[at-l] Slide conversion to digital

[jbullar1 at twcny.rr.com (Jim Bullard)]

I have  friend who is going this route. Slide scanning services charge 
anywhere from 80? to $3 per slide depending on the resolution you want, the 
type of file (TIFF or JPG) and they charge extra for writing the files to 
CD/DVD, usually about $5 per disc.

If you are scanning "hundreds" of slides, you can buy a very good quality 
scanner for less than the *wage* you pay someone else to do it. Anything 
over 200-300 slides is a break-even point for a mid-range (non-pro) 
multipurpose scanner.

There are negatives (no pun intended) to doing it yourself:
    * You are already a busy person with too many things on your plate that 
cut into more important things (like hiking).
    * If you don't have any existing scanning/photo editing skills it's one 
more thing to learn (and more time burnt).
    * If you are running an old (more than 3 years) computer with limited 
memory and getting into scanning large files will entail buying a new 
computer too.
Something Rogene didn't mention was what resolution she wants. She only 
said her existing scanner didn't have high enough resolution. What 
resolution do you want Rogene? If it's 3200dpi or less I can do it.

Remember that if you are only scanning for computer projection, you do not 
need super high resolution. Computers/digital projectors will only display 
images at their maximum screen resolution anyway, usually 1024x768. For 
printing purposes a 4-5MP scan will make a decent 11x14 print. From 35mm 
that would require 1750dpi <>.

Michelle's advice on slide storage is right on and when stored properly 
they may last just as long as the CDs which have a 50 year estimated life 
span although the quality of the processing (something past your control at 
this point) plays into longevity as well.

At 03:54 PM 12/31/2005 -0500, Michelle Ray wrote:
>Happy New Years to everyone!
>
> > I have hundreds of slides I need to preserve. Many needing color
> > correction.
> > My current scanner does not have sufficient resolution for this task.
>
>I've spent years working as a professional photographer in a digital
>environment and did my graduate work in archives/preservation (focusing on
>photographic image preservation) so here's my two cents on the matter (and
>it's probably not what you want to hear but I hope it's helpful):  DON'T
>invest in your own scanner and software. Scanner technology is changing so
>rapidly that it really won't be worth your time and money to invest in your
>own system.  When I was an undergraduate intern, the department I worked for
>saved all of it images on zip disks.  Soon after, CDs became the rage and
>all new equipment was purchased.  Now DVDs are becoming *the* storage media
>for images.  Now, I'm not that old and this is a lot of change to take place
>in a short amount of time.  By the time you set up shop and get comfortable
>with your equipment, you may soon have to buy a new scanner/software/etc all
>over again.  Also, though technology is getting better every day,
>there's no affordable scanner on the market that can keep up with a
>professional scanner/software package you'll find in a pro lab.  Why not
>have your images scanned at a professional lab?  Some large companies and
>universities have their own in-house imaging facilities--see if a friend can
>sneak your stuff in for you (students at the university I worked for were
>allowed to use the photo services at a steep discount).  Or use a well-known
>professional lab (not your local KMart) to do your scanning.  In the
>meantime, make sure you're keeping your slides in archival slide sheets and
>in a cool, dry place--this will increase their life span by many any years
>and will help to stave off the ugly color shifts that come with age.  You
>have to keep in mind that when you use digitizing as a mode of preservation,
>you (and your kids and your grand kids and so on) are going to have to
>transfer, refresh, and update those files periodically to keep the
>information intact.  It's a huge investment but, unfortunately, one of the
>only viable means of saving slide images.  Good luck!