How best to copy transparencies

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Greetings filmies! Some 10-15 years ago my wife found a service online that would copy our old transparencies. They said they would clean them first, but they didn't. Many of the digital files they returned have dust spots showing in them. I'd say a fair percentage have dust spots. They told me all I had to do is orient them correctly and send them in.

About two weeks ago I thought I might try my hand at copying them with my digital camera and a macro lens, but I apparently didn't have the right setup. I fashioned a slide holder from cardboard clamped to a block, and had a speedlight aimed at the back.

After finding the right frame and lighting, I made a few photos, but they just weren't any good. As much time as I took trying to get the right frame, it was still way off, and the focus was off. I tried to focus on the emulsion, but only rarely did I manage that.

My questions, then are as follows: Should I go through the whole batch (about 750) checking for dust and send them off to some copy service again?

Or should I learn to love the dust and just live with it?
 
You could send off let's say ten to a couple of different services and compare to see who does a better job before making a commitment of 750. I'd pay for them to clean them because they'll probably just get dusty again if you cleaned them off first.
 
After my lab scans your slides we run them through a batch process that correct color and uses dust/scratch removal.
We charge 79 cents each for 500-1000 @2000 res.

www.schillers.com

Of course you can scan them yourself if you have the time. Some scanners take up to 1-2 min per scan (depends on size) although some can scan at around 30 secs.
 
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Wayyyyyyyyyyy back when I used a version that ran on two 'C' batteries and functioned as a mini projector, and photographed the screen (about the same size as these), but I've not used any of the ones that actually scan. A couple of folks in my camera club have, but I'm not sure which model they have. I'll post up a query and see if I get any responses.
 
Flatbed is another choice.
My Epson V700 I have at home does a fair job at 35mm slide scanning. Nothing like what I can get at work but if I need a quick scan it works fine for prints up to 16x24.

V700 equivalent would be the V800 but the V600 does a good job as well. Software has dust/scratch removal.
 
Forget the flash behind the slide. Just get a light table. You already have a macro lens. If you can wipe dust off a slide and focus and shoot with a macro lens, you should be able to make all the copies you want.
 
Forget the flash behind the slide. Just get a light table. You already have a macro lens. If you can wipe dust off a slide and focus and shoot with a macro lens, you should be able to make all the copies you want.
If I use a light table, will it have enough power to make a good exposure in my camera? I presume I would mount the camera on a tripod above the light table, and pre-frame.

Do you know how to focus the lens? Do I leave it on AF and let the lens focus? ( I don't own a macro slide)
 
Make a copy stand (perhaps with an old used enlarger) and light table
Focus through the lens or on live view
 
If I use a light table, will it have enough power to make a good exposure in my camera? I presume I would mount the camera on a tripod above the light table, and pre-frame.

Yes & yes. You can use as long an exposure as necessary since your camera will be fixed to a tripod. But, it shouldn't require all that slow a shutter speed anyway.

Do you know how to focus the lens? Do I leave it on AF and let the lens focus?

Either way. Use what works best for you.

It doesn't have to be a fancy light table. A small one is fine. It only has to be bigger than the slide. The quality will depend on your camera and lens but should be sufficient for the purpose of digitizing snapshots.
 
Focus should only need to be established once per session if the copy setup is "fixed".If the slide-holding device is threaded or taped firmly to the lens, then steadying the camera is not much of a concern, and even relatively slow exposure times are not a concern, since the slide and the camera would move in concert.

If you are "trying to take a picture of" a slide with the slide _not_ affixed to the camera, then a whole host of issues come up.i think a lens-attached system is the way to go. For several reasons.
 
Frankly, I would rather not have to do it at all, but I was extremely disappointed with the results we got the first time.
 

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