Two years search for the ideal method to scan large quantities of 35mm slides and 35mm film strips has resulted in finding a winner. Last year we tested a Fuji C-550 Lanovia flatbed scanner.
It can handle 40 slides per batch (in a slide holder) or 48 slides if you place the slides directly on the glass without the slide holder.
The Fuji can focus past the slide holder so you do not have to remove your slides from their frames. Thus you can spare your slides scratches and greasy fingerprints. Also, you do not have to remount your slides if you can leave the original mount on them.
If you have cardboard mounts (which means any slides developed by Kodak during the 1960's into the 1990's) then it is nice not to have to tear off these cardboard mounts. Besides, if you have to remove the frame, the size of your fingers is guaranteed to overlap the edge. Once you get a fingerprint onto the emulsion, you cannot really remove all of its damage.
You can mix the slides horizontally and vertically; the sophisticated software can reorient them automatically.
Each slide is automatically assigned a number. This is an advantage of using this slide holder, as the holder triggers the automatic slide-numbering system.
The Fuji slide scanning system is a high-end solution. But if you have an archive of irreplaceable slides from earlier photography, this is one way to go. Another really good professional prepress scanner is the Creo series. The Creo EverSmart Pro II is just as good as the Fuji, but costs less. The Creo EverSmart Supreme is even better (costs accordingly).
Forget sending your slides out for Kodak Photo CD scans. That is the worst thing to do to your valuable slides. The Kodak Photo CD system was made for digitizing point-and-shoot slides, family weekend snapshots, and other low-end pictures. If you already had slides done in the Kodak Photo CD system we recommend you be sure to use SilverFast's special software for opening Kodak Photo CD scans. We also suggest not to have any more Kodak Photo CD scans done. Do them with your own scanner; you will get superior results. Information on the SilverFast software to open those tricky Kodak Photo CD images is on silverfast.com.
If you want another point-and-shoot slide scanner, then use the automatic feeder tray on any cheap 35mm slide scanner. You will get a digitized result, but it will not reveal the full qualities of your original picture.
If you scan your 35mm slide on a Fuji scanner and print it with a Pictrography digital color printer, the results will exceed the quality of a professional photo lab darkroom enlargement on Cibachrome paper. FujiFilm is represented in most major countries worldwide, ffei.co.uk.
We just initiated testing and reviewing the Creo EverSmart series of flatbed scanners. If I remember correctly, Corbis (the world's largest photo archive), selected Creo scanners to scan their millions of slides and negatives. Several models of the Creo scanner are more economical than the Fuji. One model of the Creo flatbed scanners (the Creo EverSmart Supreme) is ranked higher than the Fuji (and is correspondingly priced). The Creo Pro costs less than the Fuji and is considered as good or potentially better.
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Fujifilm originally had three classes of scanners: an outstanding drum scanner, a top of the line C-550 flatbed (my absolute favorite since it could do 3-D objects too), and two FineScan models.
At PhotoPlus 2003, and again at an early 2004 trade show in the US, the word on the street was that Fujifilm was backing out of flatbed scanners. When we heard this from three sources, we naturally assumed this was the situation, especially considering the statements were very specific.
Thus during May, at DRUPA 2004, a huge prepress trade show in Germany, we were pleasantly surprised to meet a team of Fujifilm scanner people that were showcasing their FineScan 2750XL and Lanovia Quattro professional flatbed scanners.
Since FLAAR is a photography institute for over 30 years, and since we are now also dedicated to fine art reproduction, we are directly and personally interested in any scanner that can handle 35mm, medium format, and large format. We also cover scanning for prepress, proofing, creatives in graphic design, and in-house design departments relative to our emphasis on input for wide format inkjet printers such as Epson. Thus we are considering updating our coverage of the Fujifilm FineScan models as soon as we can have one for in house testing at our university. So return to this page later in the summer in case we have a Fujifilm scanner by that time.
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Last Updated May 20, 2004 / Redesign May, 2004