |
As a side job I do computer tutoring and one of my clients has some old slides he wants to turn into photos again, save on the computer and burn to a CD. Is there anything he can plug into the computer that can read an old slide or does he need to go to a camera shop, have the slides turned into pictures (if that is possible), and then scan the pictures?
Christina in GA |
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11/10/2003 08:41:22 PM · #2 |
Yes, there IS something he can plug into the 'puter and upload the slide info. Don't know what brand or what it's called, but I've seen it at work and it's great. If you need brand info, pm me and I'll find out for you.
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11/10/2003 08:53:57 PM · #3 |
Film Scanner. They are rather expensive though.
Some flatbed scanners also have slide attachments, but they are not for the highest quality scans.
You can pay to have slides scanned, but it usually is not cheap ~$15 and up.
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11/10/2003 08:54:13 PM · #4 |
| You want a dedicated slide scanner -- probably available with a USB connection, some are internal. I think CoolScan is one of the common ones ... search at Cnet.com for product reviews. |
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11/10/2003 09:09:07 PM · #5 |
| Or find a place which still makes Kodak PhotoCDs (not PictureCD) -- you get a decent scan in 5 resolutions (up to about a 16mb file) in Native, TIFF, and PICT formats -- usually about $2-3/scan and a few $$ for the disk. |
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11/10/2003 09:12:15 PM · #6 |
The most economical path for him depends on how many slides he has to be converted, and what quality he desires. Some better flatbed scanners have attachments that can scan slides, however the results are much lower quality than a dedicated slide scanner, but faster.
With a slide scanner, the process is slower and the quality much better, but the quality can still range widely, depending on the scanner, the time taken and the expertise of the operator.
There are places that will scan slides for a fee, usually starting at about US$1 per slide. For this price, he should not expect any but the most basic processing.
For older slides that may need dust/scratch removal, color restoration, etc., it can be much more expensive.
A few hunderd slides can pay for the investment in a slide scanner, but there is a significant learning curve to get the best results.
So there is no easy solution, but there are multiple possible solutions.
I use a Nikon Coolscan LS-30, an older unit, with Ed Hamrick's VueScan software which significantly enhances the quality of the output.
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11/10/2003 09:29:11 PM · #7 |
I use the HP Scanjet 5470c and have scanned about 1400 slides so far with it.
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11/10/2003 09:42:46 PM · #8 |
I have found a few places online that will scan at 2000dpi and run Digital ICE (removes dust & scratches), Digital ROC (corrects color fading), & Digital GEM (detects and removes graining) for about $1 per slide, plus storage media cost. Reduce the resolution and the price drops significantly.
You can get a Nikon CoolScan IV ED scanner with all the above technologies for about $400 after $200 rebate at a few sites online. (CoolScan V ED was just announced a few weeks ago, but I haven't found a cost yet).
P.S. I've been trying to justify purchasing a good slide/film scanner to covert my grandfather's slide collection to digital, so I have been doing a lot of research lately. Hope this helps. :-)
Chris |
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11/10/2003 09:47:02 PM · #9 |
The dedicated film and slide scanners are the best. And as a Nikon fan, they have some pretty good ones. However, I purposely bought the Epson Perfection 3200 Photo scanner. It does film, slides and prints. Yes, the dedicated ones are better, but at 3200x2200 max, my scanner is better that most of my slides, and higher res than either my monitor or printer. So, even though they can be scanned "better", I don't have equipment that can tell. My Epson 2200, 7 archival ink, photo printer is wonderful, maximizing print potential.
My equipment can print a great shot and have it look great. It can also take a mediocre shot and have it look as good as is possible. Plus I can convert slide, film or print media, to digital. It is what my compromises were.
Message edited by author 2003-11-10 21:49:07. |
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11/10/2003 09:49:07 PM · #10 |
| ebay has an item, that you affix to your lens. This attachment, on one end, has an attachment for your lens, and the other side, you can insert a slide. Put your camera into macro mode, and you get great looking photos. |
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11/10/2003 09:54:46 PM · #11 |
There is a simple and cheap way to do it. Place your slide on a light table and shoot it with your digital camera on macro mode. Make sure the slide is dust free. I have had great results with well over 500 slides. Van
Examples
Message edited by author 2003-11-10 21:55:42. |
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11/10/2003 09:57:33 PM · #12 |
Originally posted by hsteg:
ebay has an item, that you affix to your lens. This attachment, on one end, has an attachment for your lens, and the other side, you can insert a slide. Put your camera into macro mode, and you get great looking photos. |
Yes, this is an option, and good catch by the way. Some things to consider when doing this...
1.) You need to be able to mount it to your camera (obvious)
2.) Your camera needs to be capable of the required combinationo f zoom and close focus (not trivial!)
3.) You need a relatively controlled, intense light source to get reproducible results
4.) At least 3 Mpx for reasonable results, 6 Mpx for best results from the most demanding slides
5.) For high density slides, it may be necessary to take two or more exposures and combine them to avoid loss of highlight and/or shadow detail
6.) It will be necesary to crop unless your camera sensor is 2/3 aspect ratio
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11/10/2003 10:18:19 PM · #13 |
| Nikon makes an slide copying attachment to their digital cameras. It is very cheap and cool. I see that you don't have a Nikon digital, but it still would be cheaper than buying a scanner. It fits on the end of the camera as a lens does, and you put the camera in micro setting and shoot them over a light source such as a light table. You could even hold them in the daylight and do it. i don't think your HP camera will work with that, but you could pick up the Nikon 4300..a nice 4 meg. camera plus the adapter. The adaper is a 28mm thread size so it probably doesn't even have to be a Nikon camera. It sells for about $65-70 and works really well. I is the poor mans way to copy slides. |
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11/10/2003 11:09:16 PM · #14 |
Thanks everyone for your replies. I'm meeting with my client tomorrow and I'll share the information. I'm sure we can figure something out with all of the options available.
Christina in GA |
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