Slide scanner reviews

Scanners are bringing old slides out of the cupboard. But perfect pictures require patience.
 
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  • Updated:29 Nov 2004
 

01.Introduction

Slide-scanners
There was a time when anybody who was serious about photo quality used slides (also called transparencies). Slide nights proliferated, largely because family and friends could see the image at the same time and it was big enough to have a real impact. Technology has moved on and now all that's left is the slide night cliché and boxes of slides in the back of the cupboard quietly growing mould. The obvious solution is to scan them so they can be shared again. Or is it?  

In brief

  • Scanning slides is a slow process and if you have damaged or mouldy slides the cleaning process can slow it even further
  • The flat-bed scanners in this test can scan slides quite well, but the lenses aren't as sharp as those on dedicated slide scanners

We tested five dedicated slide scanners and two flat-bed scanners that can scan slides. The latter also had to have a mechanism for getting rid of dirt or mould from the image.

Products tested

  • Canon CanoScan FS 4000 US
  • Canon CanoScan 9900F
  • Epson Perfection 4870 Photo
  • Konica Minolta Dimage Scan Dual IV
  • Konica Minolta Dimage Scan Elite 5400
  • Microtek ArtixScan 4000tf
  • Nikon Coolscan V ED (LS-50 ED)

Please note: this information was current as of November 2004 but is still a useful guide to today's market. 


 
 

 
 

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