# Scanner for 35mm slides **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 28, 2003, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scanner-for-35mm-slides/191439 "2003-07-28T14:26:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AV8R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/898d66/32.png) [@AV8R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AV8R)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scanner-for-35mm-slides/191439/1 "2003-07-28T14:26:15Z")
Can someone recommend a scanner for scanning 35mm slides? I’d like the price to be under $300. ---
**Author:** ![prisoner6655321](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f8ce5/32.png) [@prisoner6655321](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/prisoner6655321)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scanner-for-35mm-slides/191439/2 "2003-07-28T17:41:59Z")
I like the MicroTek brand. [http://www.microtekusa.com/soho.html](http://www.microtekusa.com/soho.html) I got one a year or so ago for around $100. [http://www.microtekusa.com/sm3800ll35.html](http://www.microtekusa.com/sm3800ll35.html) Then there’s: [http://www.microtekusa.com/sm4800.html](http://www.microtekusa.com/sm4800.html) Then I upgraded to one with a bigger film scanner for my medium format negatives. [http://www.microtekusa.com/sm5900.html](http://www.microtekusa.com/sm5900.html) I like it a lot. The software is the best scanning software I’ve seen to date. You can find these scanners most anywhere: Best Buy, CompUSA, Circuit City, etc. Or buy it online. But, as with most consumer brand scanners, make sure it scans well. Test it. If it doesn’t scan well, (look for thin off color or rainbowy lines), take (send) it back and get another one. Good reason to get one locally. ---
**Author:** ![prisoner6655321](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f8ce5/32.png) [@prisoner6655321](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/prisoner6655321)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scanner-for-35mm-slides/191439/3 "2003-07-28T17:53:49Z")
Oh, this one is new I think: [http://www.microtekusa.com/sm5700-adobe.html](http://www.microtekusa.com/sm5700-adobe.html) It has firewire and USB. The one I bought [http://www.microtekusa.com/sm5900.html](http://www.microtekusa.com/sm5900.html) has USB 2.0 connection, but it’ll work with regular USB also. They’re about the same. Whichever you prefer USB 2.0 or Firewire should determine which one you will get, if you want a 4x5 film scanner. If you just want a 35mm just get one of the cheaper ones. The 5700 has a $300 photoshop 7.0 offer though. That’s pretty good. Course then you’ll be spending $600 total, but you’ll have photoshop. ---
**Author:** ![viking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@viking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/viking)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scanner-for-35mm-slides/191439/4 "2003-07-28T20:49:28Z")
I think at that price range you’re looking at a flat-bed scanner with an adaptor, rather than a dedicated slide scanner. The downsides are poor resolution, and no slide feeder. A flatbed scanner is designed for scanning prints, which are much bigger than slides. Even a really good flatbed has only 1200dpi in resolution, which on a 1 3/8" by 5/8" slide is not a huge heck of a lot. By contrast, a dedicated slide scanner will be scanning at 3600 or 4800 dpi. I think I saw an 1800dpi one for CDN$700 a few months back, but can’t remember the name. What with prices falling and the canuckian buck not being worth much, this might be getting close to your price range. The other major advantage to a dedicated slide scanner is the feeder. Just drop your slides into it, press go, and worry about something else for the next hour or two (assuming a full roll of 36 and 2-3 minutes per scan…) At work I have access to a Nikon Coolscan 4000, which is about 3 times your price, unfortunately, but does do a really nice job… They do have a cheaper model, though even that is U$600. [Here’s a link](http://www.nikonusa.com/usa_product/product.jsp?cat=1&grp=98&productNr=9236) ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scanner-for-35mm-slides/191439/5 "2003-07-28T21:41:51Z")
I have the Epson Perfection 3200 PHOTO, and I love it. It’s about $400, and comes with Silverfast (excellent scanning software) and Photoshop Elements 2. Firewire and USB 2.0 connections. It can do prints, 35mm slides and negs, and medium format transparencies. For a little while I had the 3200’s predecessor, the Epson Perfection 2450 (which I really was quite pleased with. However, I got it a _week_ before the 3200, (I didn’t know the 3200 was poised to come out) so I returned the 2450 to the shop and got the 3200. The 3200 is even better than the 2450–and I liked the 2450 quite a bit. Check out these sample scans of the 2450, and imagine that the 3200 is a bit better: [The Luffman Family of England](http://home.earthlink.net/~yosemitebabe/epson-scans/luffman-adjust.jpg) [Close up of the Luffman photo](http://home.earthlink.net/~yosemitebabe/epson-scans/luffman-adjust-closeup.jpg) [Closeup of my mom holding siamese cat](http://home.earthlink.net/~yosemitebabe/epson-scans/mumbo-and-siamese-lout-adju.jpg) All these transparencies were old Kodachrome slides, scanned at 2400 dpi. The 3200 can scan at (guess) 3200 dpi. While certainly no flatbed scanner is going to be as good as a dedicated film scanner, this flatbed is pretty damned good. I’m quite pleased with the results so far. ---
**Author:** ![Earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/90db22/32.png) [@Earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthling)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scanner-for-35mm-slides/191439/6 "2003-07-28T23:27:07Z")
I’ve only used one of the expensve Nikons mentioned above, so this doesn’t come from personal experience. But… Based on what’s listed on a major photo equipment reseller’s website, the **Minolta Dimage Scan Dual III** (memo to Minolta: try a shorter name next time) may be your only choice. It’s a dedicated 2820 dpi film scanner and retails for $300. Do not despair at the lack of options, however, as a Google search will reveal that it has gotten good reviews all-around. ---
**Author:** ![Lennon\_Lives](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f04885/32.png) [@Lennon\_Lives](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lennon_Lives)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scanner-for-35mm-slides/191439/7 "2003-07-29T03:18:05Z")
I bought a PrimeFilm 1800 scanner about a year ago for ~$140.00. I scanned in ~ 150 to 200 slides and it preformed perfectly. The scanned images needed some photo editing but the results were acceptable. When I was finished scanning my slides, I sold it on eBay for ~$75.00. So all in all, a very worth while experience. LL PS Check eBay for a used one, there are several for sale. ---
**Author:** ![prisoner6655321](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f8ce5/32.png) [@prisoner6655321](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/prisoner6655321)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scanner-for-35mm-slides/191439/8 "2003-07-29T17:48:07Z")
Oh, my $300 microtek can scan at 4800 dpi. ---
**Author:** ![Baruba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8c91f0/32.png) [@Baruba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baruba)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2004, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scanner-for-35mm-slides/191439/9 "2004-02-08T08:31:03Z")
I just bought Epson Perfection 3200. Cheap, good and no more worries about having to replace my old Nikon with some expensive digital toy. I have pictures on film, scans for print, scans for web and fun wth photoshopping - perfection. Making a decent print might not be that easy as I thought, however. I tried once on a big inkjet at work The thing had worn out printheads and it showed. Getting proper contrast took me few tries, too. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2004, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scanner-for-35mm-slides/191439/10 "2004-02-08T16:57:54Z")
I have an HP 5470c, which does slides and also does negatives with an adapter, but it’s 2400 dpi.