Digitizing Slides
 

I need to scan some slides. I have an old scanner a Mustek Bearpaw 1200TA which has this ability, but I have lost the installation disc. I have downloaded the operating program and drivers and the scanner is working in normal flat bed mode. However to scan slides I need Twain and I cannot find a compatible program.

I downloaded a trial version of Vue Scan. The Quick Setting guide says:

Color slide
1. Choose File | Default options from the File menu to reset VueScan
2. Select Input tab on the Options panel
3. Set Input | Source to your scanner
4. Set Input | Mode to "Transparency"
5. Set Input | Quality to "Print"
6. Set Input | Media to "Image"

Step 1 is OK. Steps 2 and 3 are also OK (I have a newer second scanner attached)

However in Step 4 I do not have “Transparency” showing as a source nor do I have an Input Media button (Step 6).

Is this because I only have the trial version, or am I missing something?

I recall some time ago a thread dealing with photographing slides, but I can’t locate it. Does anyone recall it?

Thanks!

Here's the slide photographing link;

http://www.worldphotographyforum.com...ead.php?t=4972

Many thanks! I think my old scanner has had it anyway! I did find a program that would work it but the result was dreadful.

We could recommend you scanners if you tell us what price range and what you want to do with the files (large prints, small prints, putting on the web). In the very much low-end scanners the Epson V300 works well, cheap but performs very well with B&W negatives (my main use), with colour negs a fair bit of correction is required to get the results you want but it's very much on a par with the more expensive Epsons regarding resolution.

Alternatively you could get them scanned at a lab, v. good quality but very expensive!

Thanks, there seems to be a limited maybe zero, supply of dedicated slide scanners in Thailand.

I think the answer is to photograph them!

Not sure how you could do this with a Sony A350, I have had good success with a canon 60mm macro lens, I made a tube out of black card to fit over the lens sandwiched the film between two black cards with a hole the same size of a picture this was fitted at the other end of the tube, with this being fixed to the lens you can hand hold it without getting any movement blur and aim the camera towards natural light like a bright sky, I can’t show you a picture of it because I have mislaid it but I could knock another up to show you what it looks like?

Jim

Thanks Jim. That sounds like a gadget I remember from years ago that you could buy to duplicate slides.

I'm going to do a bit of experimenting with a close up lens and a light box.

Your welcome, Tangata, I have had another look for the contraption I made but have no idea were I put it, I still need one myself to do some negatives I have so it looks like I will have to make one after all.
It would be nice to see your experiments, I will post some of mine and we could compare the end results.

I knocked this thing up in a couple of hours I have just used it on this negative I took 30 years ago :)

My Niece.

Seeing I made this again I thought I would pass on how I made this contraption :)

First I made a tube out of some black corrugated packaging that I found, I cut it just under the minimum focal length of the Canon 60mm macro lens, I then made a squire tube to fit over the round one and gave it flaps so I could tape or glue the face plate to it but found tape to be ok, the outer box can slide on the inner tube so you can get the negative to the correct focal length you want to set it too, the only thing not showing is the film holder which is just a folded piece of card to hold the film.
To take the picture I used a white screen on the monitor and adjusted the camera to get the correct exposure, hope this helps anyone interested in getting their pictures from slides.