JackB

So I purchased this scanner recently to scan my slides which have been in a big box on the storage shelf that my wife has threatened to throw in the dumpster. After acquainting myself with the scanner, I have learned that to scan 4 slides at 1200 DPI takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. At age 72, I am not sure I have enough time left to scan 1000 slides (lol). Am I doing something wrong or should I chalk this up to not doing enough homework prior to purchase. A scanning service that does this may have been the better alternative.

jwreed50 Loc: Manassas, VA

The transparency holder on my Epson V850 holds 12 slides at a time, and there are two transparency holders so you can be loading and preparing the next one while while batch is scanning. I recently finished scanning about 500+ slides with the V850 -- took me a couple of months to get it done.

You don't have to babysit it while one batch is scanning. ;-) It's OK to go do something else while the scanner is doing its thing.

With the V850 (and some post-processing adjustments in Lightroom), I think I was able to get better quality scans than I likely would have from the typical scanning service.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

My V600 has a tray that holds 6 images of 35mm negative film. My last big scan was in 2013 so I need to reference my notes and memory, rather than just-yesterday experience. In the scanning software, find where you can create a custom 'professional' profile and start with these settings:

film type - color negative
image type = 48-bit color
expand for fast scanning
resolution - 2400 dpi
doc size - 36 w 24 h mm
target - <assign your profile-name here and pixel size, such as 6000 x 4000 for a 24MP image, try 3888x2592 pixels for 10MP>
unsharp mask = y
grain reduction = y
color restoration = y (low)
backlight correction = n
Dust removal = y / high

average scan processing 1 - minute / negative, when DIGITAL ICE = Y instead of dust removal = scan is 4 mins per negative

For each image preview - click exposure correction for each negative to be converted

JackB

Thanks for the info but the tray provided with my scanner only holds 4 slides. Not sure, but I may be able to buy a larger one.

JackB

V600 tray only holds 4 slides. Thank you.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Mine does not take nearly 15 minutes for 4 slides at 1200 dpi - more like 3-4 minutes. Are you in professional mode, previewing and choosing 1200 DPI, 24 bit color, color correction and digital ICE SW? If all that is true, I’d check to see if you are using a USB-3 wired connection to your computer. If you’re using WIFI or USB-2 to the scanner, then you will suffer a big hit in performance. First, consider your connection, and if that isn’t the answer, then your other option is to choose a lower resolution scan such as 600 or 300 DPI .

rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA

Do you really need ALL of the 1,000 slides scanned at 1200 dpi? Why not just those you intend on printing? (Or those you plan to print larger than 5x7, to narrow it down even further. For small prints, resolution doesn't need to be all that great.)

JackB

Preview takes 3-4 minutes. Using iMac with 40 gb ram. Check your time. I’m timing from loading slides, preview, then final scan then loading new slides. 1200 dpi. Connected with usb cable provided with scanner. The V600 is not wireless so WiFi is not a consideration. I have checked you tube videos and all report it is a slow process - maybe for a handful of slides but for 25 years of old slides it is slow process.

JackB

You are correct - switched to 300 dpi and not a lot of improvement but somewhat faster. 4 slides max is what I missed in my research. Do not understand why that is the limit when scanning deck is much larger.

JackB

I am dealing with slides and not actual negatives. 4 slides is all tray holds.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Look up - "Scanning Negatives and Slides" by Sascha Steinhoff, published by Rockynook, I believe it and his "Vuescan Bible" specific to the Vuescan software are in their second or third editions. They are great - among other things he explains which resolutions to scan for what type of uses and how to speed things up.

A dedicated negative/slide scanner helps, mine is 35 mm and smaller so I only need to use the flatbed for medium format and up (I do have a couple boxes of 120 negatives and slides and some 5x7 negatives to scan.) Plus thousands of slides and negative going all the way back to the 40's/50's from family members and my two years in Nam and graduate level field work when by the fact I had more camera gear than the rest put together I became the "photographer" for a summer long Field School in SW Mexico. About 8-10 file boxes full, I just got the scanner and am in the "lets learn just how to do this right stage".
I am 75 and my goal is to get them all done by my 76th birthday in Oct. Fortunately I have our special needs son's i5 gamer to dedicate to the scanners - he now has an i7 gamer we just got him - he loves train simulator programs and the latest & greatest would not run on the i5 so we got him a new i7 with all the goodies, on steroids.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

My preview takes less than a minute for four slides. Have you installed the Epson SW ap and are you scanning ar 24 bit or 48 bit color? Btw, the 4 slide max is due to the limited backlight area in the cover.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Another Hogger just put up a Nikon Coolscan 4000 for sale: https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-679876-1.html

JackB

I am scanning at 48 bit color. I installed the software from the CD that came with the scanner. What is the Epson SW app? Thanks

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Try going to 24 bit, and see how it affects your scan time...