General Full-Frame Slide copying advice please

[Grahamk]

I have inherited a considerable number of slides dating from the late 1950s which are all in standard 2" x 2" mounts. However many are not 35mm images and the best assessment I can make is that they are from 828 film (which has an image size of 40 x 28 mm). Many of the slides would benefit from some processing. I could scan the 35mm slides but this would take a lot of time and, in any case, scanning doesn't work for the 828s since I lose a lot of subject matter (the compositions leave a lot to be desired!). Are there any recommendations for a slide copier I could use with my R6, either with or without its own light source, to photograph the slides?

 

[StevenAunan]

When I was working, I spent a lot of time digitizing old pictures and books (I even had a custom-built book scanner that used dual Canon point-and-shoot cameras and a remote shutter trigger). The workflow was tedious, and I imagine the workflow for slides would be worse.

So I was intrigued to see your question, and did a little bit of digging. You might take a look at the Shot Copy. It requires a lens that can focus within 1 inch of the subject, but apparently some older video cameras work well if you don't have a suitable macro lens for the R6.

Best of luck with the project!

What is ShotCopy

The 3 in 1 digital camera copystand built to copy scan convert slides negatives and photographs with your digital camera, video camcorder or Smart Phone.

shotcopy.com

 

[woolno]

When I was working, I spent a lot of time digitizing old pictures and books (I even had a custom-built book scanner that used dual Canon point-and-shoot cameras and a remote shutter trigger). The workflow was tedious, and I imagine the workflow for slides would be worse.

So I was intrigued to see your question, and did a little bit of digging. You might take a look at the Shot Copy. It requires a lens that can focus within 1 inch of the subject, but apparently some older video cameras work well if you don't have a suitable macro lens for the R6.

Best of luck with the project!

What is ShotCopy

The 3 in 1 digital camera copystand built to copy scan convert slides negatives and photographs with your digital camera, video camcorder or Smart Phone.

shotcopy.com

The old HP Scanner used to have a template that would allow you to scan 16 slides at a time. I found that it worked well.

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support.hp.com

 

[Grahamk]

When I was working, I spent a lot of time digitizing old pictures and books (I even had a custom-built book scanner that used dual Canon point-and-shoot cameras and a remote shutter trigger). The workflow was tedious, and I imagine the workflow for slides would be worse.

So I was intrigued to see your question, and did a little bit of digging. You might take a look at the Shot Copy. It requires a lens that can focus within 1 inch of the subject, but apparently some older video cameras work well if you don't have a suitable macro lens for the R6.

Best of luck with the project!

What is ShotCopy

The 3 in 1 digital camera copystand built to copy scan convert slides negatives and photographs with your digital camera, video camcorder or Smart Phone.

shotcopy.com

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll have a look.

 

[miuzi]

For a low-cost DIY option, you could look at 3D printing a slide scanner. Perhaps your local library offers 3D printing services at a low cost? I work at a library, and my job portfolio oversees the "Makerspace" elements of our services, which includes 3D printing. I've printed a negative scanner in the past the worked by placing the mount on top of an iPad with the screen on at max brightness, displaying a pure white background. The "scan" would then be captured via camera/macro lens. 3D print design databases such as Thingiverse have many user-created design of varying utility and quality, but it could be worth considering. This approach surely wouldn't alleviate the tedium of the process, but could make it more cost-effective, at least.

Alternatively, your library may offer public access to flatbed scanning. My library has flatbed scanners with film and negative guides, the scanning utility, and then Adobe Creative Cloud for Photoshop, all available at no cost to members.

 

[Archibald]

There are many ways to digitize slides. For the 35mm slides, the best would be a dedicated slide scanner, but they are expensive and scanning this way is time-consuming. Flatbed scanners (with transparency capabilities) give poor results with small originals in my experience.

Photographing them goes much faster and gives good results. I have done many this way with the neg or slide in a holder over a light box, with the camera & macro lens on a copy stand shooting down. This works for transparencies of any size. With a rig like this you have control over the quality of the light and the magnification.

The photographing method can be done in many ways, so it is up to your imagination and requirements. You could just tape the original onto a window and shoot it handheld with your camera or phone. There are slide copy devices available commercially too.

 

[Grahamk]

For a low-cost DIY option, you could look at 3D printing a slide scanner. Perhaps your local library offers 3D printing services at a low cost? I work at a library, and my job portfolio oversees the "Makerspace" elements of our services, which includes 3D printing. I've printed a negative scanner in the past the worked by placing the mount on top of an iPad with the screen on at max brightness, displaying a pure white background. The "scan" would then be captured via camera/macro lens. 3D print design databases such as Thingiverse have many user-created design of varying utility and quality, but it could be worth considering. This approach surely wouldn't alleviate the tedium of the process, but could make it more cost-effective, at least.

Alternatively, your library may offer public access to flatbed scanning. My library has flatbed scanners with film and negative guides, the scanning utility, and then Adobe Creative Cloud for Photoshop, all available at no cost to members.

Very creative suggestion, unfortunately my local library here in the UK has only basic scanning services and no 3D printing.