There are several ways to scan slides to turn them into digital photos. Many people remember the small square cardboard cut-outs containing negatives that would be popped into a tray at family gatherings, and with some light and a projector screen (or blank wall) people could reminisce over photos that were larger than life. Today, slide screens have given way to large screen televisions and computer screens. The slide has been rendered all but obsolete, but how do people save the pictures on the slides and keep them viewable? The answer is simple-scan them. These are some of the different ways to turn slides into great, state-of-the-art digital pictures.
Scanning Slides: The Scanner
One of the easiest ways to scan slides is to use a scanner with a special attachment. The attachment is like a mirror box, which diverts light around to the back of the slide so that the scanner picks up transmitted light instead of reflected light. However, this method does not produce the best results; scanned pictures can look soft, unrefined, too dark, and often appear with white spots all over them, which is actually just dust that is being lit up. Some scanner models have special transparency adapters that can be bought to scan images from negatives and slides. These can be very pricy, though, averaging about $1800.00 for a decent one.
Many people claim that the image results using the adapter are no better than the scanner that uses the mirror box attachment. One advantage of the transparency adapter, however, is that an entire large image can be scanned all at once, making it easier to restore old photos than it would be to piece several scans together and then start the restoring process.
Scanning Slides: The Digital Camera
It makes sense to use a camera to get a picture of a picture. However, although this can be a simple way to get results, it often proves to turn out some pretty disappointing photos. Missing hues, colors, highlights, effects, and downright blurry, fuzzy images are very common. Devices exist that can link your camera and a slide projector so that when a projector changes display images, the camera is set up to snap a picture of it. These can be frustrating, and the obvious downfall is that you must have a working slide projector to use the method. Other devices are on the market that attach right to the camera and hold a slide to it; however, you can only insert and deal with one slide at a time, and the devices are usually specific to a certain make and model of camera.
Scanning Slides: The Professional
By far the most hassle-free, low-effort, cost-effective way to scan slides is to take the slides to a professional. Someone at a camera shop or photography shop will be able to work the gizmos, gadgets, equipment, and devices needed to safely turn your slides into perfect pictures. Prices vary depending on the amount of slides to be transferred, but many people find it is an invaluable service to have when they need to scan slides to have digital pictures.
If you are thinking about those boxes of slides stuffed in the basement from your 1973 trip to see the worlds largest coconut and want to turn them into digital pictures, do yourself a great favor and take them to a professional who can scan slides for you. You will be glad that you did when Aunt Ferns portrait isnt restricted to appearing on a slide screen anymore and has gone digital for all the world to see.
Epson Slide Scanner with the price slashed and free shipping included!
When it comes to scanning that box of old slides and color or mono negatives into your computer so you can reprint them and save them for posterity, the Epson slide Scanner is very hard to beat.
The Epson Perfection V500 Photo Slide Scanner offers extraordinary quality and versatility with 6400 dpi resolution and an earth-friendly LED light source for greater productivity – all at an amazing value. Remove dust and scratches from slides, negatives and film. Or, restore faded color photos with one touch. Then, take your photos further with the included Adobe® Photoshop® Elements. When it’s time to archive important documents, you can scan multiple documents fast w (more…)
The Perfection V300 makes light work of scanning film, slides, photos and 3D objects with amazing clarity and detail – the value-priced Epson Perfection V300 Photo makes it easier than ever with 4800 dpi optical resolution and a host of family-friendly features. Use the built-in Transparency Unit to scan up to 6 negative frames or 4 slides at one time. With the slide scanner’s remarkable resolution, you can easily create extraordinary enlargements. And, if you want to bring those faded family photos back to life, y (more…)
For professional quality scans at a premium value, the Epson Perfection 4490 Office represents the perfect solution. With 4800 x 9600 dpi resolution and a 3.4 Dmax, this full-featured performer is the ideal choice for your office or home-based business, making it easy to quickly scan photos, film and documents with amazing detail. With its Automatic Document Feeder (ADF), anyone can scan stacks of important documents with results that are sure to impress. Built to accommoda (more…)
Enjoy unparalleled performance when scanning negatives, slides or prints, with the Epson Perfection V750-M Pro, the first flatbed scanner with groundbreaking 6,400 dpi resolution and unique fluid mount capabilities for photo studio applications. With a 4.0 Dmax optical resolution, it offers exceptional image quality, excellent detail in shadow areas and remarkable tonal range. 48-bit color and 16-bit grayscale provide subtle shades and accurate color reproduction for eve (more…)
Quality. Performance. Precision. This Epson slide scanner gives premium value for professional quality scans, the Epson Perfection 4490 Photo delivers extraordinary results with 4800 x 9600 dpi resolution and an impressive 3.4 Dmax. This full-featured performer makes it easy for anyone to quickly restore, repair and renew classic photos, film and transparencies for stunning color reprints and enlargements. Powerful Digital ICE technology offers built-in dust and scratch removal capabilities for film, w (more…)
Amazon.com Get professional quality results from virtually any photographic original with the Epson Perfection V700 Photo Scanner. With groundbreaking 6,400 dpi resolution, this powerful scanner consistently delivers precision color and detail, whether scanning slides, negatives or medium-format film. With a 4.0 Dmax optical resolution, it offers exceptional image quality, excellent detail in shadow areas and remarkable tonal range. 48-bit color and 16-bit grayscale provide subtle sha (more…)
Connect a USB printer, scanner, hard drive, or other device to your computer using Belkin’s F3U133-10 Pro Series USB 2.0 device cable. The 10-foot cable offers a USB type A termination at one end and a type B termination at the other. It transmits data at up to 480 Mbps in error-free, high-performance transmissions over 20-gauge power wires. The F3U133-10 is hot-pluggable, supports up to 127 daisy-chained devices, and comes with Belkin’s lifetime warranty.
Molded strain relief and (more…)
