automated 35mm slide scanners

[Chuck Bargeron]

Neil,

There are only three options, and we have all there:

1.      Nikon Super Coolscan 4000/5000 - $1500 with slide feeder
2.      Pacific Image PowerSlide 3600 - $650
3.      Sony UY-S90/UY-S100 Film Scanner - $5000 plus $1000 for slide feeder

The Sony is by far the best, fastest and jams the least.  We have scanned
25,000 with the Sony and are very happy with the results.  However, it is
hard to find one for-sale and there is little to no support from Sony.

The Nikon scanner scans at really good quality, but the feeder will jam if
scanning a mixture of paper and plastic slides.  We have found it works best
with plastic slides.

We use the Pacific Image when we travel to scan a small number of slides.
It is light and easy to carry, and we have been happy with the results.
However you must load the slides individually into a "European-style" slide
carousel, which is slower than the other options.

Also note all scans regardless of the scanner used will require some
cropping and editing.

Please let me know if you have any additional questions. I have served as
the technical lead for the Forestry Images image archive system for the past
7 years.  We have processed nearly 60,000 images, and currently have 33,750
images covering 5881 subjects from 939 photographers available free for
educational uses online.  We received over 65 millions hits in the last 12
months.

Thanks,
Chuck

Chuck Bargeron,
Technology Coordinator and Webmaster
The Bugwood Network and ForestryImages.org
P. O. Box 748
4601 Research Way Admin. Bldg.
The University of Georgia
Tifton, GA  31793  USA

Email: cbargero at uga.edu
Phone: 229-386-3298
FAX:   229-386-3352
Web:   www.bugwood.org
       www.forestryimages.org

-----Original Message-----
From: Taxacom Discussion List [mailto:TAXACOM at LISTSERV.NHM.KU.EDU] On Behalf
Of Snow, Neil
Sent: Friday, November 18, 2005 4:01 PM
To: TAXACOM at LISTSERV.NHM.KU.EDU
Subject: [TAXACOM] automated 35mm slide scanners

If anybody is willing to share their experiences (good, not so good) with 35
mm slide scanners, especially those that can automatically scan batches, I'd
appreciate hearing about them.  We will need to purchase one soon for a
large project.

Neil Snow