>> I would like to know the best, most cost effective, way to scan my >> negatives into the computer. >
Cost-effectiveness depends on what you want to do with the images. If you just want to put them on the web and look at them on-screen, then get the cheapest scanner that handles negs & slides. Well, not *the* cheapest. Get one that has good color balance, like the Epson combos. But if you want to make prints from your scans or do digital manipulation, by all means get something like the Konica-Minolta DiMAGE IV ($200-$300)or Nikon CoolScan V ($500-$600). Prices go up from there... =) Suggestions: -Dust is unavoidable, so you'll want a scanner with dust-removal algorithms such as Nikon's Digital ICE. The Konica-Minoltas have something similar. Don't count on fixing this yourself--it'll take you FOREVER with the clone/healing brush. A scanner that does this will ideally scan in IR as well as RGB, then compare the IR scan with the RGB scans to filter out the dust without affecting the rest of the image. Specks of dust are opaque to IR, film emulsion is not. A caveat: this doesn't work with conventional B&W films and may give you a *worse* image. The big boys use REALLY expensive scanners for this. -If you go for the used market, DON'T get SCSI even if you have a card. Nikon for one discontinued driver support for their SCSI scanners before OSX, and I've not been able to get my Nikon Coolscan II to work on a beige G3 even running 8.1. I've tried EVERYTHING I could think of and several things I couldn't. On the other hand, if you have an old PCI system sitting around, it may be cost-effective to set up a dedicated scanning machine. I suggest a PCI machine so you can get a fast NIC ($15 and a driver hack from Circuit City) and set up a network to transfer images to your main computer. You can scan on one computer and work on the other. The caveat here is that many of the SCSI scanners predate optical dust removal. Come to think of it, I stand by my initial statement. Don't go SCSI. Scanners have gotten MUCH better in the last few years. Look around. Read reviews. Test a scanner or two if possible. Get something with a 90-day satisfaction guarantee and try it out. This sounds like a large and cherished collection, so any time invested at the start will be well worth it. Scanning takes time & patience, and you don't want poor scans to show for your hard work. Kind regards, Jesse PS- Feel free to email me off-list if you have further questions. Best of luck! -- G-List is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | -- We have Apple Refurbished Monitors in stock! | & CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> G-List list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:[email protected]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/g-list%40mail.maclaunch.com/> iPod Accessories for Less at 1-800-iPOD.COM Fast Delivery, Low Price, Good Deal www.1800ipod.com
