dweaver Loc: Atlanta

I'll check them out Jerry, thanks.

DebAnn Loc: Toronto

A pro-type camera store should stock a cleaning solution for negs and slides. I remember getting a small brown bottle of liquid cleaner and a cloth when I scanned mine. It worked well. For anything I didn't get off, I removed it in post. I have an Epson Perfection V550 scanner which did a great job - and it was inexpensive.

Papa Joe Loc: Midwest U.S.

When confronted with the same choice, I purchased the Wolverine which did a fine job. Depends on how large you wish to enlarge your prints.... the quality of mine were fine for 8x10, which I made severa of that size and I was very satisfied. I couldn't see investing hundreds of dollars for a 'one shot' session, then either trying to sell the scanner or let it collect dust.

bw79st Loc: New York City

You can clean slides, and film strips, with PEC-12 and lint free wipes. As stated by others, do not clean the emulsion side with anything. I found that PEC-12 is also good for cleaning glossy prints that have been passed down through the family. It does a good job of removing finger prints, some of which looked like they were left there by the photo technician 70 years ago.

I buy PEC-12 and wipes at either B&H or Adorama. I see they are for sale on Amazon as well. If you live near a large photo store it should be available there. A spray bottle of PEC-12 costs about $15 before any discounts and will last a long time.

Scanning slides is time-intensive if you want a good scan. Any place that is a bargain will probably do a slipshod job so be sure you know what work they do.

I use a slide scanner and Vuescan software. I also have an Epson V700 flatbed that does a reasonably good job, probably better than most scanning services. With the Epson I can load 12 slides in the carrier and just let them go. My slide scanner only holds 4 slides but is far superior to the Epson.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

With dedicated film scanners, the hardware and software often has built-in dust detection and deletion capabilities. Still I use a soft, anti-static brush and canned air to remove as much as possible.

Smudges, smears and really adhered stuff is harder to deal with and where the cleaning solutions come in.

In fact, with most film types it's possible to wash a slide, neg or even most prints. After all, washing and rinsing was part of the processing originally. I'd remove the slide from the mount and would probably use purified water. There are mild detergents that can be used, too, and often were part of the processing. Careful handling and a clean, dust-free drying location would be important, too... as the emulsions are usually softened by washing, but re-harden when dry.

I use a Nikon 4000ED scanner... currently with Vuescan software. (Silverfast AI is a better, but more expensive alternative.) The original scanning software that came with it around 15 years ago is not compatible with modern operating systems.

Besides it's 4000 ppi resolution and extremely high quality optics, a couple key reasons I got the Nikon scanner originally were that it uses Firewire connectivity (much faster than the old USB) and can optionally be fitted with a batch slide feeder that will automatically process up to 40 slides (at it's max oversampling rate it takes 10 or 15 minutes per scan and produces 130 MP 16 bit tiff files).

You can still pick up these Nikon scanners used... now far less expensive than they were new. However, Nikon no longer services them, so look for one in top shape and fully working condition.

I'd also consider the Minolta (also Konica-Minolta) 5400 ppi scanners and some other dedicated film/slide scanners. To the best of my knowledge, none of the others offer batch slide feeding capabilities, though.

Mike Nolan

my friend gustav verdeber of sojournsinnature.com told me to use: Pec-12. B&H photo has it.

works great.

thank you. mike nolan/rainforestandreef.org

dweaver Loc: Atlanta

Thanks. Good info all. I wondered about the scan resolution required and now I know what to look for if I buy.

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

If you go with ScanCafe, the cleaning process is done by them and included in their scanning prices!

bw79st Loc: New York City

I should have mentioned that I use a Canon Canoscan FS4000US film/slide scanner that is getting a bit old but does a great job. Like the Nikon it also takes about 15 minutes to do a really good scan.

Also, I used to use a compressed air can to do a once-over before scanning slides but I read recently that this is a very bad idea. The procedure, as I read, is to first use a Rocket hand blower to remove any grit or large particles that might scratch and then use an anti-static brush after that.

My supply of Dust-Off is now used primarily to clean out my electric shaver, and it does a great job. I'm sure now someone will tell me this is a dangerous procedure!

hpjb Loc: Eindhoven, Nederland

for scanning (copy) slides, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypBA9SfT2Lg


good luck, Henry

dweaver Loc: Atlanta

Thank you

OldEarl Loc: Northeast Kansas

I use an anti static brush from B&H, white gloves, and compressed air from Office Depot. I decided against a film cleaner since it might damage the emulsion. So far in my process I only have one or two that I will have to work on with software.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

:thumbup:

John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN

I have a soft camels hair brush attached to a squeeze bulb. To I can squirt air while brushing. Don't mouth blow on them - too much moisture.

dweaver Loc: Atlanta

Thanks for all the suggestions. All good info.