I have been thinking about scanning my slides for a long time...too long. I've got so serious about scanning my slides that I have started looking for a scanner. I took slides from 1966 to about 1970 so my slides are old. However, they contain some important memories.
So I started checking out scanners. I found a wide variety of scanners. Since my slides are not great just garden variety, I don't need an expensive scanner with all the gadgets.
What I found was that there is not one scanner for sale in my town...not one. Well, there was one on Kijiji but it had been sold. I also did a wanted ad on Kijiji but that has not worked.
So I checked on line. There are many scanners but when you check the availability many aren't available so your choice becomes smaller. I will have to buy on line.
So what better place to check than my blog followers. Have you scanned slides? What kind of scanner did you use?
Wish me luck!
There are some flatbed scanners that come with attachments that will let you scan slides. If you can find one that works well that would be a good choice because you can also scan photographs, business papers, etc. on it. I have an older flatbed scanner that is supposed to scan slides but I've had trouble getting them to come out good even though it scans photographs well. The newer ones might do better with slides but I would check the reviews on them first. The Epson brand scanners are very good but you will pay more for one that scans slides.
ReplyDeleteI also bought a slide scanner on Amazon a couple of years ago. (yes, I have a lot of slides!) It works fairly well but is so slow because you end up scanning one at a time.
I've gotten very frustrated trying to scan slides myself and finally decided to send some off to be professionally scanned. There are many places that will do it for you. It's not too expensive and the digital scans I get of my slides are much better than those I can do myself. I sorted my slides and picked out just the ones that were most important to me, mainly family pictures. That reduced the number of slides to send off. I still have not gotten all of my slides scanned but when I do more I will send them off again. I have also sent off some old fashioned videos I had to be digitized.
I do scan photographs myself and they come out very good but it is a slow process and I have a lot of pictures! But I am serious about family history so I keep at it.
Sorry to write so much here, but you asked! Good luck whatever you decide to do. Maybe someone else can offer you more help.
Every bit of advice gets me one step ahead. Many of the things you comment on are very true. It's not an easy process.
DeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteIt is a good idea to scan your old images. If I had a lot of money, I would pay to have ALL my old photos and negatives put on an external hard drive. I hope you find a way to keep your memories. Have a happy weekend!
I think I only have about 400 slides but it's still a large project.
DeleteI have a flatbed scanner, which works pretty well, but it would not be something that you would need for just slides. I have seen ads for cell phone scanning apps, but I have no idea how well they do or don't work.
ReplyDeletethere seem to be quite a few choices for scanning. One day I'll get it done.
DeleteI applaud you for your effort/tenacity and definitely am experiencing scanner envy. In spite of owning a combination printer-scanner-fac thingy and being an IBM retiree to boot, I have never learned to use the scanner or fax capabilities on the darned thing. Or are you talking about a different kind of scanning device? I am definitely in over my head here. Don’t tell IBM or they might cancel the monthly pension deposits. Good luck with your search. Keep us posted. Sorry I was no help at all.
ReplyDeleteThe whole issue becomes complicated.
DeleteI paid someone to do it for me! My late mom had thousands...I weaned that out to 200!
ReplyDeletekey term here is "weaned" I think I only have about 400.
DeleteI have not, although I have some stored away in a drawer somewhere. I'll be interested to hear what you come up with, Red.
ReplyDeleteYes, it's going to be an interesting project.
DeleteI do wish you luck! We have my grandparents' slides (!!) mostly from the '70's. Sort of thought we would like a projector to look at them and see if any are worth keeping. We did have their viewer thing but my brother can't remember if he gave it to a charity or if it is hiding in his garage.
ReplyDeleteBy all means take a good look at these slides. There's probably a lot to learn.
DeleteI just saw an ad not long ago about an app that would take a photo or scan of developed film from you phone. I would think that would work on a slide. I just checked the App store and see several for film and slide scanning. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI will take a look at these apps. Thanks.
DeleteWe had some old slides and video tapes professionally digitized. It was kind of expensive, but worth every penny, even though the quality of a lot of those old pictures is pretty grainy -- perhaps reflecting the fact that we were actually kind of grainy back in the '70s.
ReplyDeleteI did some Audio tapes three years ago...not good quality but into something I could listen to.
DeleteI had our slides scanned professionally at a photo shop. It's more expensive but the quality is good.
ReplyDeleteI still have to look into that option.
DeleteI have a Microtek scanner and with the proper tray it will scan slides. I need to find updated software for mine! I don't do slides.
ReplyDeleteSlides were done in the olden days. I took slides in the 50's and 70's.
DeleteI scanned my photos years ago. There are places that will do that for you for a price. Not sure if it's expensive or not. Call around to get a price, good luck!
ReplyDeleteI still have to look into that option.
DeleteWe have not scanned slides, just photos.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you might have some slides.
DeleteHi Red, Bonnie wrote a great answer above. Although I do have a lot of slides, I've never sent them out to have them scanned onto hard drives. Might end up doing that for less money than buying a scanner. I do have a scanner, Epson V600 Photo, that does slides well but it only does a few at a time. You will probably need some softward to touch up the digital files. For example, some software will touch up dust and scratches, which are the main problems I've run in to myself. Lastly, I just now typed "slide scanner" into Amazon to see what comes up. They have several available and the prices are not too bad on some of them. Good luck with this! John
ReplyDeleteIf I buy a scanner I have a pretty good idea of what I'd buy.
DeleteI used a Canon scanner. It scanned flat screen (paper and photos) and with a frame to hold and scan slides. I scanned my dad's slides. He was a professional amateur and his collection was large and excellent. I put the scans on discs for my sister and brothers, and gave them to the grandchildren who featured large in dad's slides. I doubt anyone could lay hands on their discs now.
ReplyDeleteThat would have been a huge project.
DeleteMy scanner is super simple. Pop up to four slides in the tray, make a couple selections, and it appears on my laptop. The brand is Wolverine. It’s about 5 years old and I have scanned hundreds, maybe thousands, of slides and negatives. Good luck with your project.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of this scanner but I'll take a look at it.
DeleteWe have one. It's called an ION slides 2 pc made by Rohs company.
ReplyDeleteYes, most of these scanners are slow and thinks for the offer to borrow. Too bad I wasn't closer to Edmonton.
DeleteIf you can't find one at a good price you can borrow ours. We're in Sherwood Park.
ReplyDeleteWe did the slides eons ago. I can’t remember much about it. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteSlides were a good technology in their day.
DeleteI would need to go through all my slides and see how many are actually worth scanning before I started the laborious process of scanning them.
ReplyDeleteAlphie
35 mm cameras were the top of the line until about 1980 So if you came of age after 1980 you probably found something else to use.
ReplyDeleteYou might try checking on e-bay, Red. They have new and used ones.
ReplyDeleteI have a slide scanner. It is a Canon 8800F flatbed scanner with an insert for slides, I think that does four or five at a time. I spent ten years scanning slides whenever I was reading blogs or doing other non intensive computer activities. I would just load up four slides, hit scan and go back to my reading for a couple minutes while it was doing things and then save them and repeat. Eventually I got through the couple hundred slide trays in my collection.
ReplyDeleteI thought about getting a dedicated slide scanner but those are few to choose from and very expensive.
Another alternative that I have since found, it to go a google search for media conversion places in your area. I have one that will digitize just about anything from old 8 mm tapes to slides. I have never used them for the slides but I did have them convert a box full of Super 8 home movies for a fairly reasonable price.
Glad that other bloggers offered some helpful advice, Red. I was also going to suggest a scanner that will scan slides but currently I don't even know if such units are available. Years ago I had a flatbed scanner with such an attachment and never used it. I had about quite a few slides, which I used to look at with a projector in slide trays. Then I donated the trays and projector to a thrift store (now you can't even find them there) and eventually discarded the slides.
ReplyDeleteI have the Epson V600. I had another Epson scanner before that, but I don't remember the number. I scanned photos and slides on it. I haven't scanned slides in a while, but it did work well for me.
ReplyDeleteOops! I see I've already told you this. Sorry about that.
DeleteBest of luck!
ReplyDeletei have never used it so i can only wish you best of luck !
ReplyDelete