Creating digital images from slide film

[Susan Crane]

I have a friend who shoots with slide film underwater. What is the best way to convert them to digital images and preserve the image quality? The choices are to make a print of the slide and scan the print or scan the slide with a slide scanner. I imagine the best way is with a slide scanner, but just thought I would ask, having never done it before.

Susan

[Clay Coleman]

Susan: You're right; the best way to convert slides to digital is with a slide scanner. It's a tedious process, but the results are usually very good. -Clay

[chris bangs]

Susan: You're right; the best way to convert slides to digital is with a slide scanner. It's a tedious process, but the results are usually very good. -Clay

VERY tedious! The trouble with film scanners is thy tend to broduce soft edges due to film curvature. not to mention not being able to control fucus very well. low contrast/dark images are a pain too.

Someday I will try using a digital camera on my old Bowens duplicator. I already have all the bits to do it. I just have to rig it all up. The D80 may be a good choice for this project.

Cheers

Chris

[Jonathan Bird]

Someday I will try using a digital camera on my old Bowens duplicator. I already have all the bits to do it. I just have to rig it all up. The D80 may be a good choice for this project.


Clever idea! It won't give you as large an image as a 4000 or so dpi scanner, but a lot quicker!

My old Polaroid 4000 scanner was very good at staying sharp from center to edge, but the software was crap and the dynamic range was not very good, so the shadows were noisy. My new(er) Minolta 5400 dpi scanner is way better in terms of the software, the colors, the dynamic range and the sharpness, but it tends to go soft at the edges, like Chris says, due to the curvature of the film. Annoying.

Digital fixes all this! ;-)

Jonathan

[Clay Coleman]

Someday I will try using a digital camera on my old Bowens duplicator.

Chris

Great idea! I'm going to look for my old duplicator tube (that didn't work very well with film) and give this a try. -Clay

[chris bangs]

I should give this a go soon.

I never had much luck with the tubes.

The Bowens Illumitron ( british maker ) is a professional duplicator which uses two independent flashes one for exposure and the other for contrast control. the camera is mounted on a bellows. A 50mm or 60mm duplicating lens works best. the bellows allow you to adjust the lens for cropping. it produced excellent slide duplicates much better than what most labs turned out, well here on Guam anyway.

[Mycroft]

I am using a Nikon Coolscan V to do this. I have a sample I will upload tonight.

[Mycroft]

http://dive.scubadiving.com/members/memberimages/14403_1155340711_sharks.jpg

Hopefully this will come out.

[Wiz]

Marvelous what that little clone tool can do with all that sand and backscatter, hope you like it:D
http://static.flickr.com/87/263445638_cfd5f1780c_o.jpg
Wiz

[scubagirl]

So in 2009, what's the best way to scan negatives? Any particular model? I have a lot of negatives I'd like to digitize, both B&W and colour.

[Jonathan Bird]

I'm still using a Minolta 5400 which is quite nice, but honestly, I would almost prefer to go back and shoot it in digital than scan a slide! ;)

If you want to see some simply amazing slide scans, check out Chris Newbert's newest gallery (http://www.rstours.com/Site/Marine_Life_Gallery_1.html).


Jonathan

[Carsten Wolff]

So in 2009, what's the best way to scan negatives? Any particular model? I have a lot of negatives I'd like to digitize, both B&W and colour.

In 2009, a slide scanner with high DMax is still the best solution for home/office/large quantity type scans. see also:
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/slide-scanner-comparison-and-reviews-best-slide-scanner.html

For very special images, where you may want large prints and the very best contrast and resolution handling, (e.g. for galleries/high end print sales), a professional drum-scan is still your best quality bet. Due to the cost involved, this is mainly a low volume option. To make it worthwhile, you would then also want to go down the professional printing route.