Best lab for slide scanning

The subject line says it all.

 

I need very high quality scans of over 500 slides of underwater images. Can anyone please recommend a quality

lab? I'm in the Seattle area, but would be willing to ship off to a lab elsewhere.

 

Thanks in advance.

http://www.saugus.net/Photos/scanning.shtml

 

I must tell you, this is my slide scanning service. I offer pricing for both post-scan enhanced and no-edits

versions of the scans.

 

When comparing slide scan prices on the Internet, be aware that some services send the work out of the country

and some don't do individual enhancements in PhotoShop CS3. Some leave it up to the automatic features of "Ice"

like ROC (restoration of color) and DEE (shadow enhancement). The results of ROC and DEE can be unpredictable.

Yes, some send the work out of the country. Which means what? There's an assumption I suppose that this is less

safe, but with the right logistical system (which ScanCafe certainly has), it can be much safer than an entirely

domestic system. At least ScanCafe generates the original shipping label so they can control the process.

Shipping from their California office back and forth to Bangalore is entirely under their control.

 

The downside of ScanCafe is that it takes a couple of months to get the work back.

 

My experience with them is very positive. I wrote about it here:

http://basepath.com/index-real.php?url=blogentry/2008-02-15.htm

I made no implication or assumption about safety. I mentioned the off-shoring of scanning to clarify it for the OP, so that he might fully understand the big range in per slide pricing.

I'd also never ship anywhere that number of originals. If broken down into smaller batches, and one gets lost, not all is lost. Ive had original negatives lost right in the US. Once a job shooting the graduating class of a large HS, sent a box with all the rolls. Sent it registered mail to Phlly, it got lost. They accepted liability only for the original film.

 

Never again sent more than a few rolls in a package. The further it goes, the more handling by USPS or other agencies, and the greater the chances of loss. It may be only 1 in 10,000 but I don't want to be that one.

Mr Harrington - Do you also scan realist format slides?

Hi Bruce,

I can scan those stereo slides, but right now I'm a bit backlogged with 35MM orders.

 

You could check with Dave or Donna at

 

DD Imaging

 

http://www.ddimaging.net/