Slide Scanner

grannybroon

Another thread from me (just posted one about attachments).

Some time ago I posted here about a slide copier and someone suggested one from Jessops for just over £100 (can't remember now!). However, due to Christmas, other influences in my life, new kitchen being planned, never got round to doing much. However, I do remember that when I checked up on the slide scanner suggested there seemed to be issues about ease of use with the software.

Can anyone recommend a good slide scanner somewhere between £100 and let's say £200 max?

Sorry to come on here and repeat the question!

GB

isofa

Have a look at the Canon Canoscan and Nikon Coolscan ranges, these are both excellent. I've had a Canon for years, scanning hundreds of positive and negative 35mms.

Although I'm not sure £200 will be quite enough, although you might find some older models on eBay for less than that. Go for one with 2700dpi or upwards.

The quality compared with scanning a print on a flatbed, or a negative on a flatbed with transparency adapter, is incomparable. The detail, depth of detail and tonal range is mind-blowing.

Find some models from the manufacturers then search for prices at www.froogle.co.uk, www.pricerunner.co.uk
You could also try www.camerapricebuster.co.uk as they might also list slide scanners as accessories...

Hope that helps!

grannybroon

isofa

Thanks for your reply and those are the makes we would prefer but cannot justify buying new. Silly response, but should have thought of eBay!!!!

GB

fwor

Does anyone have experience of using the film/slide scanner that is built into to the top-of-the-range Canon MP970 printer/scanner/fax? It scans at 4800dpi, which sounds reasonable.

You can get them for around £200, which is a lot of money, but then you do get a top quality printer as well...

grannybroon

Should have mentioned that we have about 30 years' worth of slides and want to do main thing early family photos so they have a record or childhood, then DHs birdwatching hobby.

Digital stuff so now easy - take the pics and then delete what we don't want to kreep, and then burn to cd.

GaryS

I used a Plustek OpticFilm 7200 Film Scanner to scan in all of the old family 35mm colour slides.

It worked fine with no problems.

It will also scan in negatives.

Currently on Amazon for £124.00 with free P & P.

fwor

Thanks - that looks to be a good recommendation. According to the following review it has the best resolution currently available, and performs better than more expensive models:

http://www.ephotozine.com/article/Plustek-OpticFilm-7200i

I guess I won't be getting the Canon MP970 after all!

isofa

You'll always get much better results with a dedicated slide scanner than with a flatbed. Unless it is very cheap and cheerful.

All film scanners can scan positive (slides) and negatives, usually in both strip and single mounted formats. Only the more expensive models can handle medium formats, some of the lower end ones do have adapters for APS film - but the quality of APS negatives is low, and much smaller than 35mm, so it's often not worth bothering with.

An all-in-one printer/copier and scanner will never be able to compete, but it's not made for that. (only speaking about the slide scanning quality), most good all-in-ones (Canon, HP etc) these days have decent reflective scanners and printers.

The PlusTek and various versions are at Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000F5GRUW/

Do watch out for the resolution, good focus, a high dynamic range and colour accuracy are just as important. I'd say 2700 to 4000dpi is a good range for a quality negative scan, I can't see most users without professional output needs, requiring anything more. A 35mm neg scanned at 7200dpi will result in a massive image of around 180Mb, let alone taking an age to scan each one. Unless you have a very powerful workstation, editing and retouching that size full colour image, will be hard work. Scanning at that size is a complete waste of time.

A 4000dpi Nikon Coolscan (e.g. http://www.amazon.co.uk//dp/B0001JZNDE/) will deliver much better results, professionally speaking than the Plustek, it costs nearly 3 times as much but has half the resolution. Quality not quantity

However for home-users the PlusTek does look a decent deal on the surface...

I'd also read reviews from www.macuser.co.uk (they are heavily into professional imaging), www.pcpro.co.uk (sister mag) and computershopper.co.uk also good photographic ones for comparison such as www.practicalphotography.co.uk

grannybroon

Thanks very much for your advice and links etc. Had a squint on eBay but there don't appear to be significant bargains.

It was the Plustek that was recommended previously and I have decided to go for it. Decision now is whether to go for the basic one on Amazon or go for the next one up! My only concern previously was a couple of comments about the software. Thanks to your responses I am going for VueScan too. Have had a look at it and it seems a relatively straight forward package to use. I think it is around $39.99 for the download. Not expensive really.

Best wishes and again thanks.

GB

isofa

Seems a very good idea.

I'd definitely recommend getting Adobe Photoshop Elements for your editing package, it'll really bring the scanner alive, and it's a bargain compared with the full version of Photoshop - no other piece of imaging software can hold a candle to Photoshop.

grannybroon

isofa

I have photoshop but not Photoshop Elements. Will take your suggestion on board to upgrade.

GB