Scanning 35mm slides

Ok, lets attach an image….

Eight years ago, or so, I scanned all of my existing 35mm slides, turned them into digital images and then processed them as such using Photoshop. The scanner I used was a Canon 8400F. This was flat-bed scanner with plastic inserts to hold the slides in place whilst they were scanned. It worked very well and I had no problems. Although the inserts could take 4 slides at a time which could then be automatically scanned I found it better to fully load the plastic insert and then manually scan each slide in turn. At the time my scanner was operated by a Windows XP laptop. Since then I have replaced the laptop with one operated by Windows 7 (the scanner driver would still operate in a reversionary mode). More recently I have found that a new laptop using Windows 10 will not interface with the scanner. Fortunately I have already completed scanning all of my slides and prints! To summarise the process works fine providing, as ever, that the scanner will talk to the computer. The digitised images are then processed as normal using an image processing software.

Martin Butcher

A few years ago I experimented with a cardboard gadget [some assembly required!] that was supposed to enable a regular scanner to do negatives and slides – search for:

How To Scan Negatives Using A Standard Scanner

and you should find it. I gave up and got a cheap scanner at Maplin. Sorry, not astro slides – just our street party in 1977.

If you have a digital camera with a macro lens you could rig up something like this.

https://www.scantips.com/g4/p1230510.jpg

from this page

https://www.scantips.com/es-1.html

I have used this sort of setup in the past using the sky as a light source and a cardboard tube to keep the light out but the results depend on the quality of the lens (Star fields tend to show up any deficiencies, like pincushion etc)

Cheers

Robin

Note that the dedicated 1:1 duplicators designed for use with full frame SLR will crop slides when used with DSLR with smaller sensors so you might need to modify them eg with an extension tube.   I think you can get versions with 0.6 reduction for DSLR though

I have a VEHO 5 mega pixel scanner which will scan slides and negatives 35mm and 110 both to your PC and TV screen. I use it to scan through my negatives to review and print using an enlarger onto a developed print both black and white and colour using an analyser for colour. I have just reminded myself I have some eclipse slides needing processing

Best wishes

Nick

I wondered what you do with the slides, negatives once scanned? Do you keep them? I’m aware of silver halide photos have been used as an archiving method (lasts 100 years or more).  I assume?? the slide/negative plastic might last longer than a digitised copy file on computer storage media (and media that can be read – e.g. because of the way computers change, the files would have to be transferred to newer and newer storage media, to keep a usable copy).  The original slides could be scanned again and again (unless they become so brittle, that they fall apart).  I don’t think I could throw out my slides and negatives (IF they were scanned), though probably wouldn’t ever use them again. Hard to let go but it would create a bit more space.

I imagine it depends what material the film is made from. Old celluloid films have a nasty habit of spontaneously combusting when they degrade. I’m not sure when films became safe, but I have a feeling cellulose acetate was still pretty common in the 70s, if not later still?