Ideas for old glass slides?

okie · Jan 19, 2003

I have about 140 old photo slides in the 2.25" format---film sandwiched between thin glass in a metal frame. These are pictures my father took some fifty years ago. I want to get digital images of them and would love to hear your ideas about how to do it.

First, some info about what I have tried and am thinking about doing. Because of the glass they don't scan. Even taking the film out of the glass I am not able to scan successfully, so scanning seams to be out. A photo outfit looked at a slide and seemed to think they could do it and put them on a CD but the cost was prohibitive (at least for me). I did find that there is an adapter that will work with the C-21oo so you can take pictures of slides---but it only works with regular 35mm slides and not the 2.25" format. I got a nice little slide sorter light box for this project. Using my C-21oo in macro mode I am able to capture images from these slides, at least well enough for my interest in preserving them digitally. Some slides are going to be too dark and I will need to get a brighter light source behind them.

Have any of you tried anything like this? Do any of you have any suggestions or recommendations? Any ideas or suggestions will be appreciated.

--

http://www.pbase.com/jrwfrog/

Okie

'Reality is frequently inaccurate.' Douglas Adams

C. Tosh · Jan 19, 2003

Maybe use a projector (or place them in front of one) and project them on a white wall and photograph them. Good Luck

okie said:
I have about 140 old photo slides in the 2.25" format---film
sandwiched between thin glass in a metal frame. These are pictures
my father took some fifty years ago. I want to get digital images
of them and would love to hear your ideas about how to do it.

First, some info about what I have tried and am thinking about
doing. Because of the glass they don't scan. Even taking the film
out of the glass I am not able to scan successfully, so scanning
seams to be out. A photo outfit looked at a slide and seemed to
think they could do it and put them on a CD but the cost was
prohibitive (at least for me). I did find that there is an adapter
that will work with the C-21oo so you can take pictures of
slides---but it only works with regular 35mm slides and not the
2.25" format. I got a nice little slide sorter light box for this
project. Using my C-21oo in macro mode I am able to capture images
from these slides, at least well enough for my interest in
preserving them digitally. Some slides are going to be too dark
and I will need to get a brighter light source behind them.

Have any of you tried anything like this? Do any of you have any
suggestions or recommendations? Any ideas or suggestions will be
appreciated.

--

http://www.pbase.com/jrwfrog/

Okie

'Reality is frequently inaccurate.' Douglas Adams

--
CHRIS -- JUST ZOOOOOOOOM IT!!!
Oleee Sea twentyonehundred,oozee-- bee,threehundred
a Olee sea fourthousand-- Epsun seveneightyfive,eeexpee

Martin Davis · Jan 19, 2003

Check out this product -

http://www.photosolve.com/main/product/xtendaslide/index.html

I bought the Xtend-a-Slide and use if for paper mount slides, but they have a version for glass mounted slides. It works well for me.

Martin

--
http://www.pbase.com/mrd pbase supporter
C-3020 Tiffen MegaPlus 2X

okie · Jan 19, 2003

C. TOSH said:
Maybe use a projector (or place them in front of one) and project
them on a white wall and photograph them. Good Luck

Good suggestion. I forgot to mention in my original post that that was my first thought---but I don't have a slide projector for these slides and from checking around they are not easily found and I have been told they cost about $600. So that's out for me---and I can't find a place to rent one from.

Thanks.

http://www.pbase.com/jrwfrog/

Okie

'Reality is frequently inaccurate.' Douglas Adams

okie · Jan 19, 2003

Martin Davis said:
Check out this product -

http://www.photosolve.com/main/product/xtendaslide/index.html
I bought the Xtend-a-Slide and use if for paper mount slides, but
they have a version for glass mounted slides. It works well for me.

Martin

Thanks, Martin. I'll check it out.

http://www.pbase.com/jrwfrog/

Okie

'Reality is frequently inaccurate.' Douglas Adams

okie · Jan 19, 2003

Matin,

I took a look and while it says glass mounted slides, it is hard to tell if this will handle a slide 2.25" X 2.25". It doesn't really look like it will. Maybe I will contact photosolve. I don't think these are 35mm slides.

Thanks

--

http://www.pbase.com/jrwfrog/

Okie

'Reality is frequently inaccurate.' Douglas Adams

Bob Myers1 · Jan 19, 2003

okie said:
Matin,

I took a look and while it says glass mounted slides, it is hard to
tell if this will handle a slide 2.25" X 2.25". It doesn't really
look like it will. Maybe I will contact photosolve. I don't think
these are 35mm slides.

Thanks

--

http://www.pbase.com/jrwfrog/

Okie

'Reality is frequently inaccurate.' Douglas Adams

--
Bob WB7SBW
Olympus C21oo
http://members.cox.net/robert.myers1/
http://members.cox.net/robert.myers2/

okie · Jan 19, 2003

The metal frame is actually 2.75 x 2.75". The viewable film is 2.125 x 2.125".

http://www.pbase.com/jrwfrog/

Okie

'Reality is frequently inaccurate.' Douglas Adams

Martin Davis · Jan 19, 2003

I would recommend contacting Photosolve. The Xtend-a-Slide product was made for 35mm and your size is not that. I had a question about my needs when I bought their product and found the company very responsive and he may have a suggestion for your size slides. Worth an e-mail to him.

--
http://www.pbase.com/mrd pbase supporter
C-3020 Tiffen MegaPlus 2X

IRC · Jan 19, 2003

You'd be surprised what equipment is sitting around at your local university. I'd check with their A/V people. At least with the university near me I was able to come in and use some of their old audio equipment. I had to use it there but they set me up in a room all to myself. I wouldn't be surprised if other universities wouldn't be as obliging. If the photography department doesn't have what you need make sure you check with the library or whatever department handles loaning that type of equipment to professors for classes.

okie said:
C. TOSH said:

Maybe use a projector (or place them in front of one) and project
them on a white wall and photograph them. Good Luck

Click to expand...

Good suggestion. I forgot to mention in my original post that that
was my first thought---but I don't have a slide projector for these
slides and from checking around they are not easily found and I
have been told they cost about $600. So that's out for me---and I
can't find a place to rent one from.

okie · Jan 20, 2003

IRC

Good idea. Thanks. Hadn't thought of that. My wife works at a university so I will check out the possibilities.

As always, people at the forum provide good ideas and help. Thanks to all who responded.

http://www.pbase.com/jrwfrog/

Okie

'Reality is frequently inaccurate.' Douglas Adams

George Druther · Jan 20, 2003

Another way to do it is to use a flat bed scanner if you have one kicking around.. There are some ideas on this page http://www.scantips.com .

You could make some sort of light box (with daylight floresents) to replace the cover with.

I found a roll of slides I developed and never mounted from 35 years ago and used this method to scan them.
--
George, K2EWL http://wwwbg.tripod.com
Pics at http://www.pbase.com/george_druther
D360L, C3000Z, C2100UZ, C700UZ, E-10, Nikon CP700,
2 crummy vivitar digitals and a whole bunch of antique film exposing machines

Peter McNeill · Jan 20, 2003

Colour or B&W? If colour you'll have to find a projector or something... if B&W they can be scanned, I've been doing that with old family photos and negs lately. Just scan into Photoshop or something similiar at a farily high resolution, 1200-2400dpi or so, then use the invert command and use levels/curves to get contrast/brightness best you can. It's not perfect but B&W negs can be made salvagable.

okie said:
I have about 140 old photo slides in the 2.25" format---film
sandwiched between thin glass in a metal frame. These are pictures
my father took some fifty years ago. I want to get digital images
of them and would love to hear your ideas about how to do it.

First, some info about what I have tried and am thinking about
doing. Because of the glass they don't scan. Even taking the film
out of the glass I am not able to scan successfully, so scanning
seams to be out. A photo outfit looked at a slide and seemed to
think they could do it and put them on a CD but the cost was
prohibitive (at least for me). I did find that there is an adapter
that will work with the C-21oo so you can take pictures of
slides---but it only works with regular 35mm slides and not the
2.25" format. I got a nice little slide sorter light box for this
project. Using my C-21oo in macro mode I am able to capture images
from these slides, at least well enough for my interest in
preserving them digitally. Some slides are going to be too dark
and I will need to get a brighter light source behind them.

Have any of you tried anything like this? Do any of you have any
suggestions or recommendations? Any ideas or suggestions will be
appreciated.

--

http://www.pbase.com/jrwfrog/

Okie

'Reality is frequently inaccurate.' Douglas Adams

--
Growing old is not an option.... acting young is.

Kevin Atkins · Jan 20, 2003

You wouldn't believe the setup I used for these... or maybe you would:

that's three incandescent lights, a piece of paper, a 2x4 holding down a plastic fork, which held the slide in place, and with which, plus an Olypus C2000z, I took these shots

http://www.kevinatkins.org/interlochen2000/glass_slides

I will go back one of these days and reshoot the slides with a more professional setup and higher resolution camera, but at least if they're damaged or destroyed, we have some record of them.

Cheers,

Kevin Atkins

okie · Jan 20, 2003

George,

Thanks. I have tried using my scanner. Since the slides have glass it doesn't work. I have taken a film out of the mounting and for some reason it won't scan in either--although I haven't tried putting my light box over the slide. I'll give that a try. I am not interested in taking all of them out of their mounting and shooting them with my C-21oo will be quicker than scanning. I have scanned regular 35mm slides on my scanner successfully.

George Druther said:
Another way to do it is to use a flat bed scanner if you have one
kicking around.. There are some ideas on this page
http://www.scantips.com .
You could make some sort of light box (with daylight floresents) to
replace the cover with.
I found a roll of slides I developed and never mounted from 35
years ago and used this method to scan them.
--
George, K2EWL http://wwwbg.tripod.com
Pics at http://www.pbase.com/george_druther
D360L, C3000Z, C2100UZ, C700UZ, E-10, Nikon CP700,
2 crummy vivitar digitals and a whole bunch of antique film
exposing machines

--

http://www.pbase.com/jrwfrog/

Okie

'Reality is frequently inaccurate.' Douglas Adams

okie · Jan 20, 2003

http://www.pbase.com/jrwfrog/

Okie

'Reality is frequently inaccurate.' Douglas Adams

okie · Jan 20, 2003

Kevin,

Wow! I checked out the results of your work and I am impressed. Nice job.

My idea of using my light box, tripod, and C-21oo to capture these images is similar to what you have done.

The photos I have are color slides my father took in the early fifties. He took the pictures, developed the film, and mounted the slides. He also put a date on each mount. The photos are mostly of me, some of the rest of the family and some other family members. He gave each of us kids, four of us, a box of slides a number of years back.

Thanks for showing your set up and sharing your results. Let's me think my plan will work out all right. My trial run gave better results than I anticipated. My wife is going to see if she can get her hands on a projector for me----if so, I may take pictures of these slides two different ways.

--

http://www.pbase.com/jrwfrog/

Okie

'Reality is frequently inaccurate.' Douglas Adams

Delbert · Jan 20, 2003

Okie,

To do a really professional job you need a film scanner, however most film scanner, even those that will scan medium format, wont accommodate the glass mounts. I don’t know what your budget is, but there are several good flatbed scanners that can be fitted with a transparency adapter. I have an Epson 1650 photo that has a transparency adapter (35mm), and a film scanner. The Epson is on par with the film scanner. Here is a model that has a 4X9 transparency adapter.

http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/ProductQuickSpec.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@0745249927.1043095314@@@@&BV_EngineID=eadcgfchgdglbfdmcfjgckidnf.0&oid=9679213&category=Scanners

Find someone who has one and pay them a reasonable price to scan them professional services charge way to much for this service.
Good luck

http://www.pbase.com/delbert
Delbert...just hangin around
C-2100, C-3000, D520

C.Bridges · Jan 20, 2003

Hi Okie,

I had a similar problem converting my 35mm slides to digital. I searched the internet for what others had done. I eventually borrowed my cousin's digital Kodak camera and stacked his close-up filters. I built a small extension tube from a styrofoam coffee cup using scissors, cardboard, and tape. I taped the extension tube to the close-up filters. I used a light table that we had at work for my light source. I placed the slide on the light table then placed the extension tube directly on the slide and made the copy. Total cost $0.00. I plan to buy some close-up filters for the UZI. I'm not sure if the standard close-up kits offer enough maginfication and will have to experiment.

Here are the results of my Royal Cup coffee slide copier:
http://www.pbase.com/chb/slide_copies_2

Have fun and keep on shootin'
CHB
--
IPACKANUZI

Michael Meissner · Jan 20, 2003

okie said:
I have about 140 old photo slides in the 2.25" format---film
sandwiched between thin glass in a metal frame. These are pictures
my father took some fifty years ago. I want to get digital images
of them and would love to hear your ideas about how to do it.

First, some info about what I have tried and am thinking about
doing. Because of the glass they don't scan. Even taking the film
out of the glass I am not able to scan successfully, so scanning
seams to be out. A photo outfit looked at a slide and seemed to
think they could do it and put them on a CD but the cost was
prohibitive (at least for me). I did find that there is an adapter
that will work with the C-21oo so you can take pictures of
slides---but it only works with regular 35mm slides and not the
2.25" format. I got a nice little slide sorter light box for this
project. Using my C-21oo in macro mode I am able to capture images
from these slides, at least well enough for my interest in
preserving them digitally. Some slides are going to be too dark
and I will need to get a brighter light source behind them.

Have any of you tried anything like this? Do any of you have any
suggestions or recommendations? Any ideas or suggestions will be
appreciated.

In addition to the other suggestions, you might try putting on a polarizer filter. It might cut down on the reflections from the glass slide.

Ideas for old glass slides?

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