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From the lens Digitizing Color Transparencies -- What You Should Know.

  • lisadh Feb 23, 2012 @ 10:56 am | delete
    I commented here a couple years ago, but it's taken me this long to actually get a scanner and started digitizing my old slides and negatives. It's quite a project! But good quality scanners are now so reasonably priced that virtually anyone can start digitizing their own images.
  • fanfreluche Feb 19, 2011 @ 1:55 pm | delete
    Back to your page for an angel blessing!
  • Tipi Dec 29, 2010 @ 9:18 pm | delete
    I've never used slides but I'll sure pass your information on to folks who want to digitize theirs. Another lovely Purple Star ~ perfect!
  • WildFacesGallery Dec 29, 2010 @ 7:34 pm | delete
    Really nicely done. We have on occasion needed to digitize a slide (most artwork images) and it's always a hassle. I'll bookmark this so I can come back to it next time it comes up. :)
  • fanfreluche Dec 18, 2010 @ 8:28 am | delete
    Wow this page comes right on time. We just found 3 big storage boxes filled with negatives ranging from the early 50's to mid 70's. They were taken by my husband grand-father when he did medical service in various part of Africa and Asia. These are just so unique that we want to save them. He has pictures of tribes that probably are just completely gone. I started to look in to one of the film scanning machine, but was a bit leery to invest since I know nothing about them. And having them done by a professional would be costly. So I need to do my homework, bookmark this page, re-read it and find some more information. I thought I could manage the job myself.....but seeing you know a lot about photography and did not do it yourself got me worried.....
  • EditorDave Dec 18, 2010 @ 12:01 pm | delete
    Hi fanfreluche! Thank you for commenting on my page. I *could have done the scanning myself* --and I've considered buying the Nikon CoolScan to do the job (because it comes with special software to fix typical issues of old transparencies such as scratches, nicks, and other film blemishes). But in my case, I had a job that was taking up a lot of my time (and paying rather well) such that it would take me more time to fool around with each slide than what my "billable time" was worth, so I decided to get the slides done by a company that specializes in doing this (here in my town). For me, I found boxes and boxes of slides from back in the 1960s through the 1980s.... more than 25,000 of them. So I went through the boxes (thank God I had labeled the boxes for a general idea of what was in them)--and "cherry picked" what I thought were the most dramatic or memorable. Then I went through the pile again and did another "cherry pick". When I got the pile reduced to about 1000 slides that were the "cream of the crop", I took these to the slide digitizing place. Even then, I sat with the technicians who were going to do this and explained precisely what I wanted. Most of the slides did not need color correction, some needed to be oriented the correct way (Chinese, Japanese, Thai, and Russian languages can look fine no matter which way they are oriented), and some needed some scratches and blemishes removed. I paid about $1.24 each (for "high-resolution"--you might not need such high resolution). And when I dropped off the slides, I dropped off only 100 at a time. (If you drop off more than that at a time, you'll overwhelm them.) This will also let you do "quality check" and verify that they've got their act together. It helps if they are local so you can check in on them from time to time--also if they need to call you once in a while to ask for you to check in. I've downloaded the digitized images from the DVD/CDs that they gave me onto my computer--and from there, I've assembled my own CDs of images for family members and for special interests. Also, I've since used some of the images on my Zazzle stores and CafePress stores and my daughter is using them as inspiration for her paintings. So, jump on in, and go for it. If you have a lot of time, you will enjoy doing this yourself with your Nikon CoolScan (or other option)--and you can control the arrangement of the images better. But if time is limited for you and you don't want to take the time to learn the equipment and software, the specialists are a good alternative. Good luck!
  • fanfreluche Dec 22, 2010 @ 4:00 am | delete
    Thank you for taking time to respond! I think I am going to pick about 50 and try to have them done by a specialized company. I found one that seems reliable, they do apparently correct problems like dust on the slides and scratches. Then I may do some more. I am still interested in a scanning machine, eventually, but not the top of the line (a bit pricey for a hobby). Thank you again and happy holidays!
  • vallain Dec 18, 2010 @ 7:42 am | delete
    I've been wanting to scan in my older photos and my husband's slides. Our scanner can handle negatives, so I should "get with it."
  • ohsogroovy May 29, 2009 @ 12:37 am | delete
    Great lens. Your are "focusing" (haha) on exactly what my new blog is about. You have a lot of great info. I like all your examples. It sounds like you are coming from a photographer's point of view, which is awesome. I had a business digitizing slides and creating music videos from them. The quality didn't have to be very high, so I used the technique where you put the slides on a light board, and take photos of them with a digital camera. It was WAY faster then a scanner. I would only recommend that if your goal is a video, though. Please visit my blog at 35mm Slide Scanner Help. Put your link on my message board if you'd like. You have a great resource here!
  • lisadh Dec 21, 2008 @ 11:57 am | delete
    Thanks for the info. I'm hoping to take the plunge and digitize all my old slides soon.
  • RolandTumble Dec 4, 2008 @ 11:53 am | delete
    This is why I'm just as glad that I didn't get serious about photography until after digital came of age.
  • flowski Aug 29, 2007 @ 8:24 pm | delete
    Very helpful information regarding the digitizing of color transparencies and what you should know to make it easier.
  • Mister_K Aug 27, 2007 @ 5:23 pm | delete
    Another great lens, my daughter will love these when I send them to her.
    Welcome to our hobby group...

    http://www.squidoo.com/groups..The-Love-of-Hobbies

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EditorDave

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