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Digitizing slides the easy way
As a subscriber of some years I am always keen to be introduced to the latest trends in technology, together with answers to the problems that it creates.
But we should not forget that these technologies often require expenditure, and may not always be the most practical solution.
In the June issue of PCW, in answer to a question regarding capturing transparencies to digital format, the expert advised a solution involving expenditure of a few hundred pounds, followed by a time consuming process of scanning them with the specialist peripheral.
From experience I know that in some respects the scanning is only part of the effort; manipulation to provide individual photos from scanned multiples is quite frustrating.
However, an alternative is to use a slide projector to display them on to a screen and then use a digital camera (on a tripod with a short delay on the trigger to minimise shake) to take individual digital photographs. Using a Kodak carousel projector with 80 slides, I can capture 10 photographs per minute.
Perfect? No, but I cannot tell the difference unless I start enlarging. Technology is great fun, but don't overlook simpler methods.
Andy Quick
Re Converting Slides to Digital Format-- I have a slide scanner which is tedious. Even easier way with excellent results - Slides in a small hand held battery driven viewer, digital camera using macro setting close up on a tripod. Using a dark cloth over your head and the gear helps too. I feel like a 19th century photographer but it works!.
Posted by Jean | July 3, 2007 6:15 PM
Nikon (or Canon or...) ought to make a high end slide copying device that would allow for optimal digitizing by means of a digital camera - especially now that such amazingly fine cameras exist. - Here's how I see it: the device should be mountable as a lens on the camera - it should contain a high quality lens that would be designed, however, for one purpose and one purpose only - to copy a slide that would be inserted into a light tight shaft on the other side of the lens. An optional film frame carrier should be included so that the entire exposed area of the film frame could be shot. - The lens should be "focusable" to adjust for variations in slide frame thickness or whatever. Ideally the slide should be moveable as well just a little bit, to allow for slight cropping if desired. On the other side of the slide ("the far side" from the camera) there should be a diffuser and "behind" the diffuser a small flash unit for illumination of the slide for exposure onto the camera's sensor. The camera would automatically expose correctly, utilizing all the features the camera might be capable of. In other words, an ultra practical device for fast and very high quality slide digitization. - I have a Nikon D300 and it seems obvious to me that this camera would be able to produce extremely high quality digital files from my massive amounts of Kodachrome 25 slides.....just a thought...should I file for a patent...? ...no...I just revealed the idea....a complete "self-contained" unit that mounted on the camera just as a lens...
Posted by Gunnar | May 24, 2008 11:41 PM