Of course I could go and google and study, but for starters, I have one little question

[Mira]

I went to Ritz camera yesterday and overheard a man say: "I came back from Europe with about 2000 slides, and would like to get them scanned and put on CD".

I studied him, thinking him a creature I could identify with, I used to take slides, and they are rotting in envelopes.

He got an answer of: "That would cost 75 cents a piece, but we can make you a volume discount"
(YEAH, I would think so)

Which brings me to my question:
How are slides scanned? I have a good, hi res HP scanner, but surely that's not how?

Always grateful when you don't laugh at me. Just think about all I'm learning by asking questions.

[CurtEastPoint]

1. Had the same issue a few years ago.

Bought a CanonScan 8600F (no longer made but here are refurbs for about $100: http://www.amazon.com/Canon-CanoScan-8600F-Flatbed-Hi-Speed/dp/B000I504F8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1243520065&sr=8-3

The newer model is more ($172).

It makes either 6 or 8 (forget which) JPG's from one 'pass'. You place the slides in the template and scan. That's it. It's a rainy day project as you have to sit there and shuffle slides, but it works great.

On another note, you have a swell scanner for all kinds of other stuff, too!

[Mira]

2. Thank you CurtEastPoint - precisely the starter info I was looking for n/t

[truedelphi]

7. So this can be used as a normal computer scanner also? n/t

[NV Whino]

3. I have a Nikon slide scanner

and had grand ambitions of scanning my years (and years and years and years) of slides. I've done a few and do stuff for friends, but it is very time consuming.

My flatbed, Epson RX620 also does slides (you can lay out several at a time), but not quite as well.

If you have great bunches (and who doesn't) I recommend a service. Someone posted a service a while back. I think they did 1000 for $200 or something. It was a no frills service. If the slide was upside down or backwards in the box, that's how it got scanned. But all that can be corrected later if you need to. Or, go through each box beforehand and make sure they are oriented the way you want them.

A search of the photo forum should turn up that post.

[Mira]

4. Thank you, as well. I think I'm off and running - first and

foremost, I need to study the condition of the slides. Or just go back to Machu Picchu ASAP.
:)

[CurtEastPoint]

5. Here's one of me at the Myrtle Beach Pavilion in 1954.

Omigod I am old!
That slide is 55 years old and it did well with the scanner!

[MajorChode]

6. You would be surprised what you can do with old slides

Unless your slides are all Kodachrome, chances are the colors have noticeably faded if they are over 10 yrs old or so. It's pretty easy to deal with that with almost any digital darkroom software and the images can be restored to pretty much like new condition.

I have a Nikon Coolscan V. I can produce about a 22mb uncompressed file and you can get at least halfway decent 8x12 prints if you care to go that large. Any scanner that has a piece of glass between the light and the slide is pretty much worthless for anything other than webpix.

The tricky part is getting the slides dust free, particularly if you use paper holders. You basically just have to get them as dust free as you can and then process the rest out.