Negative / slide scanner

Zirax · 23-01-2010, 21:44

Long post, apologies.

Does anyone have a 35mm film scanner? My granddad has some 35mm pictures that he would like digitised. Now I have seen these scanners that are £40-50 but these seem a tad cheap:-

http://www.pixmania.co.uk/uk/uk/rf/scanner/10214__266

I could send these to a professional company. However you are talking about at least 50 years worth of negatives at 35mm. He would never let them go anywhere without sitting there right next to the machine while they are done. I can't say I blame him, 50+ years of kids and grandchildren is priceless.

Now my cunning plan is to get him this and then hook upto a digital picture frame which will cycle through them. I think a little later we could get a few frames showing things like grandkids, his kids, holidays etc.

I really think this would be awesome for him. He's had a rough time over xmas with hospital treatment for both him and my nan so it's something I can do

Price wise around £100 ish. I have a small bonus coming from work and I want to use it on him. Now I have googled and come across this site:-

http://www.negativescanners.co.uk/

Of the ones on there, the flatbed is crap which leaves the Nexus and Ion ones. Thoughts please

Does anyone have any good software for negative scanning as well?

Blighter · 23-01-2010, 22:19

Can't really help with the hardware.. but it's a really nice idea

lostkat · 24-01-2010, 09:44

My Dad has a Nikon Coolscan film scanner which he used to use to scan all his medium format pics in with, but since he's gone digital he doesn't use it. It did 35mm too. I think he used the standard Nikon software, but can't be sure because it's so long ago that I used it that I can't remember. I can't advise you on the quality of either of the ones you've looked at.

However, one thing I will say is don't expect the colours to be any good on these negatives. They fade after several years and start to lose their colour. You will find that they have a blue or red/magenta tinge and will look very washed out, so don't waste your time trying to get the colours perfect. It'd be worth probably just converting them to B&W or putting a sepia tint on them once you've scanned them in.

Zirax · 24-01-2010, 12:28

Thanks Kate, from reading around the two above seem to be digital cameras with an LED backlight behind them. Reviews are mixed on them, but I would only be putting it on a digital frame anyway rather than blowing them up to a large size. I am keeping an eye on ebay for the more pro level of film scanners, the Plustek's and Nikons go for anything from a hundred to silly money.

FakeSnake · 28-01-2010, 19:42

just seen this...may be able to help
i have a Nikon CoolScan something or other. (can get exact model later if you need?)
Happy for you to borrow it?

Nutcase · 29-01-2010, 08:40

Matt, I've got an old canoscan film scanner somewhere. Needs a scsi connection but it does work with xp. It's slow as hell as you have to set each fram individually but it's free to borrow

Zirax · 04-02-2010, 22:38

Thanks all, forgot about this thread, sorry

I've gone for this one:-
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Epson-Perfec...5318744&sr=8-1

4 pictures at once and it can be left to do its own thing and come back later. This I think is ideal as it will cut down on the "tech support" calls I am likely to get. Just worried about the others being a bit too technical for him, this way he should be able to blast through them fairly quickly.

23-01-2010, 21:44	#1
Zirax Goes up to 11! Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 4,577	Negative / slide scanner Long post, apologies. Does anyone have a 35mm film scanner? My granddad has some 35mm pictures that he would like digitised. Now I have seen these scanners that are £40-50 but these seem a tad cheap:- http://www.pixmania.co.uk/uk/uk/rf/scanner/10214__266 I could send these to a professional company. However you are talking about at least 50 years worth of negatives at 35mm. He would never let them go anywhere without sitting there right next to the machine while they are done. I can't say I blame him, 50+ years of kids and grandchildren is priceless. Now my cunning plan is to get him this and then hook upto a digital picture frame which will cycle through them. I think a little later we could get a few frames showing things like grandkids, his kids, holidays etc. I really think this would be awesome for him. He's had a rough time over xmas with hospital treatment for both him and my nan so it's something I can do Price wise around £100 ish. I have a small bonus coming from work and I want to use it on him. Now I have googled and come across this site:- http://www.negativescanners.co.uk/ Of the ones on there, the flatbed is crap which leaves the Nexus and Ion ones. Thoughts please Does anyone have any good software for negative scanning as well?

23-01-2010, 22:19	#2
Blighter Dubious Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Northampton Posts: 1,571	Can't really help with the hardware.. but it's a really nice idea __________________ Look at your signature, now back to mine, now back to yours, now back to mine. Sadly, yours isn't mine. But if you stopped writing about other things and made this your signature, yours could be like mine. Look down, back up. Where are you? You're on Boat Drinks, reading the signature your signature could be like. I'm on a computer. My Blog \| More Outdoors \| MSN \| Email \| Call Me

24-01-2010, 09:44	#3
lostkat Good Cat Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,550	My Dad has a Nikon Coolscan film scanner which he used to use to scan all his medium format pics in with, but since he's gone digital he doesn't use it. It did 35mm too. I think he used the standard Nikon software, but can't be sure because it's so long ago that I used it that I can't remember. I can't advise you on the quality of either of the ones you've looked at. However, one thing I will say is don't expect the colours to be any good on these negatives. They fade after several years and start to lose their colour. You will find that they have a blue or red/magenta tinge and will look very washed out, so don't waste your time trying to get the colours perfect. It'd be worth probably just converting them to B&W or putting a sepia tint on them once you've scanned them in. __________________ Oooooh Cecil, what have you done?

24-01-2010, 12:28	#4
Zirax Goes up to 11! Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 4,577	Thanks Kate, from reading around the two above seem to be digital cameras with an LED backlight behind them. Reviews are mixed on them, but I would only be putting it on a digital frame anyway rather than blowing them up to a large size. I am keeping an eye on ebay for the more pro level of film scanners, the Plustek's and Nikons go for anything from a hundred to silly money.

28-01-2010, 19:42	#5
FakeSnake Absinthe Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Devonshire Posts: 1,143	just seen this...may be able to help i have a Nikon CoolScan something or other. (can get exact model later if you need?) Happy for you to borrow it?

29-01-2010, 08:40	#6
Nutcase Moonshine Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Chelmsford, innit! Posts: 3,979	Matt, I've got an old canoscan film scanner somewhere. Needs a scsi connection but it does work with xp. It's slow as hell as you have to set each fram individually but it's free to borrow

04-02-2010, 22:38	#7
Zirax Goes up to 11! Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 4,577	Thanks all, forgot about this thread, sorry I've gone for this one:- http://www.amazon.co.uk/Epson-Perfec...5318744&sr=8-1 4 pictures at once and it can be left to do its own thing and come back later. This I think is ideal as it will cut down on the "tech support" calls I am likely to get. Just worried about the others being a bit too technical for him, this way he should be able to blast through them fairly quickly.