[Ragin Cajun]

I have a bunch of older 35mm slides. I would like to digitize some of them. I notice Costco.com has the following:

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product...C&topnav=&cat=

Pacific Image PrimeFilm 35mm Film & Slide Scanner 1800U
Adobe Photoshop Album 1.0 Software for Windows included

35 mm film and slide scanner: scans slides and negatives
Linear array color CCD
36 bits per pixel color mode
12-bit per pixel grayscale mode
Optical resolution: 1800 dpi
(or 4.2 million pixels for a 35mm x 24mm image)
Maximum resolution: 19200 x 19200 dpi
(software enhanced)
Light source: Cold cathode fluorescent lamp
Scanning buffer: 512 K byte
Preview speed: approximately 10 seconds for color
Scanning speed: approximately 35 seconds
Maximum scanning area: 36mm x 24mm
USB interface
Microsoft XP® compatible
Microsoft ME compatible
Included software: Adobe Photoshop Album 1.0; Pacific Image CyberView; TWAIN-compliant driver for PC; plug-in for Mac; Presto Pagemanager (with image folio); Mr. Photo (with photo album)
Package includes: Film scanner, USB cable, power adaptor, driver, user's manual, warranty card and quick installation guide
Dimensions: 10.55" x 6.54" x 2.60"
Weight: 1.65 lbs.

$99.99 Shipping & Handling included

Item # 423427


Has anybody used this unit? How big are the files? My Olympus 3.2 mega pixle files are generally under 500K each and print very well at 8X10.


I'm not looking to do anything fancy, just the basics. $99 to my door sure is looking good. I don't think I need the 3600 dpi ones.

Thanks in advance.

[greenlead]

Many scanners have 35mm adapters. Shop around.

[308endurdebate]

Originally posted by Ragin Cajun
I have a bunch of older 35mm slides. I would like to digitize some of them. I notice Costco.com has the following:

STUFF DELETEED

Has anybody used this unit? How big are the files? My Olympus 3.2 mega pixle files are generally under 500K each and print very well at 8X10.


I'm not looking to do anything fancy, just the basics. $99 to my door sure is looking good. I don't think I need the 3600 dpi ones.

Thanks in advance.

"Bunch" would imply using an automated scanner. I purchased the DIMAGE Scanner III for my dad for Xmas 03. Works great, just a little more expensive, but the time saved (it scans a negative strip or multiple slides in a holder) vice manual scanning is a killer. As far as size, depends on resolution and compression.

If your slides or negatives were faster than 100, 3600 dpi is probably to high, since there is noise. Especially 400 and 800 (but those would be for negatives). Ektachrome 100 and Kodachrome 64 (more likely since you say older) are fairly fine grain and can benefit from higher resolution.

-ken

[Texas T]

Originally posted by 308endurdebate
Ektachrome 100 and Kodachrome 64 (more likely since you say older) are fairly fine grain and can benefit from higher resolution.

Ken, most of my dad's slides are from the 50's and 60's and they say Kodachrome (no mention of 64) on the slides themselves. To do the same thing that Ragin is doing are you suggesting that the 3600dpi will give me better results? Thanks


T

[Ragin Cajun]

What about file size? In looking at the specs of various slide scanners the file sizes appear to be HUGE compared to the file size used my my digital camera. What gives???

BTW, I have many slides but will only digitize some.

[hwyhobo]

There is no magic when comes to file sizes. Scanned image size = DPI * SurfaceArea_in_Square_Inches * 12_bit_depth. Your camera is probably set to produce highly compressed (in a lossy format) jpeg images, perhaps in lower than high quality.

The good news is, after you process your image in a lossles, high quality format, you can save for the web display in jpeg. Keep the large lossles images for the future. Blank CDs are not exactly expensive these days.

[308endurdebate]

Originally posted by Texas T
Ken, most of my dad's slides are from the 50's and 60's and they say Kodachrome (no mention of 64) on the slides themselves. To do the same thing that Ragin is doing are you suggesting that the 3600dpi will give me better results? Thanks


T

That is fairly old, I haven't scanned those, but I know that the older films were grainier. Kodachrome 64 (some slower) is the most common slides my dad used in the 70s, 80s. Print film negative scans of 60's film was ok at high resolution, but IMO should be saved at higher compression as they didn't have near the quality (grain and contrasting) as todays films.

If you have really good quality slides, then high res, with low compression is worthwhile. Buy a DVD burner.

-ken

[308endurdebate]

Originally posted by hwyhobo
There is no magic when comes to file sizes. Scanned image size = DPI * SurfaceArea_in_Square_Inches * 12_bit_depth. Your camera is probably set to produce highly compressed (in a lossy format) jpeg images, perhaps in lower than high quality.

small calculation error

actually, RAW size(KB) = dpi * area * color_bit_depth * scan_colors / 8

you get at least 3 scan_colors (R/G/B).

-k