Q: I have 1,500 slides I’d like to scan to DVDs to view and maybe print (as just regular 4x6s). Can you suggest a scanner that takes 8 to 12 slides at a time and works quickly? I used an Epson Perfection 4990 at our local college, and scanning 8 slides took about 30 minutes. I hadn’t planned to spend the rest of my life at this venture. Any suggestions?
Brenda Meadows
Ashland, VA
A:
Five minutes or more isn’t unusual for scanning a slide, especially one that needs corrections for faded colors or dust. But it’s slow if all you are looking for is enough resolution to be used for a DVD slide show or 4x6-inch prints. A photo-quality 4x6 requires a scan of just 800x1200 pixels, using 200 ppi as the output resolution setting when printing.
You can achieve that resolution and speed up the scanning process on the Epson Perfection 4990 Photo Scanner ($410, street; www.epson.com) by setting its optical resolution to 800 or 1000 ppi, and not to its maximum of 4900 ppi. Your scans might also be taking longer if you’re scanning at 12-bits per color or you’ve turned on Digital ICE to remove scratches.
The Microtek Scanmaker i800 ($360 street; www.microtekusa.com) has similar specs, including Digital ICE and Hi-Speed USB 2.0. Either will serve you well. The i800 handles a dozen slides at a time; the Epson accepts eight. While the speed will be about the same for both, since the Microtek gives you more volume, we think you’ll be happier going with that one.
Or, forget the scanner! Send your slides to an online photo processor or to a local lab to be scanned onto Kodak Picture CDs. Such scans range in price from 50 to 70 cents per slide, and are made at 1024x1536-pixel resolution (enough for 4x6 prints and slight cropping). Plus, the JPEG images on the CDs can be viewed by dozens of compatible DVD players.
When you want 4x6 prints, just bring the discs to a lab or even a drug store with a compatible kiosk, or upload images to an online photo processor.
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