Slide scanning v. slide copying

[Kenneth]

Hi all of you,

Having traded my lovely old olympus 35mm equipment for an equally splendid (I hope) Olympus digital (C760) I now need the equipment to digitise a selection of the many transparencies I have.

I could purchace a slide scanner (Jessops are offering a coolscan LS 40 for £350 ish) or an Olympus slide copier at as yet unknown cost.

The advantage of a copier is thought to be (but I may be wrong)

1. Cost (maybe)

2. Ability to copy at 1280x960

3. Using xD cards as the storage for the PTE prepared images.

What do you think.

Regards kenneth.

[Boogie]

Hi Ken

I have used both a slide scanner (Acer Scanwit2720S) and a slide copier (Digital Duplicator from Mike Woolnough of Imatronic) with my Minolta A1 camera.

My experience is that there is very little difference in image quality between the two when using the images for AV at 1024 x 768. I do copy at the highest resolution possible, then reduce image size in the computer after any manipulation.

There is a distinct advantage in using a copier for initial cost and speed of copying to get the images into the computer.

The camera can make adjustments for contrast, colour balance, light source, etc. as well as when in the computer.

Best of luck.

[Ken Cox]

Ken

welcome to the forum.

you might check here to see what this forum has to say

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ScanHi-End/

This group is a leading resource for users of High End transparency and reflective scanners, including PMT Drum Scanners and pro-quality CCD scanners, such as those made by Howtek, ICG, Heidelberg, Imacon, or Polaroid, that are capable of scanning formats larger than 35mm.

please let this WnSoft forum know of your final decision

ken

[alrobin]

Ken,

You forgot my Agfa.

[ronwil]

I am using an Epson Perfection 3200 Photo for all my scanning from plain text, with OCR, to transparency or negative in various sizes and in high resolution. I had to replace my previous two scanners, flat bed and 35mm slide/negative, when I upgraded tp Windows XP and drivers were not immediately available. It is well worth checking out. 3200 is the Model No. in Europe.

Ron [uK]

[Kenneth]

Thanks to all for info.

Booqie, I am not aware of the acer scanwit you mention but will research this but yes I visited Mike woolnough when a bought an Imatronic kit from him a good number of years ago.

I now intend to check Imatronic v Olympus prices for a copier but keep an option open for a scanner in the future. I'll let you know how I get on.

Again thanks for all the advice given.

Kenneth

[JRR]

I have had some success with copying my slides using using a gizmo attached to the digital camera lens.

The gizmo from here fits on the lens of most digital cameras and holds the slide to be copied.

I used a flash on the slide to copy it.

I have good success with some slides, and not so good with others. Not sure what the difference is.

Scanning is best, but this gizmo does a remarkable job at times compared to commercial scans.

[ronwil]

Kenneth

This morning I rescanned some slides on my Epson Perfection 3200 Photo, which previously I had scanned on my Nikon Coolscan LS1000. The quality of the scan was much better. I scanned at 2400 dpi but I could have gone up to 6400 dpi. You mention Jessops so obviously you must be in the UK. I have looked in their catalogue on page 79 and I see that my model has been superseded and the nearest equivalent is the Epson Stylus Perfection 4870 Photo @ £349.90. By the way that is less than one quarter of the original price which I paid for my Nikon Coolscan LS100 (£763.75) and Epson GTx-9000 Flat bed Scanner (£903.58) put together, which it replaces, such is progress.

Take a look at www.photo-i.co.uk where you will find a brief review of the 4870 and a mention of my 3200.

Ron [uK]