Scanning slides to a CD/DVD

[Carl]

Does anyone have the time to offer any advice on this subject?
Lessons learned?

I spent today going through about 1,500 slides, whittling them down
to about 400, taken from 1958 to 1978.

I ruthlessly tossed any "calendar art" type photos, and believe me I
had a lot, covering trips to Nepal, Rio, Africa, etc., focusing instead
on keeping only those with people in them. I am down to those slides
that I'd like to digitalize so I could print some to share with family
and friends and to pass all along to my daughter.

So...a few questions.

Do folks find it necessary to clean their slides before scanning and
if you did, what method did you use to clean them?

What kind of scanner do folks recommend? Any special attachments
required? I am retired and was an amateur photographer at best and do
not want to spend over $500 for a scanner. I can justify spending that
much only because I would like to use the scanner to reduce several
drawers full of paper files to CDs/DVDs then shred the files.

While on the subject of scanners, is there a certain dpi level below
which I should not go? Any attachments I need?

How long would it take, on average, to scan a slide which was in
good shape and needed no seriously tinkering?

How long would it take, worst case, to work on any one slide that
was faded, scratched, etc.?

What kind of software might be required/did you use? (I have Adobe
Photoshop Elements 4 for Macintosh).

Many thanks to anyone taking the time to respond,
Carl

[Camera]

Well, I went through this before.

Do folks find it necessary to clean their slides before scanning and if you
did, what method did you use to clean them?

No, but the film scanner scans the surface of your film/slide. If there is
a tiny dust, it will scan it too.

What kind of scanner do folks recommend? Any special attachments required?
I am retired and was an amateur photographer at best and do not want to
spend over $500 for a scanner. I can justify spending that much only
because I would like to use the scanner to reduce several drawers full of
paper files to CDs/DVDs then shred the files.

I personally recomend that you buy the best you can afford. I used Nikon
Super Coolscan for 35mm and the old Minolta Muti for 120 films.

While on the subject of scanners, is there a certain dpi level below which
I should not go? Any attachments I need?

It depends on what you want from the files. I scanned mine in the maximum
dpi for storage purpose. I have a roll film attachment for my Nikon Super
Coolscan. It is a lot easier to scan the whole roll of film.

How long would it take, on average, to scan a slide which was in good shape
and needed no seriously tinkering?

It depends on the resolution you want and the brand of your going to buy
scanner. It is hard to tell now.

How long would it take, worst case, to work on any one slide that was faded,
scratched, etc.?

Again it is hard to tell. It may take you ages. I would say it is a lot
easier to do it digitally than on the slide.

What kind of software might be required/did you use? (I have Adobe
Photoshop Elements 4 for Macintosh).

I think Photoshop is the best photo software in the market.

Post by Carl
Does anyone have the time to offer any advice on this subject?
Lessons learned?
I spent today going through about 1,500 slides, whittling them down
to about 400, taken from 1958 to 1978.
I ruthlessly tossed any "calendar art" type photos, and believe me I
had a lot, covering trips to Nepal, Rio, Africa, etc., focusing instead
on keeping only those with people in them. I am down to those slides
that I'd like to digitalize so I could print some to share with family
and friends and to pass all along to my daughter.
So...a few questions.
Do folks find it necessary to clean their slides before scanning and
if you did, what method did you use to clean them?
What kind of scanner do folks recommend? Any special attachments
required? I am retired and was an amateur photographer at best and do
not want to spend over $500 for a scanner. I can justify spending that
much only because I would like to use the scanner to reduce several
drawers full of paper files to CDs/DVDs then shred the files.
While on the subject of scanners, is there a certain dpi level below
which I should not go? Any attachments I need?
How long would it take, on average, to scan a slide which was in
good shape and needed no seriously tinkering?
How long would it take, worst case, to work on any one slide that
was faded, scratched, etc.?
What kind of software might be required/did you use? (I have Adobe
Photoshop Elements 4 for Macintosh).
Many thanks to anyone taking the time to respond,
Carl

[Alex Singleton]

Post by Carl
Does anyone have the time to offer any advice on this subject?
Lessons learned?

Go for a scanner with "Digital ICE", short for Digital Image Correctio
and Enhancement, as this will remove scratches and dust.
--
Alex Singleto
http://www.alexsingleton.co.uk