Transform your slides to digital images.
Today's concept of a slide show has changed dramatically since the days of capturing images on analog slides and displaying them with a carousel slide projector. Now you can convert your analog slides of memories past to digital images to view on your computer. There are several methods of converting slides, and the one you choose all depends on how many slides you have and how much time and money you want to spend on the process.
Instructions
Convert Analog Slides to Digital
1. Use a commercial slide conversion service. Mail your slides to a company that specializes in converting analog slides to digital images. You'll get your images back as digital files on a CD in whatever format you request, such as JPEG or TIFF. Check out reviews of these companies in leading photography magazines, such as "Popular Photography" and "Shutterbug" to help you choose a reputable vendor. Using this method saves a lot of time if you have hundreds or even thousands of slides to convert. Plus, you can expect very good results since these companies have professional, high-end equipment and years of expertise. Pricing is typically per slide, with price breaks on larger quantity orders.
2. Scan slides with a device that converts analog slides and 35 mm film to digital images. In general, here's how they work: Place the slide in the unit's feeder tray, check the preview if the unit has a TFT display, press a button and the device converts the slide to a JPEG digital image in several seconds. You can view the converted images in any software that reads JPEG files. Many of these conversion devices attach to a computer via a USB connection and write the digital files to the hard drive or an external drive, while some newer models are standalone units that write the files to an internal memory card. Expect to pay around $100 and up for a consumer model, depending on the features.
3. Digitize slides with a flatbed scanner that can scan slides in addition to photos and 35 mm negatives. Midrange consumer models costing around $150 can scan approximately three slides at a time, while higher-end professional models costing around $1,000 and up feature automatic feeders that can handle up to 50 slides at a time. Simply place the slides in the scanner's feeder, check the preview and press a button to start the scan. The digital images are saved to the computer's hard drive. Investing in a scanner may be a good option if you also have a large number of 35 mm negatives and old photos to convert or copy.
Tags: digital images, analog slides, Analog Slides Digital, check preview, Convert Analog, Convert Analog Slides
