Re: Slide Scanning

**Conrad Richter c*@richters.com**

Being that slide scanners are either a business proposition (for those
getting into the business of offering to scan slides) or a one time use
tool (for those who are scanning their personal slide collections and
meanwhile are using digital cameras for new images), is there a service
whereby one can rent top quality scanners for scanning their
collections for, say, a week? 

Conrad Richter

> Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2005 16:14:00 -0000
> From: "James Allison" <jallison@aquapic.com>
>
> On 25 Jan 2005 at 9:01, gardenwriters-request@lists.ibiblio.org wrote:
> 
> > What do you recommend for slide scanning?  What do you think of batch
> > loaders?
> 
> Thanks Saxon for your interesting comments on the stock photography 
> market.
> 
> As to Chris's question, I used a Nikon Coolscan III for a number of 
> years. It's a dedicated slide/negative scanner, scanning at 2700 dpi 
> and giving a file size of around 24MB. 
> 
> The scanner's optional technology (ICE) uses an extra sensor to 
> detect dirt and scratches on the surface of the transparency, and 
> automatically cleans up the scan. This slows up the scan process but 
> is very useful for older or damaged slides, giving better and faster 
> results than trying to clean up images in Photoshop. It's worked well 
> on my slides (mainly fujifilm) though it is said to have problems on 
> Kodachrome types of film.
> 
> On the whole I was very pleased with the scanner, but the software 
> took a little getting used to in order to get the very best scans. 
> Also, if the scanner wasn't rock-steady on a solid surface, the tiny 
> amount of shudder could create small ridges in the final image. 
> 
> The biggest problem was dust getting into the unit and landing on the 
> internal lenses. This causes a bloom or halo in the final image. 
> Cleaning the internal lenses is not straightforward and an airgun has 
> given only temporary improvement. I've read of other users who keep 
> the whole scanner sealed up in a poly bag when not in use, to 
> minimise this problem - I'll be doing this in future. 
> 
> Some of the Nikon scanners are available with optional (expensive) 
> batch loaders, but I've heard of folk having problems with them as 
> they struggle to cope with unusually thick or warped slides, and can 
> jam if slides stick together. Also, you need a powerful computer to 
> cope with the multiple scan output. I also find that most single 
> scans need to be tweaked individually between prescan and scan to get 
> the very best results, so batch loaded scans are always likely to be 
> something of a compromise.
> 
> I've also used an Epson Perfection flatbed scanner with a built in 
> transparency hood. It will batch scan 4 transparencies at 1600dpi. 
> The software has been easier to use than the Nikon, and the colour 
> has been good, but the resolution falls noticeably short. Better 
> flatbeds are around now, but they will usually give poorer results 
> than a dedicated slide scanner as most of these have no flat glass 
> bed to get in the way of the scan.
> 
> I'm planning on getting one of the latest Nikon SuperCoolscans to 
> finish off scanning my slide collection. They have improved quite a 
> bit over the past few years, giving better resolution (4000dpi),  
> better colour density and handling of contrast, and faster results. I 
> suspect that the impetus of manufacturers to develop new ranges of 
> dedicated slide scanners will diminish in future due to the fast pace 
> of the switchover to digital cameras. I myself 'went' digital last 
> year, and most of the magazines I deal with have recently changed 
> preference from slide to digital supply.
> 
> James Allison
> jallison@aquapic.com 

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