Scanning 35mm negatives and slides

[albie_van_zyl]

<p>We are visiting Germany and in an electronic shop I saw Rollei film scanners. Has anyone experience with these? We have lots of slides and I kept all my negatives during the years.<br>

If I should buy, up to how many dpi should I go?</p>

[john_wheeler6]

<p>Hi Albie<br>

If the only thing you are going to do a full 35 frame to blow up to about 8x10, you could get away with 2500 dpi. If however you are going to scan a sub-portion of a slide to blow up to 8x10 or larger, you would want 4000dpi minimum. Depending on your film, at some point, you will be limited by your film grain/capability as well.<br>

The higher dpi also allows for more possibilities in post-processing as well. All IMHO or course.</p>

[Mattman944]

<p>Is it this one? <a href="http://www.letsgodigital.org/en/29230/rollei-photo-scanner/">http://www.letsgodigital.org/en/29230/rollei-photo-scanner/</a><br>

If yes, this one scans directly to a flash card. A great feature that eliminates computer software compatibility issues.</p>

<p>2400 dpi is about 8 Mpixels. This is good enough for most amateur work. More if you want to make big enlargements, a little less might be sufficient if they are just family snapshots. Of course this assumes that the resolution is true. You probably want to use the max resolution for 35mm slides/negs. Maybe less for prints.</p>

[marc_rochkind]

When you say "lots of slides", how many? I am currently scanning over 10,000 slides, and decided that my existing scanner, which loads 4 at a time, would be way too much work. Instead, I got a PowerSlide 3650, which looks something like a slide projector, and takes trays that hold about 50 slides.

 

I average about 1 - 2 jams a load. In all cases, this meant just the the slide went in and was scanned, but wouldn't come back out. I would then clear the jam manually and restart. Still, it's a huge time saver.

 

I found two pieces of advice in the various reviews I read on this, mostly on Amazon:

 

1. Buy a 100-slide round tray and use it instead of the tray that comes with the scanner, because the tray that comes with the scanner doesn't work for cardboard mounts.

 

2. Use Vuescan instead of the crappy software that comes with the scanner.

 

I followed both pieces of advice and can say that they are 100% wrong. The round tray skips slides, and still jams. The tray that comes with the scanner is much, much better. All my mounts are cardboard.

 

Vuescan certainly works, but tends to lose framing, requiring me to redo several slides per load. The included software never did this. Also, when there's a jam, the included software senses it and stops the scanner. Vuescan doesn't detect it and keeps going, resulting in repeated attempts by the scanner to eject the slide. It would cycle that way forever, I guess, eventually breaking something.

 

It is true that the included software looks like it was coded for a pre-OS X operating system, and has some ridiculous UI glitches, but who cares? It does the job.

 

NOTE: My software comments are for a Mac G5 running Leopard. I don't use my normal Mac, an Intel-based iMac running Snow Leopard for scanning, as the scanning station is in the next room. So I can't say how well the included software runs on Snow Leopard, as I didn't try it. Also, I didn't try the software on Windows.

[john_c16]

<p>I would question the quality of output of that scanner. It's just a rebranded Pacific Image scanner for $169 and B&H.... http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/752980-REG/Pacific_Image_IMAGEBOX_9MP_ST_ImageBox_9Mp_Standalone_Scanner.html</p>

[photo5]

<p>I've been shooting slides with my Nikon D700 over the past few days, using the Nikon PB-5 bellows and PS-5 slide copying attachment, and my Nikon 55mm f2.8 Micro-Nikkor. I find the quality quite acceptable and I can shoot 10 slides in the time it takes to scan one. The downside is I can't use the scanning software to make automatic color adjustments. These are slides I bought at an estate sale and were taken in the 1950s and 1960s. Here is an image taken in 1966 in Florida:</p><div></div>

[photo5]

<p>Here is a 100% crop of the above image</p><div></div>

[albie_van_zyl]

<p>Thanks for all the responses.<br>

I missed the replies to my message as our internet connection in the hotel was hopeless.<br>

As we were leaving, I went to another shop and for a bit more than 100 Euro, I bought a Reflecta x4 Plus Scan.<br>

https://reflecta.de/en/products/detail/~id.445/reflecta-x4plus-Scan.html<br>

The resolution is 2400dpi, but this is not to blow up photos. If need be, I can scan them at a pro. It has a CMOS sensor.<br>

I haven't tried it, hope I did not waste my money!<br>

With regards to the amount of slides and negatives- less than a thousand, I think.<br>

I do have Photoshop CS 5, so I could retouch a bit afterwards.<br>

Any thoughts on this?<br>

Just another point in the same line- with 8mm film, I tried until a year ago, but stopped. I attach a link to that thread:<br>

http://forum.videohelp.com/threads/279996-Having-Trouble-with-DIY-Telecine-%288mm%29-System.html</p>

 

[albie_van_zyl]

<p>As I said' I bought the Reflecta, but have not yet touched it!</p>

<table id="pr-table" summary="review overview from product">

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"The scanner does its job as desired. Battery, TV connection and ensure that you can digitize the slides comfortably in the living room. The included software allows small corrections. Overall, the Reflecta good value for money and high speed x4plusScan. "

 

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<td colspan="3"><strong > <a name="reflecta-x4plus-scan-ratgeber"> Assessment of our authors: </a> <a name="blogposts"> </a> </strong></td>

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<td ><img src="http://www.testberichte.de/img/logo/testberichte-de-120x20.png" alt="" width="100" /><br /> 23.02.2011<br /> Author: Wolfgang <br />

<img src="http://www.testberichte.de/img/trans.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.testberichte.de/img/trans.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.testberichte.de/img/trans.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.testberichte.de/img/trans.gif" alt="" />

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<em > Reflecta X4 Plus-Scan </em><br />

<h2 ><a href="http://computer.testberichte.de/2011/02/23/reflecta-x4plus-scan-noch-mehr-pixel/">More pixels</a></h2>

<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.testberichte.de/d/link/ex_linker.php?dest=http%3A%2F%2Fcomputer.testberichte.de%2F2011%2F02%2F23%2Freflecta-x4plus-scan-noch-mehr-pixel%2F&pos=3194"><img src="http://computer.testberichte.de/files/2011/02/reflecta-x4plus-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a>Reflecta now offers a more convenient, PC-independent small scanner for slides and negatives, it produces compared to its immediate predecessor with a higher resolution scans. This increase is reflected literally in the product name again, the scanner may be called x4Plus scan and differs only in this feature from the deliverable for some time X4 scan.<br /> <br /> Meanwhile, the selection of handy scanners, which are in wildfire can digitize slides and negatives, very large. The scanners are primarily targeted at amateur photographers, their collection of analog photo memories archived in digital form like you want, without having to run a great effort. Technically, all working models, and this is also true for the new Reflecta, according to the principle of a digital camera, that is, the templates are photographed in a fraction of a second easily.<br /> <br /> The only significant development in this type of scanner is therefore consistent only in the resolution of the built-in CMOS sensor. The Plus model whose resolution is at 2400 dpi, that is, the device is capable of, 9-megapixel "photos" to shoot. Compared to its predecessor, this represents an increase of 600 dpi or 4 megapixels.<br /> <br /> All other technical features are otherwise remained the same. The scanner has an SD (HC) memory card slot and a lithium-ion battery and can therefore be used independently of PC. On a 2.4-inch LCD screen can examine the scan in a preview, retrieval of the memory card via a USB cable, which of course is also used when the scanner is connected directly to the PC / notebook.<br /> <br /> On the quality of the product with a compact scanner such as the Reflecta scans, opinions differ widely. For "home use", then again and again to read in tests and user reviews, it would be enough buyers complain more demanding, however, that the scanner, for example, with particularly bright originals - which include next slide and negative way, also Pocket Films can - call quality was rather modest. Disadvantage of the new Reflecta models, and it already affects the X4 scan, automatic exposure, that is, it depends on the mercy of their ability, a manual adjustment is not possible. X4 also have the scanner no scratches and dust correction functions, the device should therefore be kept meticulously clean, damaged copies must be trimmed to the image editing software.<br /> <br /> On balance, therefore, no general assessment of the new Reflexta model are given, the satisfaction depends on individual expectations of the scan quality. In turn, the cost Reflecta exceed the 100 € mark come, so do not come cheap. Thus, the new Plus device currently costs 125 euros (<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.testberichte.de/d/link/linker.php?k3=0&me_id=2692&pa=2&p=270565&pos=3438&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.de%2Fgp%2Fproduct%2FB004K1IGI8%3Fie%3DUTF8%26tag%3Dproducto6-21%26linkCode%3Das2%26camp%3D1638%26creative%3D6742%26creativeASIN%3DB004K1IGI8">Amazon</a>), The predecessor <a href="http://www.testberichte.de/p/reflecta-tests/x4-scan-testbericht.html">Reflecta X4 Scan</a> just over 100 € (<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.testberichte.de/d/link/linker.php?k3=0&me_id=2692&pa=2&p=270565&pos=3438&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.de%2Fgp%2Fproduct%2FB002XONJZY%3Fie%3DUTF8%26tag%3Dproducto6-21%26linkCode%3Das2%26camp%3D1638%26creative%3D6742%26creativeASIN%3DB002XONJZY">Amazon</a>). <img src="http://vg01.met.vgwort.de/na/fdb6c69c37794786bc988920ce10b3c3" alt="" width="1" height="1" />

<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.testberichte.de/d/link/ex_linker.php?dest=http%3A%2F%2Fcomputer.testberichte.de%2F2011%2F02%2F23%2Freflecta-x4plus-scan-noch-mehr-pixel%2F%23respond&pos=3194" target="_blank">Comment</a>

 

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