UKH

No doubt like many others, I have "inherited" several boxes fulls of old (1960s etc) family slides and transparencies that I’d like to scan (because we’d like to preserve them, share them, and we don’t have a projector any more, and we’d prefer to share and display them on e.g. google photos anyway)

Does anyone have an advice where to start researching, or any tips on what to look for, or any recommendations.
The important slides are those in square cardboard frames for a projector and most are loaded into carousels (I know I'll have to take them out, but that’s easy, and at least in the carousels, they’re organised)
There are also loads of strips of transparencies which I might think about later, but that’s so important as we have physical prints of those.

I’d perhaps like a model that has a power-supply (some seem to run on batteries) and perhaps link to a computer (some seem to transfer photos using a memory card).
I’m aware that some models are consumer-priced, and then there are professional models which are priced accordingly. I think I’d be happy with a second hand model, as once the job is done, it’s done, and I don’t foresee the need to keep the scanner, so happy to buy a second hand model and then sell it on, rather than have it clutter the place up.

I’ve come across the Reflecta x33 scanner, and the DIGITNOW!High Resolution 135 Film/Slide Scanner, but only in a very uneducated Googling way.

Any thoughts, comments and ideas welcome. Many thanks

I've scanned slides with a Plustek 2800i slide scanner and VueScan software. I was very pleased with the results.

I would also recommend the Plustek (not sure which version I have). I would also recommend buying the Veoscan software. It works with most scanners and gives much better results than whatever software comes with your scanner. Also, it has a trial version.

The Minolta Dimage Scan Elite 5400 is the best and highest resolution consumer scanner made and you can get them second hand on ebay for a few hundred pounds. 

I asked similar a while ago. I experimented with the Photomyne app, you can get a free trial. You simply hold the side against a light source and scan it with your phone. The results were OK, maybe worth a go with the freebie?  

Thank you: found it: https://www.ukhillwalking.com/forums/photography/digitising_slides-768400

Are all your slides the same format ? If they're from several decades back, it was common to use 120/220 film as well as 35mm. The 120/220 film produced 6x6cm square slides. So for scanning, you'd need a model that can do both formats.

Have a think too about long term storage (decades, if not longer). For slides I use Tupperware type box: air tight and dust free.

Another trick I use is to give each slide a unique reference number - even those I decide not to scan - and use that number in the name of the digital file - makes finding the original slide easier. Record the range of those reference numbers on the outside of the storage box.

Have fun uncovering family treasures and sharing them. 🙂

p.s. if you'd like a reference scan to find out what a perfect scan looks like, I run a drum scanning company and I'll scan a few for free for you. 

https://www.drumscanning.co.uk

Ooh.  Thank you.  I'll bear that in mind.  Actually I 've just now spent less time thinking about the scanning and more about your location.  I spent an excellent week walking based at the HF house  on the other side of the loch a couple of Xmases ago and had a great time (I'm in North Yorkshire and the hills aren't quite as exciting here ...)

It is rather nice up here - when the weather plays ball anyway (not so much this year so far, apart from January)

I’ve got two digital scanners. A ClearClick Virtuoso scanner for 35mm slides, costing £135. I was surprised how good it was. Later I got a Qpix 120 FS220 digital scanner (I think costing £148) for 6 x 6 medium fortmat transparencies.. This was also a bit better than I expected for the price. It also does 35mm trannies, but I haven’t used it yet for that to compare the results with the Virtuoso scanner. Here’s a 6 x 6 picture I took on my Hasselblad for my book ’The Peak: Past and Present' of Peter Harding at the Roaches in 1995 (scanned on the Qpix). 

This might not be the answer you're looking for, but I've recently been digitising a load of slides by photographing them using a light box with a macro lens and the results have been great. Once you get into the groove, it's quicker than expected too.