Hi,
Please excuse yet more questions from me, but I would like your opinions on the best way to digitise my old travel photographs (some are 35mm colour negatives, most are high quality slides).
I currently have an EPSON 2400 Photo scanner that I bought at the end of '02. I used it to digitise the photos that appear on my website and I have to say the results are mixed. Due to me not really knowing what I was doing, the images of the first few trips are quite low quality. To be honest, I am thinking of re-doing those sections. Scans of the slides from later trips are OK, but often come off the scanner VERY dark and needing a lot of alteration in Photoshop Elements. Then there is the problem of keeping dust out of the scanner.
I am thinking of going back to the drawing board and taking my photographs to a pro-lab to be scanned onto Hi-Res CD. Sure, it will be expensive but I'm thinking probably better quality and less back-breaking work (I say that because my scanner is under my desk!!).
Will the quality be any good? I'm thinking of using these people: Lab35
They are a very highly regarded lab where I normally get my slides developed and mounted. Also has the advantage that I can take my films in by hand.
Any thoughts?
Sorry, should have said I was also considering buying a dedicated film scanner instead, but probably can't afford an expensive one.
First up, don't assume a lab will do a better job of it. When I last travelled with film, back in 2001/2002, I usually had them scan to CD at the same time - the results and prices varied from expensive and hopeless, to cheap and excellent, with almost all shades in between.
Dust is always a problem - yes, you can use electronic dust removal stuff like Digital ICE, but it degrades image quality, the more aggressively you use it, the worse the result - so getting your sides clean in the first place is still important. Cardboard mounts are my nemesis ;)
No experience of Lab35, but the ability to take your films in personally is good - I'd give them alternate rolls though, so even if there is a problem, you'll still have some images from that timespan.
If the slides scan dark, is it possible that they're actually underexposed?
Dedicated slide scanners will give you the most control, becuase you're in the hot seat - but I will warn you, the process is often slow and tedious, even on a fast machine - if you're scanning at the highest resolutions available.
I used a Nikon SuperCoolscan 4000ED in the end, it's an excellent scanner - the optional automatic bulk slide loader is a pain though - always jamming, and rarely feeding slides in straight - and since, for reasons best known to themselves, they didn't include any automatic orientation checking, that means you have to do it yourself, on each and every frame. Tedious. Use the single slide device instead, you'll save yourself some money, and it works ;)
You'll probably find some good bargains in the used market, but check that they focus properly, and that the lamp is working properly. Also make sure there are drivers for your current OS.
Lan - thanks for the comprehensive answer. To reply to your questions - no, the slides are not underexposed (at least not noticeably). In fact tonight I just projected some slides from my trek in Nepal (for the first time). I had always assumed that a couple of them were really badly exposed because that's how they appeared after scanning - but I found that they are fine!
Also, I find that images edited on my desktop appear dark, but can appear washed out on my laptop. So I guess it varies according to monitor as well? How do you get round that?
This is why I wanted to leave it to a lab to scan - so many variables!
For the monitor issue - calibrate your monitor.
My laptop is noticeably brighter than my desktop CRT monitor.
After I calibrated my monitor my laptop was in fact too bright.
Both my laptop and CRT had to be made more yellow.
For the labs, try labs out, some are not good while others are good.
It may pay to go to a professional labs who may charge more, but that can easily become too much, my pro lab here can charge up to $5 or more for one shot depending on how large a file you want. Because the film are cut in strips or in each frame that may cost more as well, the least cost is gen if your entire roll is not cut .. so they can batch it easier.
But again, even if you get it scanned by a professional lab and pay an arm and a leg for it, if your monitor is not calibrated you will still be viewing the colors incorrectly.
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