Quick Q - Slide/Negative Scanner With Screen?
 

Hey, I am visiting an old friend and he wants to scan his collection of 35mm slides and negatives to digital. He is not very computer savvy and his computer is older. He wants a scanner than has a screen so you do most of the operations from the scanner rather than computer-side, and it should be easy to connect to the computer. Can anyone recommend me a model they like? I want to order it before I leave, and don't have the time or knowledge to do a ton of research. Thank you!

I'm thinking of buying him a new computer too but can figure that part out myself.

This couple, now in their 80s, were my surrogate parents when I lived in Los Angeles in the 80s/90s. When I visit, I try to do something useful for them - fix something, get them something. They are pretty precious to me.

I have no real suggestion on the scanner. I have run scanners at my day job from junk to scanners that cost 75 grand and up.

I can tell you the biggest challenge is to get the slide CLEAN before you scan it. Get some compressed air, and some cotton wiping cloths to get the slides clean. Dust make a big black squiggle and is distracting.

I just recently bought a Kodak scanner to scan all of my parents 8mm home movies. It did the job very well. Kodak has been pretty good at making a consumer, stick in the slide and scan type of scanner.

The big thing to consider is scan quality and not just ease of use. If you find a slide that is really wonderful, and you want to make a print, just take the slide to Walgreens and let them scan it and print it. They likely have a better scanner than what you are likely to buy.

A inexpensive scanner for slides will make scans great for looking at on the TV as a 60 inch image, or the computer, but the dynamic range is often limited and not suitable for printing.

Good luck, and be sure to copy the scans to your thumb drive as a backup for their thumb drive and computer files.

Report back with your choice of a scanner and how it worked.

Just take 'em to Costco and the do all the work for you.

Well, it’s kind of also about giving him something to do . . .

Costco closed down their photo services at the end of January. If you go to CostcoPhoto now, it redirects you to Shutterfly. They don't offer a slide scanning service.