Scanning 35mm slides?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

Is there any way I can scan old 35mm slides successfully with my
standard (AstraSlim) scanner on my XP PC please? Efforts so far with
combinations of high resolution, varied brightess/contrast, white
sheet behind, etc, have all produced muddy blurs.

I see some scanners come with a 'slide adaptor'. What exactly are
these, and can they be obtained separately, or even improvised?

Alternatively, anyone successfully used other ways of digitising these
old slides please? How about the combination of one of those portable,
battery-powered slide holders, or a normal screen/wall projector,
together with digicam on a tripod?


--
Terry, West Sussex, UK

 

[Ron]

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

l have a somewhat similar outfit for my Oly 2020 and 5060 and with good
lighting (I use a high intensity light) get results approximately equal
to those obtained from my very good Epson scanner. It takes a little
practice (I find I need to open up my aperture a bit) and you may have
to do some color balancing in your editing software, but it is much
faster than using the scanner. The advantage of a good scanner is that
you can preview the slide for color adjustment before actual scanning.
Incidentally, I get good results at 1600 or 1200x, certainly good
enough for 4x6's and, probably 5x7's. In the SHQ mode of the 5060 can
get
a bit more.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

When you're done scanning, keep track of the slide and digital image
with PhotoLibrary . Check out a free demo at
http://www.PhotoLibrarySoftware.com/

pete

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

Terry Pinnell <terrypinDELETE@THESEdial.pipex.com> writes:

> Is there any way I can scan old 35mm slides successfully with my
> standard (AstraSlim) scanner on my XP PC please? Efforts so far with
> combinations of high resolution, varied brightess/contrast, white
> sheet behind, etc, have all produced muddy blurs.
>
> I see some scanners come with a 'slide adaptor'. What exactly are
> these, and can they be obtained separately, or even improvised?

It's a light source that goes on the other side of the slide from the
sensor. For my scanner, it was a separately purchased add-on, so at
least sometimes they can be obtained separately. A brute force one
could be improvised, I'd think.

You need a light source behind the slide to get a decent scan.
Running the light through the slide, bouncing off a white thing, and
back through the slide again doesn't work well; the result is to dim
and if you solved that, it would then be too contrasty.

> Alternatively, anyone successfully used other ways of digitising these
> old slides please? How about the combination of one of those portable,
> battery-powered slide holders, or a normal screen/wall projector,
> together with digicam on a tripod?

Yes, that works, to some degree. It depends on what resolution and
degree of perfection you need in the results.
--
David Dyer-Bennet, <mailto:dd-b@dd-b.net>, <http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/>
RKBA: <http://noguns-nomoney.com/> <http://www.dd-b.net/carry/>
Pics: <http://dd-b.lighthunters.net/> <http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/SnapshotAlbum/>
Dragaera/Steven Brust: <http://dragaera.info/>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

What you really need is a dedicated slide scanners. A compromise would be a
scanner with a proper slide adaptor.

I have a friend that used a Kodak slide viewer, and a small digital camera.
He cleaned it up very well, and made a box with a proper mounting for it. He
can mount his camera on it, and use it in the macro mode, to take pictures.
The results are not as good as a slide scanner, but on a computer monitor,
they don't look too bad. When the results are printed at 5 X 7, some of them
are almost border line acceptable.

--

Jerry G.
======


"Terry Pinnell" <terrypinDELETE@THESEdial.pipex.com> wrote in message
news:543o21d8rtc854lb4b2a8451i6h4dkmlcv@4ax.com...
Is there any way I can scan old 35mm slides successfully with my
standard (AstraSlim) scanner on my XP PC please? Efforts so far with
combinations of high resolution, varied brightess/contrast, white
sheet behind, etc, have all produced muddy blurs.

I see some scanners come with a 'slide adaptor'. What exactly are
these, and can they be obtained separately, or even improvised?

Alternatively, anyone successfully used other ways of digitising these
old slides please? How about the combination of one of those portable,
battery-powered slide holders, or a normal screen/wall projector,
together with digicam on a tripod?


--
Terry, West Sussex, UK

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

You don't say what kind of camera you have, but I've seen these
advertised for years for both film (to get negs) and digital. I have
no idea what sort of quality they produce, since I've never used one.
I do seem to remember that they were said to do a pretty fair job, but
maybe somebody with recent experience could steer you in the right
direction regarding their use. I also see them on EBay pretty cheap.
I'd like to know for my own benefit as well, as I have quite a few
boxes of slides that need to be digitized:

http://shop.store.yahoo.com/specialtyphotographic/slcofornico5.html

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

"Terry Pinnell" <terrypinDELETE@THESEdial.pipex.com> a écrit dans le message
de news:543o21d8rtc854lb4b2a8451i6h4dkmlcv@4ax.com...
> Is there any way I can scan old 35mm slides successfully with my
> standard (AstraSlim) scanner on my XP PC please? Efforts so far with
> combinations of high resolution, varied brightess/contrast, white
> sheet behind, etc, have all produced muddy blurs.
>
> I see some scanners come with a 'slide adaptor'. What exactly are
> these, and can they be obtained separately, or even improvised?
>
> Alternatively, anyone successfully used other ways of digitising these
> old slides please? How about the combination of one of those portable,
> battery-powered slide holders, or a normal screen/wall projector,
> together with digicam on a tripod?
>
>
> --
> Terry, West Sussex, UK


There are inexpensive slide/film scanners like the
PrimeFilm 1800u made by Pacific Image Electronics
http://www.scanace.com/en/product/1800u.php

Be the judge :

Diapos and some negative scans:
http://dhost.info/photocanon/diapos/index.htm

Only Kodak and Agfa negatives scans:
http://dhost.info/photocanon/mai1968/index.htm

--
M.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

Bite the bullet Terry, new scanners even with slide attachements are not
expensive.

"Terry Pinnell" <terrypinDELETE@THESEdial.pipex.com> wrote in message
news:543o21d8rtc854lb4b2a8451i6h4dkmlcv@4ax.com...
> Is there any way I can scan old 35mm slides successfully with my
> standard (AstraSlim) scanner on my XP PC please? Efforts so far with
> combinations of high resolution, varied brightess/contrast, white
> sheet behind, etc, have all produced muddy blurs.
>
> I see some scanners come with a 'slide adaptor'. What exactly are
> these, and can they be obtained separately, or even improvised?
>
> Alternatively, anyone successfully used other ways of digitising these
> old slides please? How about the combination of one of those portable,
> battery-powered slide holders, or a normal screen/wall projector,
> together with digicam on a tripod?
>
>
> --
> Terry, West Sussex, UK

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

Terry Pinnell wrote:

> Is there any way I can scan old 35mm slides successfully with my
> standard (AstraSlim) scanner on my XP PC please? Efforts so far with
> combinations of high resolution, varied brightess/contrast, white
> sheet behind, etc, have all produced muddy blurs.
>
> I see some scanners come with a 'slide adaptor'. What exactly are
> these, and can they be obtained separately, or even improvised?
>
> Alternatively, anyone successfully used other ways of digitising these
> old slides please? How about the combination of one of those portable,
> battery-powered slide holders, or a normal screen/wall projector,
> together with digicam on a tripod?
>
>
Usually these adapters consist of a seperate light source in the cover,
a holder to hold the film or slide in a specific spot in the scanner
field, and some software to process negs and slides differently, and
both different from normal reflected source processing.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

To scan a slide, a flatbed scanner must illuminate the subject from above,
i.e. a scanner built for the job has a light built into the lid. Trying to
scan any other way just won't work. String engineering doesn't really work
either. I would suggest paying a visit to someone like jessops for a new
scanner, or if it's a one off job sub it out.

I know this probably isn't the answer that your looking for, but, if you
don't use the correct tool for the job, you will spend years regretting it.

By the way, how old and how many slides?

John D

www.celticgods.co.uk

"Terry Pinnell" <terrypinDELETE@THESEdial.pipex.com> wrote in message
news:543o21d8rtc854lb4b2a8451i6h4dkmlcv@4ax.com...
> Is there any way I can scan old 35mm slides successfully with my
> standard (AstraSlim) scanner on my XP PC please? Efforts so far with
> combinations of high resolution, varied brightess/contrast, white
> sheet behind, etc, have all produced muddy blurs.
>
> I see some scanners come with a 'slide adaptor'. What exactly are
> these, and can they be obtained separately, or even improvised?
>
> Alternatively, anyone successfully used other ways of digitising these
> old slides please? How about the combination of one of those portable,
> battery-powered slide holders, or a normal screen/wall projector,
> together with digicam on a tripod?
>
>
> --
> Terry, West Sussex, UK

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

"John DH" <nospammJohn@celticgods.co.uknospamm> wrote:

>To scan a slide, a flatbed scanner must illuminate the subject from above,
>i.e. a scanner built for the job has a light built into the lid. Trying to
>scan any other way just won't work. String engineering doesn't really work
>either. I would suggest paying a visit to someone like jessops for a new
>scanner, or if it's a one off job sub it out.
>
>I know this probably isn't the answer that your looking for, but, if you
>don't use the correct tool for the job, you will spend years regretting it.
>
>By the way, how old and how many slides?
>
>John D

Thanks both. Looks like a lost cause then! Maybe a new scanner...

--
Terry, West Sussex, UK

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

"Jerry G." <jerryg50@hotmail.com> wrote:

>What you really need is a dedicated slide scanners. A compromise would be a
>scanner with a proper slide adaptor.
>
>I have a friend that used a Kodak slide viewer, and a small digital camera.
>He cleaned it up very well, and made a box with a proper mounting for it. He
>can mount his camera on it, and use it in the macro mode, to take pictures.
>The results are not as good as a slide scanner, but on a computer monitor,
>they don't look too bad. When the results are printed at 5 X 7, some of them
>are almost border line acceptable.
>
>--
>
>Jerry G.
>======

David, Jerry : Thanks, very helpful. I'll experiment a little first,
then report back.

--
Terry, West Sussex, UK

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

If there were one of these that fits different cameras that would be nice. I
see an added benefit of getting a better copy each time you get a better
camera. These things were well known 30 years ago as slide copiers. I used
them then and were happy.

"Ron" <rkgood@charter.net> wrote in message
news:1110199347.543583.74040@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> l have a somewhat similar outfit for my Oly 2020 and 5060 and with good
> lighting (I use a high intensity light) get results approximately equal
> to those obtained from my very good Epson scanner. It takes a little
> practice (I find I need to open up my aperture a bit) and you may have
> to do some color balancing in your editing software, but it is much
> faster than using the scanner. The advantage of a good scanner is that
> you can preview the slide for color adjustment before actual scanning.
> Incidentally, I get good results at 1600 or 1200x, certainly good
> enough for 4x6's and, probably 5x7's. In the SHQ mode of the 5060 can
> get
> a bit more.
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

In article <KXYWd.7445$Gn2.947015@weber.videotron.net>,
"Maquereau" <lamer@boire.net> wrote:

> "Terry Pinnell" <terrypinDELETE@THESEdial.pipex.com> a écrit dans le message
> de news:543o21d8rtc854lb4b2a8451i6h4dkmlcv@4ax.com...
> > Is there any way I can scan old 35mm slides successfully with my
> > standard (AstraSlim) scanner on my XP PC please? Efforts so far with
> > combinations of high resolution, varied brightess/contrast, white
> > sheet behind, etc, have all produced muddy blurs.
> >
> > I see some scanners come with a 'slide adaptor'. What exactly are
> > these, and can they be obtained separately, or even improvised?
> >
> > Alternatively, anyone successfully used other ways of digitising these
> > old slides please? How about the combination of one of those portable,
> > battery-powered slide holders, or a normal screen/wall projector,
> > together with digicam on a tripod?
> >
> >
> > --
> > Terry, West Sussex, UK
>
>
> There are inexpensive slide/film scanners like the
> PrimeFilm 1800u made by Pacific Image Electronics
> http://www.scanace.com/en/product/1800u.php
>
> Be the judge :
>
> Diapos and some negative scans:
> http://dhost.info/photocanon/diapos/index.htm
>
> Only Kodak and Agfa negatives scans:
> http://dhost.info/photocanon/mai1968/index.htm
>
I bought the Primefilm scanner a few years back and was VERY satisfied
with the result. A certain amount of preparation before scanning will
save time later. Wiping the slide with a damp, lint free cloth
(spectacle cloth) will remove a lot of dust - at 1800 dpi the scans
blown up to 300% there seems huge amounts of spots. But the healing tool
will take care of a lot of this. Tramlines are something else.

Don't bother with the combined flatbed/film scanners - results are far
inferior to film only scanners. The Minolta Dimage IV is another idea,
but more expensive and far more time consuming unless you're only doing
carefully selected slides but the Dimage will handle APS films.