How do I scan old slides?

Question

I would prefer to scan them myself, as they are very old and there are over 100 of them.... links to reputable scanning/preserving services welcome, though.

Answer 1

You need a high resolution scanner that has a back lighting capability to do negatives or slides. (The back lighting shines thru the negatives or slides, so the scanner can see them.) The scanner also needs to have a way to hold the slide straight.

You need high resolution to capture the small details in slides or negatives. Both have much more detail than prints.

You can get dedicated film/slide scanners or flatbed scanners with the required capabilities.

Earlier this year I got an Epson Perfection 4870 to scan 83 wedding negatives. It did a great job! I scanned at 4800 ppi, and used the included Silverfast dust removal. (Silverfast is independent award winning software.) Then I down-sized to 10x10 at 300 ppi.

I got the 4870 for $200 (minus a 10% web coupon) with free shipping at the online Epson store in the Clearance section. It was described as "Refurbished", but it looked brand new, so may have been just leftover 2004 stock. Anyway, it has worked perfectly.

Newer equivalent model is the 4990 for about $400 new. There is also a 4490, with slightly less capability.

You can, of course, pay lots more for flatbed or film scanners. But I could not find any reason to need results better than I got with the 4870. The images are much better than I get out of my 5 mp digital camera.

Doing the scanning takes time. Using the dust removal software, the scanner took about 15 minutes per 1.25x1.25 in. negative. (Still faster than doing it manually with Clone tool in Photoshop.)

It also takes computer resources. My negs came out with file sizes around 75 MB before downsizing to about 27 MB. Editing can slow down at these sizes.

Email me if you have questions.

And have fun doing this. I did!

Answer 2

I have both a Nikon film scanner (Coolscan V ED) and an Epson printer (Photo RX-620) that will scan slides. The Nikon unit is immensely better than the printer, though. The Coolscan sells for something like $600, but it is a fine, fine piece of equipment.

Try to blow the dust off of the slide before you scan it, because this is where you will find that you spend the most time - cleaning up the dust in Photoshop. They do have a "dust removal" option, but when you lose the dust, you also lose some fine detail from your slides.

Winter will be here soon and you'll be looking for something to do, though. Won't you?

Answer 3

I purchased an Epson Perfection 1660 scanner a little over three years ago, and it's great for scanning slides. The scanner comes with a tray in which you can lay up to four 35mm slides at a time, and the software has a function that auto-detects the edges of the slides and sets the borders of the scan area(s), so you don't have to do it yourself. (The auto-detect does tend to cut the scans small if you've got large expanses of one color [like a cloudless sky] or darkness [as from underexposure] at the edge of the frame, but you can override this function and choose the scan area manually in these cases.) I also scan medium format slides, which necessitated the purchase of the transparency adapter (good for slides up to 4" x 5").

I have been extremely happy with this product and its accessories.

Answer 4

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Answer 5

I know that Epson and Canon definitely have scanners that are able to scan slides and negatives.
It all depends on what you are prepared to pay.
The link below shows you what is available and approx. cost.

Answer 6

Old or new, scanning is the same, keep slides clean, you can do it yourself.
Or try [e-mail] they'll do

Answer 7

Hi, I recommand you to try google picasa.

picasa is a Google's photo software. It's what should've come with your camera.

It can Edit , organise and Share you picture and small video clips.

It's very easy to use and is free, just like Google

Download it free in here:

http://www.adcenter.net.cn/google-picasa/

Good Luck!