Scanning slides ... need some suggestions ...

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Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.scanner (More info?)

Right out of the blue, I¹ve suddenly come into the possession of a few
hundred spectacular slides. This was quite unexpected and I¹ve been
scanning them (HP 3500c @ 600, 1200, and 2400 dpi (covering them with
a light box) - experimenting around with those resolutions) ... I¹m
using PS - mostly the Œcurve¹ tool to bring up and adjust the colors.
I¹ve got a pretty good system worked out ... I think ... but it is
fairly time consuming.

Has anyone here done anything similar to this? Any suggestions/advice
would be greatly appreciated.

I know that Nikon has a Œslide adapter¹ that allows you to digitally
photograph them (the ŒCoolpix¹) - I¹m currently using a Canon G5. Anyone
ever rig up something to use for photographing them?

I¹ve checked with www.dpreview.com/ but haven¹t got any nibbles yet.

Any ideas - either with how I¹m currently doing it or with the digicam
method?

Thanks in advance for any light that you may be able to shed on this
'dilemma.'

Thanks in advance,

Scott

 

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Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.scanner (More info?)

On Sat, 05 Jun 2004 20:10:31 GMT, John Scott Mccoy
<sushipets@hotmail.com> wrote:

>Right out of the blue, I¹ve suddenly come into the possession of a few
>hundred spectacular slides. This was quite unexpected and I¹ve been
>scanning them (HP 3500c @ 600, 1200, and 2400 dpi (covering them with
>a light box) - experimenting around with those resolutions) ... I¹m
>using PS - mostly the Œcurve¹ tool to bring up and adjust the colors.
>I¹ve got a pretty good system worked out ... I think ... but it is
>fairly time consuming.

It would help if we knew your goal. What you really expect for
results. If the slides are already spectacular I'd not want to be
doing much in the way of adjusting colors.

The only method that "in the end" will be less time consuming is to
take them to a professional lab and have them scanned in. There you
have to find out to what resolution they will scan and in what format
they will be saved. However this can run from 50 cents to a dollar a
slide. You probably could find it cheaper, but those are the going
rates around here.

"In general" 2400 dpi for slides is a pretty low resolution unless you
just want to copy them as snapshots. Otherwise you are looking at on
the order of $500 give or take for a good slide scanner at 4000 or a
bit more dpi.

As you are calling these "spectacular" I'd be wanting to scan them at
the best possible resolution.

Of course this raises the question of why do you want to scan them.
You could copy them with a "slide duplicator" attachment for a camera
that takes interchangeable lenses. Still, this is not a whole lot
faster than scanning.

>
>Has anyone here done anything similar to this? Any suggestions/advice
>would be greatly appreciated.

I use a Nikon LS 5000 ED and have the SF-210 slide feeder. I like the
combination very much, but scanning still turns out to be quite time
consuming.

>
>I know that Nikon has a Œslide adapter¹ that allows you to digitally
>photograph them (the ŒCoolpix¹) - I¹m currently using a Canon G5. Anyone
>ever rig up something to use for photographing them?

I'm not familiar with the G-5, but I have a slide copier that works
with any of my Nikons including the D-70. So, yes it could be used.
It's still not the resolution of the 4000 dpi which is a 24 megapixel
equivalent.

>
>I¹ve checked with www.dpreview.com/ but haven¹t got any nibbles yet.
>
>Any ideas - either with how I¹m currently doing it or with the digicam
>method?

Not knowing what you really want for an end result, I can only say I
don't think you will get the best results using a slide copier and a
"digicam". You'd do better with a "good" digital camera, but that is
going to cost.

Good Luck,

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

>
>Thanks in advance for any light that you may be able to shed on this
>'dilemma.'
>
>Thanks in advance,
>
>Scott

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.scanner (More info?)

On Sat, 05 Jun 2004 20:10:31 GMT, John Scott Mccoy
<sushipets@hotmail.com> wrote:

>Right out of the blue, I¹ve suddenly come into the possession of a few
>hundred spectacular slides. This was quite unexpected and I¹ve been
>scanning them (HP 3500c @ 600, 1200, and 2400 dpi (covering them with
>a light box) - experimenting around with those resolutions) ... I¹m
>using PS - mostly the Œcurve¹ tool to bring up and adjust the colors.
>I¹ve got a pretty good system worked out ... I think ... but it is
>fairly time consuming.
>
>Has anyone here done anything similar to this? Any suggestions/advice
>would be greatly appreciated.
>
>I know that Nikon has a Œslide adapter¹ that allows you to digitally
>photograph them (the ŒCoolpix¹) - I¹m currently using a Canon G5. Anyone
>ever rig up something to use for photographing them?
>
>I¹ve checked with www.dpreview.com/ but haven¹t got any nibbles yet.
>
>Any ideas - either with how I¹m currently doing it or with the digicam
>method?
>
>Thanks in advance for any light that you may be able to shed on this
>'dilemma.'
>
>Thanks in advance,
>
>Scott

I think you will be happy with the Epson 3170 for $199 retail. If
that is too much, give the Canon S5000 a try.
Pj