Scanning technique for vintage lantern slides

[chase canadé1664880639]

I have an Epson v500 scanner.

 

I picked up a couple, what look to be early 1900 late

1800 "Lantern Slides" in approximately a 2x3 format.

Best guess as they look very similar in characteristics to

the following image, but borderless. They just have

black tape on the edges holding the micro thin glass and

image sandwich together.

<p>

<img src="http://photoseed.com/uploads/2012/08/16/jam

es-lawrence-breese-woman-graduate-holding-

diploma.jpg">

<p>

 

Is there a preferred method to make digital copy of these

photos?<p>

 

I was thinking of scanning them, but in thinking about it,

the tape on the edges will not allow them to lay perfectly

flat.<p>

 

Would better results be achieved using the back light or

just use the white background scanner thing? I don't

know what it's called. You use it to scan paper on the

upper lid.<p>

 

Thanks

[dhbebb]

<p>Scanning would be the best way, using transmitted light. The only real problem is making sure the scan is in focus. The easiest way to do this would be to measure how high above the scanner platen a piece of film is when placed in the holder supplied with the scanner and make sure the emulsion of the slide (which will be facing upwards) is at the same height. </p>

[Ed_Ingold]

<p>In some flatbed scanners designed for film (transmitted light), the plane of sharpest focus is as much as 2 mm above the glass. I have one which actually changes the focal plane by that amount between reflected light and transmitted light modes. More expensive models at the time (early millennium) would actually focus automatically.</p>

<p>The only way to know is to scan these lantern slide with transmitted light and observe the results. You don't want to disassemble them, as that would cause irreparable damage.</p>

<p>Failing that, you could copy them with a camera, placing the slide on an LED light table, such as used for sorting slides. The main problem is supporting the camera so that it is square and parallel with the object being copied. Since the slide is small, and you have only two, you could use a tripod with the column inverted. This will hold the camera still, and make the adjustments relatively simple. If you had many to do, it would make sense to invest in a copy stand.</p>

<p>You can check the focus of a flatbed scanner by placing a ruler (a good one, with engraved markings), resting one end on the glass and the other on a pencil. It's easy to see the plane of focus by observing the markings. You can put numbers on it with a little trigonometry, since this arrangement is essentially a sine bar.</p>

[chase canadé1664880639]

Thankyou for your responses and suggestions.

 

I have a small light box if don't get good results scanning.

 

And no, I have no intention of taking them apart.

 

I like the pencil idea for checking dof on my v500.

 

I don't think the focus on it can be adjusted. I literally just got the parts for it to be able to use it this

week. But, I'll check.

 

My digital camera is not the best. A semi pro, or called as such, though I have my reservations about

that. It's a Ricoh GX100 I picked up a few years back to shoot textures and as a carry along camera.

I'm not sure if it or the scanner would do a better job for this application.

That said, they would be digitized either way.

 

Which would be the emulation side on the lantern slides? These two slides are super thin. The glass

almost as thin as microscope slide glass.

 

It is safe to clean the glass with eye glass cleaner correct?

 

Call me weird but, I just think they're neat.

I have to wonder... do you think they smiled after the picture was taken? ;-)

[thirteenthumbs]

<blockquote>

<p>It is safe to clean the glass with eye glass cleaner correct?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I use Windex to clean my scanners glass, Epson 1640SU ewasted, 1650 photo given away, V500, V700.<br>

I would be cautious about using Windex on Lantern Slides and would not use eyeglass cleaner on the slides or the scanner.<br>

A good heavyweight microfiber lens cleaning cloth that is clean and your breath should clean the slides as well as any cleaner. </p>

[John Seaman]

<p>Smiling for the camera is a relatively recent thing. In the early days emulsions were very slow, and people could not hold a smile for the several minutes it took to make an exposure. And being photographed was more of a solemn, significant occasion than it is now. At some point smiling became popular and the expression "say cheese" to elicit at least the look of a smile, crept into the language.</p>

[dhbebb]

<p><em>Which would be the emulion side on the lantern slides?</em><br>

Lantern slides were made on coated glass plates which could be put under the enlarger and treated like printing paper. If you hold a lantern slide so that the picture looks the right way round, the emulsion will be on the inside of the glass facing you. To make the slide ready for projection, the lantern plate was bound together with another piece of glass of identical size and thickness but completely clear. The large lantern slide (3.5 inches square in the UK) was obsolete before my time but I have printed many slides using 2x2 inch plates.</p>