Digitizing Slides

[Formerly YB-2]

Have a few thousand slides from a previous lifetime when the Nikon F was the camera to own. Is there a 'preferred' device to use for digitizing slides these days?
Thanks.

[GaryProtein]

Nikon Super Coolscan 5000 ED

If you have a lot to scan, I would also recommend getting the stack loader / auto feeder which will hold about 40-50 slides depending on their thickness for automated scanning. If you use a stack loader, you cannot mix glass mounted and non-glass mounted slides because the focus will be different. They all have to be the same. Standard plastic and paper mounts are the same thickness.

One thing with the stack loader, the paper mount slides feed very well because they have beveled edges. The plastic Pakon mounts don't slide past each other so well and their sharp cut edges cause them to bind, sometimes annoyingly often in a stack.

You could also use a bellows slide copier with a macro lens and just photograph the slides, but a scanner does a better job.

I have scanned the slides I use in some lectures, but family, friends and scenic slides I show to people in the photos, I show as original transparancies.

One more option is to check out service bureaus that might do it for you. That could be expensive per slide.

[Formerly YB-2]

Gary - thanks for pointing me in the right direction. But, $4K for the Nikon is considerably more then I'm willing to spend. However, when looking for the Nikon I did run across a single feed device from Epson for $205 that looks like it will do all I need. Epson Perfection V600 Photo Scanner

[SHV]

FWIW, a Nikon 4000 or 5000 ED 35mm film scanner seem to be going for $600-1000 on e-bay. An auto loading slide feeder would be several hundred more. The Nikon 9000 ED, 35mm and 120mm are listed for $2500-4500, about x2 the cost of new prior to being discontinued. (I have no experience with the 4-5000 scanners but considering the amount of time, effort, aggravation, etc. needed to scan thousands of slides, you might want to research ease of scanning, output quality etc. vs equipment cost prior to making a decision.

I have both a Nikon 9000 ED and Epson V750 PRO and the Epson does a good job scanning 120mm compared to the Nikon.

Steve

Steve

[427]

Epson Perfection V600 Photo Scanner, is a hot ticket and has been one of the standards in the photo world.

[GeoffRoberts]

I've owned the Nikon coolscan 5000 and an espson v700. If your film is cut the Epson will be much easier as it can load 24 frames at s time, a few less if they're mounted slides. I sold the Nikon as I've mostly used medium and large format over the last five years or so, and I find the quality from the Epson is fine. Also note that Nikon have not supported their drivers in several years now, there are a few aftermarket options, but I have found them clunky