Saving slides

[RAZKY]

Never heard that before. Guess you do learn something everyday. At least the K-14 will be stable for a very long time in storage but the E-6, not so much.
So I guess the test was under the light the entire time? That should maybe be about 400 slide showings? Hmmmmm

If you are so inclined, about anything concerning film and print preservation and testing can be found here:

Wilhelm Imaging Research

Wilhelm Imaging Research in Grinnell Iowa is an authority on archival and preservation for the photographic, digital, and printing industries.

www.wilhelm-research.com

 

[wfooshee]

Kodachrome's fade time is measured in centuries. Ektachrome, especially early Ektachrome, would fade in minutes, it seemed like! As for fade time under projection, why would you leave a slide in a projector for hours? From the same paragraph RAZKY quoted above: "When stored in darkness, Kodachrome's long-term stability under suitable conditions is superior to other types of color film of the same era. While existing Kodachrome materials from before Kodak simplified the development process in 1938[34] are almost always faded, images on Kodachrome slides and motion picture films made after this point retain accurate color and density to this day. It has been calculated that the yellow dye, the least stable, would suffer a 20% loss of dye in 185 years."

Here's an uncorrected Kodachrome of my Dad from 1952:

For comparison, here's an Ektachrome of me and my cousin at Grandma's house Christmas 1959:

Despite the poor retention of this slide, I'm sure modern E-6 films are much better. They still don't even approach Kodachrome,
although Photoshop color correction is possible:

Both slides have been stored in a box, and in climate-controlled conditions, their entire lives.

 

[TJMcG]

Would it be a better idea to scan the slides and negatives just to be able to have a digital copy, since they probably won't last forever. Then pick the best ones to have them done for items we really want to keep?
What are some good film/slide scanners? I wouldn't have a problem spending $300 or so.

I use a flatbed scanner, an Epson Perfection V600 Photo, for slides and negs. I've had it since 2013, and they are still listed on Amazon at about $250. If all you are doing is preserving memories, and maybe making an occasional print, that's probably all you need. It is not "professional" quality, and won't match a professional drum scan, but for most general purposes, it works very well. The free Epson software will give you quality scans and lots of control, but if you're really fussy, there is Vuescan and Silverfast. You can batch scan using the included film trays, but expect to spend a lot of time if you have a lot of film.

That's the one I use, there are others you can research.

A word about storage: Film (slides or negs) should always be stored in archival plastic in a dark, dry place. Anything else opens your film to the possibility of mold, fungus, fading and even insects.

 

[RacePhoto]

Aside from fading, one way or another, there's water, mold, scratching, warping and I don't know all of the potential analog issues that could degrade or totally destroy a slide.

Vuescan is indeed the best software I have ever used. It beats everything that came with any scanner I own.

Our price at my lab starts at $1.49 each scan (2000 res). Goes down to 65 cents each over 1000 slides.
$4.95 get them on cd, data dvd, usb (yours) ($12.95 ours) or dropbox.
We use a high end Noritsu 1800 series scanner.

Do it yourself.....well, how much time do you have? Costco or Walgreens have TERRIBLE scans but are cheap.

What does 2000 dpi mean in pixels. I suppose I could do the math but I'm lazy and I know you already have the answer?

As I mentioned, I've done my own for years and sending something out is faster, better and more efficient. Sure I make my own ravioli and cook bread and some other things, but I'm convinced that sending out slides is the best answer. I can understand that if someone has their own high quality device, there might be some advantage to fine work and specific adjustments, but in general, preservation, I'm thinking, next time, I'll be contacting you about your lab.

Here's a slide duplicator that uses a digital camera, and works. I'd think most of us already own a digital camera?

On a modern camera you would have whatever the camera makes for photos.

Example, easy slide copying if you have a stand. Many old enlarger stands are also camera stands. I just happened to have an old copy stand and a flat panel LED light. You want to mask off the light, so only the slide is showing, this is a rough example. The LED light is not able to dim, so I slipped in a piece of Plexiglass for a diffuser and to take the brightness down.

Made this: 3456 x 5184 Pixels (17.92 MPixels) (2:3) - websize below.

and 100% no edit 1961 slide, Kodak Retina II rangefinder, by a kid who hardly knew anything about photography.

 

[webestang64]

What does 2000 dpi mean in pixels.

Our basic scan for a slide is 2000 x 3000.

We also offer a 4497 x 6774 res scan starting at $2.49 each.

 

[wfooshee]

What does 2000 dpi mean in pixels. I suppose I could do the math but I'm lazy and I know you already have the answer?

A 35mm slide is 24 x 36 mm, about .95 inches x 1.42 inches. 2000 dpi gets you about 1900x2800 pixels, or just under 5.5 MP for the image. if you bump that up to 3000 dpi, you'd have about 12 MP for your scan, and 4000 dpi would get you about 21 MP.

 

[webestang64]

Our basic scan for a slide is 2000 x 3000.

We also offer a 4497 x 6774 res scan starting at $2.49 each.

2000 x 3000 = 17 MB Tiff
4497 x 6774 = 87 MB Tiff

 

[Rickbb]

If I only had a few to scan I’d send them out, but with a few hundred I have way more time than money.

 

[RacePhoto]

If I only had a few to scan I’d send them out, but with a few hundred I have way more time than money.

That's the way I felt, and for some of the many slides, that's what will happen.

Maybe I'm getting lazy?

I still have all the attachments and equipment, lenses and stands. Home made is good fun. We wouldn't be photographers if it was just snapshots on a phone... There is something to creating and producing our own work.

However someone wanted big prints and I needed to get it done. I'm happy with the results. The cost for 50 slides was worth it too as I got some of my favorites done at the same time.