Has ANYONE every used a slide scanner to make digital files of old slides? I don't want to have to purchase a slide scanner to preserve a whole lotta slides I have from my parents, but it would cost me LESS to buy a cheap slide scanner than to have the number of them I have burned to CD...anyone have a GOOD experience or know of a GREAT little slide scanner? I don't want to waste time or money on a bad one!
Ok...it's your ball professionals! I already picked the brains of the digital photo people...but you're every bit as helpful and wise as they were!
Did I mention I make really good brownies and can ship to any state???????
I can't help you with the slide scanner, but I take brownies! LOL Good luck with your search. I'm sure someone here can help you out. It always amazes me what information people have around here!
Most of the scanners currently on the market come with a slide scanning attachment. It fits inside the lid of the scanner. If you do not have a scanner and are in the market for one (and I can tell you I wouldn't be without mine!), do some comparative shopping online by checking out the major brands -- Epson, Canon, etc. I have an older (2 years old) Epson Perfection 3170 Photo that I bought on sale from Fry's Electronics (they have an online store at
formatting link
for less than $200. It even has an automatic document feeder and came with PhotoShop Elements. PSE was selling for $99 retail at the time, so I wound up actually paying less than $100 for the scanner itself.
I have used my scanner for slides, and it does a really good (if slow) job of making digi-photos out of slides. I had some slides that were almost 50 years old, and somewhat faded, and they did very well. I was able to scan them (on a high resolution), and then manipulated the color and saturation to achieve almost the same sharp colorful print as when the slide was new. The main problem is that you can only do a few at a time (mine only does three), and they take a while to set up and scan. So it's quite time-consuming. But if you have the time and patience, it's definitely worth it.
If you already have a scanner, check with the manufacturer to see if it can be adapted to scan slides. If it can, they will probably have an adapter you can purchase, or can tell you where you can find one.
You'll want a scanner with a minimum of 4800 dpi scanning resolution. Also - check how the slides are actually mounted for scanning - you may find the attachment inconvenient.
Some folks find a dedicated slide scanner to be the most convenient (although more expensive) option. A friend of mine nabbed a Nikon 2000 for under $200. Here's a typical auction listing -
formatting link
If you don't go the dedicated route, check out what software is included with the scanner (but don't make your buying decision on it, unless it's software you've already decided you want.) Also - many scanners have hardware features built-in that can make editing the slides an easier job - particularly Digital ICE, if that's available. Have someone in-store give you a demonstration with one of your slides so you can see how the scanner driver works - and have them show you the stand-alone scanner control panel, as well as any TWAIN or WIA driver dialog that would be pulled up from within an application like Photoshop Elements, which would allow you to scan directly from that application.
InspirePoint website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.