Anyone copy slides w/S2?

[Robert Whiteman]

Our old Kodak slide projector is now out with the trash. I've had it since 1973 but time eventually took it's toll.

Everything up to 2001 was slides/prints so our kids growing up, travels etc are not digital yet. I don't think we are interested in scanning thousands of slides but I've started to consider the idea of using the S2 to copy the keepers and kids photos. I'd rather view them via DVD on a TV screen than trying to get another projector and screen (no more "white" walls due to remodeling project).

Anyone tried this before? If so, how are the results. Wife was looking at a 1800 dpi slide/film scanner for a decent price but the output is only 4 mega pixels and takes 35 sec per scan. Not my idea of a good time if the S2 could make better copies.

Any thoughts??

Robert

 

[John Nollendorfs]

Robert:

I've used a micro-nikkor on my S2 & a cheap battery operated light box as a light source. Also, just happened to have a copy stand to mount the camera on.

Yes, by all means it works quite well. Just make sure you get a good exposure set up, and watch your histograms.

I did a custom WP of the light box

With good slides, every shot was right on. Poorly exposed shots caused problems. Be ready to manually adjust for underexposed shots.

And yes, it works a lot faster than 35 sec/slide!!!

Set up actions in PS to automate batch work.

John Nollendorfs

Our old Kodak slide projector is now out with the trash. I've had
it since 1973 but time eventually took it's toll.

Everything up to 2001 was slides/prints so our kids growing up,
travels etc are not digital yet. I don't think we are interested in
scanning thousands of slides but I've started to consider the idea
of using the S2 to copy the keepers and kids photos. I'd rather
view them via DVD on a TV screen than trying to get another
projector and screen (no more "white" walls due to remodeling
project).

Anyone tried this before? If so, how are the results. Wife was
looking at a 1800 dpi slide/film scanner for a decent price but the
output is only 4 mega pixels and takes 35 sec per scan. Not my idea
of a good time if the S2 could make better copies.

Any thoughts??

Robert

--
John

 

[Derrel87035]

Robert,

Back in the late summer/early fal of 2002, there was a thread or two on this. Somebody had rigged up a pretty good setup using a Bowens Illumitran stage I think it was....he made up a lengthy step-by-step post and e-mailed it out to 25-35 of us who e-mailed him. You might look in Sept 2002 to start. I've burned it off onto DVD a while back,but if I can locate either thread or article I will post it. He was getting good results using the Bowens illumination portion,and using I think a 60 or 105 micro as the lens,and was imminently satisfied.

Nikon made two mounted 35mm slide holders, called PS-4 and PS-5, and they were designed for the PB-4 and PB-5 bellows units. The PS-4 has two 'holders' or 'ears" to hold un-cut rolls of film, while the PS-5 doesn't have the ears or film holders,and is designed only for mounted frames. They have a little rail that goes back to the bellows,and thus holds the mouted slide in front of a macro lens on a bellows unit. Both the PS-4 and PS-5 and PB-4 and PB-5 units are interchangeable.

There is also a PS-6 mounted slide holder which is made for the newest bellows, the PB-6. I bet Joespeh Wiznewski (spelling?) could fill you in on a good,used,off-the-shelf setup. Then,all you'd need would be a decent electronic flash light source,and you'd be in business. You could also use the sky as a light source, but color temp will vary a bit,and so on.

A smart guy like yourself could also figure out how to position a mounted slide in front of a 60mm Micro, measure the exact distance needed, and then figure out how to saw-cut a piece of solid PVC pipe so the slide fits into that slit the saw blade left. That piece of pipe is then fitted with a step ring to a 52mm filter thread step ring with epoxy. Slide duplicator.
See if Adorama still sells the Spiratone duplicator....

--
Happy Shooting!
Derrel

 

[jean bernier]

A smart guy like yourself could also figure out how to position a

mounted slide in front of a 60mm Micro, measure the exact distance
needed, and then figure out how to saw-cut a piece of solid PVC
pipe so the slide fits into that slit the saw blade left. That
piece of pipe is then fitted with a step ring to a 52mm filter
thread step ring with epoxy. Slide duplicator.
See if Adorama still sells the Spiratone duplicator....

--
Happy Shooting!
Derrel

--
Jean Bernier

Now I love this: the handyman's slide copier! Great! The interior of the pipe should be at least matte paint-sprayed to avoid flare.

Should'nt be wiser to use a scanner, even if a bit painful? 35 secs do not sound like so much compared to shooting slides with the camera.
Shooting projected slides should be avoided.

Shooting with a repro outfit can give good results and it's a simple solution provided you already own a macro and bellows/ext tubes capable of aprox 1;2 ratio. Slides must still be handled, dusted off, oriented, focused, I would not expect the process being any faster than sitting at the computer with film scanner. If negatives too are to be copied, a scanner will give better results for sure. As of sharpness I would doubt the best repro trough camera can match a decent film scanner.

Anyway, the task can be enormous, I,m afraid, unless we're talking just 200 hundred slides or so...Some have bought a film scanner just to do this (archiving their film collection) and sold the scanner when done.

 

[Robert Whiteman]

Derrel wrote:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=48528&item=3854548793&rd=1

Worth a try?

Robert

 

[Derrel87035]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=48528&item=3854548793&rd=1
Worth a try?
Robert

I dunno--it looks somehwat questionable to me. BUT, the price is low, and I can see that this is a fast operation system with a simple yet probably pretty reliable system to hold the slide flat...optically, I wonder about the quality of this,since it seems to have a low-power,inbuilt lens illustrated.

I think you'd have better luck with a PS-5 and PB-5 bellows and a macro lens. I also think you could just make a piece of frosted glass on top of a wooden box of 12x12x12 inches,fitted with a Vivitar 283 flash inside it,and lined with some white paint,and a macro lens and a lens hood or some other device which would thread to the front of the lens,and which would allow a 35mm slide to come into decent focus with whatever macro lens you have.

Minolta's 5400 dpi slide scanner is available from TriState Photo for around $650.....

--
Happy Shooting!
Derrel

 

[jean bernier]

Jean Bernier

 

[Robert Whiteman]

Robert Whiteman wrote:

I dunno--it looks somehwat questionable to me. BUT, the price is
low, and I can see that this is a fast operation system with a
simple yet probably pretty reliable system to hold the slide
flat...optically, I wonder about the quality of this,since it seems
to have a low-power,inbuilt lens illustrated.

Minolta's 5400 dpi slide scanner is available from TriState Photo
for around $650.....

...but keep in mind, this is for family/travel snapshots. They only need to be good enough to remember where we went and what we did. Nothing more. These are not for reproduction or anything picky. It's so we can relax some evening and look at family photos without hauling out and setting up a slide projector. Pop in a DVD and let the show begin.

As long as the faces can be recognized we're good. I mean, just how good does a slide of Disneyland have to be?!!

Thanks to all for the feedback.

Robert

 

[Babe]

I have been thinking of getting a flatbed scanner and one that comes to mind is the Epson 4870 which comes with holders for multiple formats, medium and 35mm and maybe smaller.

I have been shooting flim and getting the lab to scan in for me - it's useable but not big enough a file and not nearly clean enough. Here are some images I made with an old cheap japanese RF with Ilford Black and White film - just off topic.





--
babe

I am havin' a good time, I'm having a ball, don't stop me now.....yes I'm havin' a such good time, I don't wanna stop at all.

 

[Saman]

Hi Robert,

Try Wallgreens. They charge $3.99 per CD and you can put around 250 slides per CD. The quality would be more then enough to serve your purpose.

Saman.

Our old Kodak slide projector is now out with the trash. I've had
it since 1973 but time eventually took it's toll.

Everything up to 2001 was slides/prints so our kids growing up,
travels etc are not digital yet. I don't think we are interested in
scanning thousands of slides but I've started to consider the idea
of using the S2 to copy the keepers and kids photos. I'd rather
view them via DVD on a TV screen than trying to get another
projector and screen (no more "white" walls due to remodeling
project).

Anyone tried this before? If so, how are the results. Wife was
looking at a 1800 dpi slide/film scanner for a decent price but the
output is only 4 mega pixels and takes 35 sec per scan. Not my idea
of a good time if the S2 could make better copies.

Any thoughts??

Robert

 

[Robert Whiteman]

I have been thinking of getting a flatbed scanner and one that
comes to mind is the Epson 4870 which comes with holders for
multiple formats, medium and 35mm and maybe smaller.

I have been shooting flim and getting the lab to scan in for me -
it's useable but not big enough a file and not nearly clean enough.
Here are some images I made with an old cheap japanese RF with
Ilford Black and White film - just off topic.

I really like that first composition. The second has some great details.

What do they charge for those scans? The local pro shop here in town quoted $25/scan for their highest quality scan.

Robert

 

[Robert Whiteman]

Hi Robert,

Try Wallgreens. They charge $3.99 per CD and you can put around 250
slides per CD. The quality would be more then enough to serve your
purpose.

Not sure where I would find a Wallgreens around here but I'll look into that option.

Robert