scanning colour slides

Is it possible to scan colour slides into a digital format, with a
flatbed scanner? I have a Umax Astra 4000U without a transparency
adapter. Any help appreciated. Thanks.
- gA

On Tue, 26 Dec 2006 22:50:21 GMT, gA wrote:
Is it possible to scan colour slides into a digital format, with a
flatbed scanner? I have a Umax Astra 4000U without a transparency
adapter. Any help appreciated. Thanks.

I suppose it depends on what 'quality' you want.
I've had some success with inverting a slide view table and placing it
over the slide(s) on the scanner. This was for images that were to be
"web site material" -- i.e., not for Photo Finish Work, nor for web
Photo Gallery purpose.

For better results I've made my own slide adapter for one of my digital
cameras. But, that's wasn't what you asked about. Disirregardless,
here's the ref:
http://users.iafrica.com/m/mc/mcollett/brsd/index.htm

HNY
Jonesy
--
Marvin L Jones | jonz | W3DHJ | linux
38.24N 104.55W | @ config.com | Jonesy | OS/2
*** Killfiling google posts: http//jonz.net/ng.htm

Thank you for your quick reply, Jonesy. I should have asked "what
is the best and cheapest way to convert slides to digital". I saw
your device and I am impressed by the quality of the result. Is
there any improvement that can be made to this procedure?
Thanks, gA

Allodoxaphobia wrote:
On Tue, 26 Dec 2006 22:50:21 GMT, gA wrote:
Is it possible to scan colour slides into a digital format, with a
flatbed scanner? I have a Umax Astra 4000U without a transparency
adapter. Any help appreciated. Thanks.

I suppose it depends on what 'quality' you want.
I've had some success with inverting a slide view table and placing it
over the slide(s) on the scanner. This was for images that were to be
"web site material" -- i.e., not for Photo Finish Work, nor for web
Photo Gallery purpose.

For better results I've made my own slide adapter for one of my digital
cameras. But, that's wasn't what you asked about. Disirregardless,
here's the ref:
http://users.iafrica.com/m/mc/mcollett/brsd/index.htm

HNY
Jonesy

"gA" wrote in message
news:wwikh.532080$R63.495673@pd7urf1no...
Thank you for your quick reply, Jonesy. I should have asked "what is the
best and cheapest way to convert slides to digital". I saw your device and
I am impressed by the quality of the result. Is there any improvement that
can be made to this procedure?
Thanks, gA



PrimeFilm PF3600 Pro3 Scanner. About $350 on Amazon. Digital ICE3.
Multi-function (both slides and negs). I am unaware of anything cheaper,
and the scanner produces very good results. 3600 x 3600 optical resolution,
compared with Kodak PhotoCD of 3072 x 2048. DMAX of 3.6 versus Kodak
PhotoCD of 2.2.

There are better scanners, but not at that price point.

On Tue, 26 Dec 2006 23:47:40 GMT, gA wrote:
Thank you for your quick reply, Jonesy. I should have asked "what
is the best and cheapest way to convert slides to digital".

I saw
your device and I am impressed by the quality of the result.

Point of order: You did not see _my_ device. That URL covered the
original work of someone else. I merely reproduced the "prior art".
But, my device does not deviate much from what yoy see at that URL.
So, FWIW, the results are reproducible.

Is there any improvement that can be made to this procedure?

I believe the inside of the tube should be painted flat black.
You wouldn't think that *cardboard* would present a reflection problem,
but it does. Or, at least I saw it in my implementation.

GL with your project.
Jonesy
--
Marvin L Jones | jonz | W3DHJ | linux
38.24N 104.55W | @ config.com | Jonesy | OS/2
*** Killfiling google posts: http//jonz.net/ng.htm

On Tue, 26 Dec 2006 22:50:21 +0000, gA wrote:

Is it possible to scan colour slides into a digital format, with a
flatbed scanner? I have a Umax Astra 4000U without a transparency
adapter. Any help appreciated. Thanks.
- gA

Sure, there are a number of flatbed scanners with transparency adapters.
Epson makes several.

"gA" wrote:
Is it possible to scan colour slides into a digital format, with a flatbed
scanner? I have a Umax Astra 4000U without a transparency adapter. Any
help appreciated. Thanks.

It's possible, but the quality is not great. Dedicated film scanners are
much better.

I forget the model numbers, but for web images and prints up to 5x7, the
current low-end Epson 4800 ppi model should do fairly well for well under
US$200 (I don't know the exact price).

If you are serious about image quality and want to make 8x10 or larger
prints, the Nikon dedicated 35mm film scanners are very good.

David J. Littleboy
Tokyo, Japan

David J. Littleboy wrote:

If you are serious about image quality and want to make 8x10 or larger
prints, the Nikon dedicated 35mm film scanners are very good.



Is there any real difference between t Dmax=4.8 and Dmax=4.2 ?
(I understand that these may be advertising numbers rather than in
actual practice).
I have a Nikon 4000 that a friend would like to buy (~$400) and before
starting up a comprehensive project to finally digitalizet all of my
slides worth converting thought that I would at give some consideration
of getting the 5000 if it is worth it. Probably no more than 1000
slides would get the full treatment: 4000 ppi and 16 bit depth.

Are there any other factors that would justify spending another $600 to
get the 5000?

A second question is about the slide feeder for the Nikons. I've read
reviews that they jam easily and really can't be relied on.

Thanks.

wrote:
David J. Littleboy wrote:

If you are serious about image quality and want to make 8x10 or larger
prints, the Nikon dedicated 35mm film scanners are very good.

Is there any real difference between t Dmax=4.8 and Dmax=4.2 ?
(I understand that these may be advertising numbers rather than in
actual practice).

IMHO, those are just numbers. I'm not convinced that the V/5000 are
_significantly_ better than the 4000 (or in my case 9000 vs. 8000). IMHO,
it's in the somewhat better, not significantly better, sort of range. Spend
some time with your nose on the screen looking at these scans.

http://www.terrapinphoto.com/jmdavis/

I have a Nikon 4000 that a friend would like to buy (~$400) and before
starting up a comprehensive project to finally digitalizet all of my
slides worth converting thought that I would at give some consideration
of getting the 5000 if it is worth it. Probably no more than 1000
slides would get the full treatment: 4000 ppi and 16 bit depth.

If you have a 4000, I'd recommend that you get to work scanningg.

Are there any other factors that would justify spending another $600 to
get the 5000?

If you really are going to do a big project, even a slight increment in
performance, combined with the machine being in warantee, might be worth it.
For example, if your 4000 dies, you just lost the US$400 you could have sold
it for, whereas if the 5000 dies, Nikon's responsible.

A second question is about the slide feeder for the Nikons. I've read
reviews that they jam easily and really can't be relied on.

I can't speak to that: I use the 8000 with MF film, one frame at a painfully
slow time...

David J. Littleboy
Tokyo, Japan

"gA" wrote in message
news:NGhkh.526319$5R2.237872@pd7urf3no...
Is it possible to scan colour slides into a digital format, with a flatbed
scanner? I have a Umax Astra 4000U without a transparency adapter. Any
help appreciated. Thanks.
- gA

Not really. Film scanners pull out much more information from film than
flatbed scanners can. Scan a slide on both, then compare the results.
There will be no contest--a film scanner will give much better results.