35mm slides to digital: I’ve boxes of slides from 2 generations I need to organize. It’s a daunting task. I’m seeking recommendations for my best option to view and digitize the lot. I...

Bsimmonds Loc: Minneapolis

I’ve boxes of slides from 2 generations I need to organize. It’s a daunting task. I’m seeking recommendations for my best option to view and digitize the lot. I do not have a viewer. I’m not well versed in equipment I will need nor brands to purchase. I’m hoping others before me might offer useful suggestions to consider.
Bill

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

Buy a light table for reviewing, sorting and discarding. Buy a $500 Plustek scanner, scan the keepers and then sell the scanner.

The other choice is to send them out to a scanning service.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

Bsimmonds wrote:

I’ve boxes of slides from 2 generations I need to organize. It’s a daunting task. I’m seeking recommendations for my best option to view and digitize the lot. I do not have a viewer. I’m not well versed in equipment I will need nor brands to purchase. I’m hoping others before me might offer useful suggestions to consider.
Bill

I have a Plustek scanner. I scanned the slides I’m keeping, then am keeping the scanner because I intend to photograph for years to come with more film.

Dave327 Loc: Duluth, GA. USA

I have the equipment to scan slides. My wife and I had hundreds of slides and prints to do. We sent them to Legacy Box. They review the work and send you a quote. We had some slides badly contaminated with mold and they did good job of repairing those. Their color correction software is very good. They have other options.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Bsimmonds wrote:

I’ve boxes of slides from 2 generations I need to organize. It’s a daunting task. I’m seeking recommendations for my best option to view and digitize the lot. I do not have a viewer. I’m not well versed in equipment I will need nor brands to purchase. I’m hoping others before me might offer useful suggestions to consider.
Bill

If you want to learn how… read my white paper:

Attached file:
(Download)

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

burkphoto wrote:

If you want to learn how… read my white paper:

This is the one where you ‘copy’ a slide or negative???

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

rehess wrote:

This is the one where you ‘copy’ a slide or negative???

Yes. It makes sense if you intend to make big prints, videos, or (as I do) you already own most of the equipment. I had the camera, macro lens, and most of the other items I needed. I built a copy stand for under $80, added my video light panels for copying prints, added another small video light panel to backlight slides and negs, and added a film holder setup. I've copied thousands of items over the last few years, turning most of them into videos for my college and high school reunions. I've even made a few hundred bucks from others who wanted copies of their old photos, slides, and film negatives.

With the advent of the Internet, the World Wide Web, and digital media sharing sites/social media sharing sites, the relevance of photo albums and slide projectors has faded into obscurity. Everyone seems to want images online! People under 40 simply don't print, or want prints. Some of them don't even know what slides are!

levinton

The Nikon Coolscan 5000 is a great workhorse. Scanning software may need attention. Vuescan will work. Great preview and throughput.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

levinton wrote:

The Nikon Coolscan 5000 is a great workhorse. Scanning software may need attention. Vuescan will work. Great preview and throughput.

That was one of the few film scanners capable of pro level scans. Minolta's DiMage was another.

I got spoiled in the lab I worked for... I ran the scanning department of a school portrait lab, where we had half a million bucks' worth of Kodak Bremson HR500 and HR500+ scanners and the Kodak DP2 database lab engine to run them. What's really funny is that the camera setup I described in the paper linked above can yield similar results.

Orphoto Loc: Oregon

These days you should be able to pick up a quality loupe for peanuts. Use that to look at the slides directly. Then figure out which ones are worth scanning.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Bsimmonds wrote:

I’ve boxes of slides from 2 generations I need to organize. It’s a daunting task. I’m seeking recommendations for my best option to view and digitize the lot. I do not have a viewer. I’m not well versed in equipment I will need nor brands to purchase. I’m hoping others before me might offer useful suggestions to consider.
Bill

There are many options.
Will you only be doing slides?
Or do you have negatives of various sizes and prints needing to be digitized for distribution to family?

rcarol

burkphoto wrote:

If you want to learn how… read my white paper:

This white paper on digitizing slides is very well written. Thank you burkphoto for sharing your skill with us. And, Merry Christmas.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

rcarol wrote:

This white paper on digitizing slides is very well written. Thank you burkphoto for sharing your skill with us. And, Merry Christmas.

sodapop Loc: Bel Air, MD

I too had boxes and boxes of slides. I culled deeply and only saved the best.For instance, you don't need 8 pictures of the same kids sitting in a sandbox. Pick the cutest funniest or best composed for example

levinton

I also would send slides to Kodak - great results. Wish I had bought the coolscan that did 2 x 2. Also wish I had your skills. I still am scanning slides!