How to capture 35mm slides

[avz10]

Can anyone give me advice please?

I have a number of old 35mm slides that I want to capture. My scanner does not copy negatives or slides. Is it best to project the slides and then take a picture of the slide?

If anyone has advice or can recommend a site, I will appreciate it!

[guns1inger]

Check the scanner manufacturer first. Many scanners actually slide or negative holders. Otherwise, go and get the scanned at the local photo place. Projecting them on the wall and photographing them is unlikely to do them justice unless you have a tripod and a camera with long exposure times, and even then the results will be much less than having them properly scanned.

[avz10]

I've checked the manufacturer- It is one of those combined HP copier, scanner, fax, printers and unfortunately does not scan slides.

[thecoalman]

Having scanned both images and negatives I can say without a doubt the quality of the negatives was superior to the iamges in every way. There really was no comparison. No boubt you'll get really good results from slides too. When you scan a slide or negative instead of light projecting onto the image it's backlit like you normally would a slide. Just a quick tip, get some compressed air in a can. Blow the slides off before putting them into the scanner. Every little speck of dust will show up, much more that you would normally expect scanning regular images.

If you have a lot of them(hundreds) I'd suggest getting a scanner capable of doing slides, it's a lot of work no matter what method you use and I don't see the sense of not doing it right. If you have a real lot of them(thousands) you may want to look into one that is automated.

[lordsmurf]

Flatbed scanners are awful at scanning slides and negative. Just pitiful.

I use a Nikon Coolscan V ED scanner.
http://www.nikonusa.com/template.php?cat=1&grp=98&productNr=9239

[thecoalman]

Well I wouldn't use the words horrible or pitiful... I'm sure there a better alterantives like that unit you linked too. anyhow here's a sample from a negative scan from my hp 3970 . Actually a pretty cheap scanner.

ourfam_238.jpg

[avz10]

It looks as if the general feeling is that one should rather scan than project. Is that correct?
It would be easier for me to project and take pictures, as I still have a projector. I have approximately 400 slides

[EddyH]

i'd have them professionally done, or borrow / rent a good quality dedicated slide scanner.

i've seen my dad try on and off for about the last 10 years trying to find some way to scan his old slides at home, unsucessfully, when he could have just done this. in fact i'll have to suggest it to him when i next see him. i haven't had any better luck with slides or negatives on a flatbed either, even one with a dedicated holder. they're not bright enough or high-rez enough, for one thing. Consider how many pixels a very good quality, genuine 1200x1200 optical res scanner will pull out of a 35mm negative or slide (which by a rough calculation is 28 x 21mm, or slightly over/slightly under an inch on a side)... maybe 1.5mpixel if you're lucky? Likely the effective res will be quite a bit less. Get a proper machine for it

[ozymango]

If anyone has advice or can recommend a site, I will appreciate it!

I can heartily recommend the Epson Perfection Photo series scanners with slide/negative adaptors. Despite Lord Smurf's views these can do an amazing job on both slides and negatives. I know because I've scanned about 1,000 slides and negs over the last couple of years on a Epson Perfection 3200 and I'll see if I can post a sample later (when I get home) to show you the quality of this puppy.

Epson's ship with both Epson and SilverFast SE scanning software and it's good stuff. I also have a Polaroid SprintScan 4000 slide and negative scanner (a few years old but decent) and while it's a great scanner, it's no better (and a lot slower) than the Epson. I use the Polaroid for a handful of slides/negs that have really high contrast ratios, but the difference is very small and I'm very picky.

[SquirrelDip]

Try searching a camera shop : BH Photo

Many to choose from, large range of prices...

I wanted to pick one up a few years back but I've never used any so can't comment on how good any are... I recall back then the shop saying that Canon and Nikon make the best ones (moreso Nikon - they had decent dust removal)

[Xylob the Destroyer]

...I can heartily recommend the Epson Perfection Photo series scanners with slide/negative adaptors. Despite Lord Smurf's views these can do an amazing job on both slides and negatives....

Agreed!!
I also have an Epson Perfection Photo series scanner and it produces excellent results with slides and negatives.


Alternatively, as others have suggested -- take them to a professional photo place and have them do it for you. It might be pricey, but maybe cheaper than buying a new scanner just to do some slides (especially since you already have a scanner).
I'm not talking about the local grocery store "photo finishing" or one of those drive-thru photo-mats -- go to the pros. I don't know where you live, but around here there are several large camera shops that offer these services, Wolf Camera for one: http://www.wolfcamera.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StoreCatalogDisplay?catalogId=1000...kw=wolf+camera

[lordsmurf]

I actually have an extra Minolta film/slide USB scanner than I'd like to sell.