This may be totally insane, but has anyone tried using their digital camera as a slide "scanner?"
I've lost the ability to use my trusty desktop scanner due to a computer failure. It is probably a permanent loss, because the scanner uses a SCSI interface and the new PCs don't have the required slots for the card....
Pete D.
Posted by Phillip Noll on March 26, 2009 at 5:35 PM
I can't imagine that using a DSLR for this purpose would even come close to the quality you would get from even a low-end film scanner. Spend the $200.00 and get the Epson V500 or $500.00 for the Epson V700 and save yourself the headaches!
Slide duplicator attachments on a macro lens (or reverse mounted 50mm lens) was the way it was done back in the day. These consisted of a tube with a lens thread attachment at one end and a mounted slide or film strip holder at the other. This was then covered with a light diffusing material. Al you had to do was set up your strobe to fire at the diffuser, and you had instant slide copying. A quick search on the internet turned up this product -
If you have a sharp, flat field lens, you should be able equal or exceed the image quality of a scanned image. A film scanner has the following advantages - image control during scanning, automatic dust and scratch removal, light source optimized for scanning, great color saturation, less grain noise. A slide duplicator attachment offers fast scanning (1/200 sec vs 1 min or longer per slide), better sharpness and contrast (as long as you use a good lens), RAW image files rather than HUGE film scans - (on a Nikon D200 this is approx 16mb for uncompressed NEF vs 150mb for an uncompressed TIFF from a Canon FL4000 at 4000 dpi).
Aside from resolution differences, other image attributes are usually within the range of adjustment in Photoshop. Subjectively speaking after adjustments, scanned images can be made to look more or less equivalent to optically duplicated images at low magnifications, but might be a little soft. scanned images may not hold up to larger output sizes if you are using a low end scanner, but if you are using a higher end scanner the results will be very good to excellent.
There are so many variables, lens, attachment, light source, scanner resolution, software, dust and scratch removal, etc that the best way is to test it yourself. Fortunately an Opteka duplicator costs only $60, so if you already have the macro lens its not a huge investment.
Pete,
why don't you get yourself a SCSI pci card.
Plug it in your new pc and you should be able to use your old scanner again.
Make sure you have a free pci slot though.
Wim
Posted by Barbara Logan on March 27, 2009 at 4:36 PM
I found this for my camera - it seems to work okay. Don't know if it works on anything but Olympus though.
Opteka HD² Slide Copier for Olympus SP-570 SP-565 SP-560 SP-550 UZ Digital Camera
Thanks! I was told you couldn't get SCSI cards for new PCs. The computer I ordered has one PCI slot, but it is occupied. If it is occupied by the TV & FM tuner, I'll be happy to repurpose it. That's not an option if the slot is occupied by the video card because I want dual monitor capability.
USB <-> SCSI might work, but be aware that the SCSI interface is substantially faster than USB 2.0 - 480mbit/sec compared to up to from 10 to 320 mb/sec on a SCSI interface. I use an Adaptec AHA2940UW which theoretically can clock at 40 mb/sec, with my Canon scanner. The other interface available for this scanner is USB 1.1, which is painfully slow. This card is a bus-master PCI card which allows data to transfer directly between itself and other bus master devices - (cpu, system memory, other SCSI devices on the same chain, etc) and can provide exceptional performance.
Not sure how termination would work on a USB<->SCSI, some adapters do not provide a power lead for termination. Also, the kind of connector matters, as does cable length. Ideally cables should be as short as possible.
Adaptec makes a wide variety of SCSI adapters, and if your computer doesn't have a PCI slot that will let you use your existing card, it might have a PCIe slot which ought to work with something from Adaptec.
There is a PCI card that looks ok, but it doesn't say it will work with Vista. I hate it, but it is probably easier and ultimately cheaper to scrap the old and eventually buy something new. I appreciate all the suggestions. I haven't given up yet, but it doesn't look promising.
Discussion
10 repliesI've lost the ability to use my trusty desktop scanner due to a computer failure. It is probably a permanent loss, because the scanner uses a SCSI interface and the new PCs don't have the required slots for the card....
Pete D.
Why not give it a try? What do you have to lose?
Cheers,
http://specialtyphotographic.stores.yahoo.net/slcounpro.html
If you have a sharp, flat field lens, you should be able equal or exceed the image quality of a scanned image. A film scanner has the following advantages - image control during scanning, automatic dust and scratch removal, light source optimized for scanning, great color saturation, less grain noise. A slide duplicator attachment offers fast scanning (1/200 sec vs 1 min or longer per slide), better sharpness and contrast (as long as you use a good lens), RAW image files rather than HUGE film scans - (on a Nikon D200 this is approx 16mb for uncompressed NEF vs 150mb for an uncompressed TIFF from a Canon FL4000 at 4000 dpi).
Aside from resolution differences, other image attributes are usually within the range of adjustment in Photoshop. Subjectively speaking after adjustments, scanned images can be made to look more or less equivalent to optically duplicated images at low magnifications, but might be a little soft. scanned images may not hold up to larger output sizes if you are using a low end scanner, but if you are using a higher end scanner the results will be very good to excellent.
There are so many variables, lens, attachment, light source, scanner resolution, software, dust and scratch removal, etc that the best way is to test it yourself. Fortunately an Opteka duplicator costs only $60, so if you already have the macro lens its not a huge investment.
why don't you get yourself a SCSI pci card.
Plug it in your new pc and you should be able to use your old scanner again.
Make sure you have a free pci slot though.
Wim
Opteka HD² Slide Copier for Olympus SP-570 SP-565 SP-560 SP-550 UZ Digital Camera
http://www.amazon.com/Opteka-Copier-Olympus-SP-570-Digital/dp/B000T2UOUU/ref=pd_sim_p_12
It was an option rather than buying a new scanner, which I am not ready to do right now.
Thanks! I was told you couldn't get SCSI cards for new PCs. The computer I ordered has one PCI slot, but it is occupied. If it is occupied by the TV & FM tuner, I'll be happy to repurpose it. That's not an option if the slot is occupied by the video card because I want dual monitor capability.
Pete D. doesn't like shopping
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-MICROTECH-DB25-USB-to-SCSI-CABLE-CONVERTER-PC-MAC_W0QQitemZ170307217061QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item170307217061&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2%7C65%3A16%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318
http://cgi.ebay.com/New-SCSI-to-USB-Converter-Adapter-Mac-or-PC-NIB_W0QQitemZ120397025733QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCA_Cables_Adapters?hash=item120397025733&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2%7C65%3A16%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318
Not sure how termination would work on a USB<->SCSI, some adapters do not provide a power lead for termination. Also, the kind of connector matters, as does cable length. Ideally cables should be as short as possible.
Adaptec makes a wide variety of SCSI adapters, and if your computer doesn't have a PCI slot that will let you use your existing card, it might have a PCIe slot which ought to work with something from Adaptec.
Pete D.