LISTSERV mailing list manager LISTSERV 16.5

Help for CODE4LIB Archives


CODE4LIB Archives

CODE4LIB Archives


CODE4LIB@LISTS.CLIR.ORG


View:

Message:

[

First

|

Previous

|

Next

|

Last

]

By Topic:

[

First

|

Previous

|

Next

|

Last

]

By Author:

[

First

|

Previous

|

Next

|

Last

]

Font:

Proportional Font

LISTSERV Archives

LISTSERV Archives

CODE4LIB Home

CODE4LIB Home

CODE4LIB  April 2024

CODE4LIB April 2024

Subject:

Re: Digitizing 35 mm slides?

From:

Spenger Martin <[log in to unmask]>

Reply-To:

Code for Libraries <[log in to unmask]>

Date:

Thu, 11 Apr 2024 13:43:43 +0000

Content-Type:

text/plain

Parts/Attachments:

Parts/Attachments

text/plain (1 lines)

Hi Maria,

the Canon CanoScan 9000F Mark II (not manufactured anymore but still widely available) has very good results and is very reliable when it comes to scanning 35 mm slides and negatives. You can also use the supplied frames to scan up to four slides in one scan process. It supports high resolution (9.600 dpi for negative and positive film strips and 4.800 dpi for photos) and it also comes with some very good software to edit the scans right away. Needs to have some configuration in the software and drivers at first but once everything is set up and the parameters match the source material, the results are perfect. 

Kind regards,
Martin

-----Original Message-----
From: Code for Libraries <[log in to unmask]> On Behalf Of Joe Hourclé
Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2024 3:21 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Digitizing 35 mm slides?

> 
> On Apr 11, 2024, at 8:08 AM, Maria Aghazarian <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> 
> Hi list,
> 
> My dad has a bunch of 35mm film slides/negatives. Does anyone know of 
> a good way to digitize these? He's been looking at some at-home 
> scanning options but I told him I would check in with some 
> professionals :)

There are two at-home device types that I’m familiar with, but it’s been long enough that I can’t recommend any specific brands or models.

The first are flat-bed scanners that have a lid with a light source.  You load the negatives or slides into a carrier to keep things aligned, then it scans like usual.  They tend to be high quality (within the limits of the scanner relative to the size), but quality takes time, and it is slow per batch.  And if you’ve got stuff other than 35mm, look at the full specs — some of the ‘negative scanners’ can only handle up to 120 film … the lid only has a light that’s a couple inches wide, so can only do strips.  If you have large format stuff such as 4x5 or larger, you’ll want to make sure it has a lid light that’s wide enough.

There are also devices that are effectively a camera with a light.  You load your stuff into a carrier, and then slide it into the thing and take a picture of each slide / negative.  They’re inexpensive and fast, but not of the highest quality.  And when I was in the market for one, they could only do 35mm.  But if your plan is to put them into a digital picture frame or something else that’s not very high resolution, it’s probably fine.  The workflow is also nice, as it’s just an file per image as if it came off any camera, and then you can load it onto any photo processing software.

But look for reviews online for these devices… some will overscan, so you might need to crop them, and some will underscan, so you end up losing the stuff near the edge of each picture.  (I accidentally bought one when they were new, probably 10-15 years ago and it underscanned, so I decided to redo the whole thing)

I’ve also been known to set up a projector and a camera on a tripod, and just take a picture for each slide.  If you still have a projector and a good screen, this is probably as fast and as good of quality as the camera / light things.

For professional services, there are companies that will basically let you fill up a box and set it to them, and they digitize it for a flat fee, but I’ve never used any of them.  If you have negatives that are NOT 35mm, it might be best to go this route**

And if you’re trying to restore images (because they’re damaged in some way), there are folks that will do that, too.  Although there are groups that advertise online that you can send away to, I would recommend checking if you have any photography/camera stores nearby, as there might be someone local.

**when I worked at NASA, I ended up saving a light box with an arm to suspend a camera above it, that they had used for digitizing old glass plates.  So I know stuff like this exists.  (I gave it to the graphics folks when our group had to move buildings into a smaller space… but that was ~15 years ago, so I have no idea if they even still have it)

-Joe
(Currently unaffiliated)

Top of Message | Previous Page | Permalink

Advanced Options


Options

Log In

Log In

Get Password

Get Password


Search Archives

Search Archives


Subscribe or Unsubscribe

Subscribe or Unsubscribe


Archives

May 2024
April 2024
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004
September 2004
August 2004
July 2004
June 2004
May 2004
April 2004
March 2004
February 2004
January 2004
December 2003
November 2003

ATOM RSS1 RSS2



LISTS.CLIR.ORG

CataList Email List Search Powered by the LISTSERV Email List Manager