BleepingComputer.com: Scanner For Negatives And Slides

Like a lot of people my age (!) I have many slides packed away. When I want to view them I have to get out the projector, set up a screen etc and, frankly, it is a bind!

I know some scanners are able to convert slides and negatives into jpeg images. I have a Medion scanner four years old and this has an "attachment" into which I can place a slide. The image that results, however, is very poor.

I see that some scanners are advertised "for converting slides and negatives". Are these so very different from "ordinary" scanners, please? I have won vouchers to the value of around $150 and have the chance of acquiring a Bear Paw scanner that will do what I would like it to do.

The make is quite unknown to me and there is no alternative. If I don't get this one the vouchers will have to be "spent" on something rather unnecessary.

Why are some scanners advertised primarily for converting slides and negatives? Are they more "powerful" in some way?

If anyone can recommend another scanner I would consider it as it would pay for itself after converting around 50 slides!

If anyone can offer advice I would be grateful and thank you in advance.

Reena (from the UK)

I haven't used a scanner in a while, but I think the more important thing when scanning slides isn't the device but the quality of the OCR software you use

Tips and Tricks:
http://www.abstractconcreteworks.com/essay...ved-method.html

http://www.hp.com/united-states/consumer/d...ing_slides.html

http://graphicssoft.about.com/od/scanning/...ps_and_Help.htm

Thank you, Mark. The links are really interesting and helpful.

FWIW: http://www.lhdigital.co.uk/product_info.ph...oducts_id=10252 It seems that Mustek makes Bear Paw scanners .

If you have a really large number of slides/negatives...I would suggest looking at scanners which are advertised as being specific to such. Any scanner seems to do the job with photos and printed matter.

You might find this interesting: http://photo.net/leica-rangefinders-forum/00EpO2

Louis

Hamluis : The Bear Paw is advertised as being primarily for slides and negatives. I see some models are very cheap and I am reluctant to waste nearly $150 on something that might not be up to the task.

I don't want to spend more than that, though!!

Thank you for the information.