Topic: Vue Scan / Scanning help required... its been a while

[This-is-damion]

Its been ages since ive had to scan anything properly.   I have found a load of my Dads & Grandads old slides and im having trying to scan some - epson 3200 & vuescan.    I set vuescan to 400dpi and an output of 5 x 7 inch and that's how I would expect it appear when I open the file in photoshop... but it ends up having a resolution of 86dpi.   Currently having to scan at a very high dpi to end up with a reasonable file size...but its taking ages.

Im fairly sure its something simple im missing... but a hint would be much appreciated!

 

[Sandeha Lynch]

Presumably you've set 5x7 because you're thinking in terms of the final print? I find it easier to aim for a large Tiff file set at 300dpi on the Output tab.  I can work it down to a suitable print size later - since it's a 35mm slide from the 3200 you kinda need to have as big a file as the machine will allow.

Input
Preview resolution 400
Scan dpi 3200

Output
Printed dpi 300

[This-is-damion]

That's sorted it!  Thanks... very much appreciated


Just about 1000 slides to work through now...

[Francois]

Hope you're not in a hurry and that you have a full pot of tea...

[This-is-damion]

ha!

Ill probably never get through it all.  My mom found an old slide viewer to trying to sort though them  but the slide viewer is ancient and I think the cooling fan it mentions in the instructions doesn't work as it gets very hot very quickly...so not sure how long it will last.    Fun though...

 

 

[Sandeha Lynch]

Slide viewers are *no* good if they get hot. At best they'll only buckle the slides. At worst ...

Make yourself a platen mask of black paper/card (with the slit cut out at the bottom) to use as a guide under the light, and then fill the space with the slide mounts all for one huge scan. Come back in the evening to divide them up.  Doing four using the plastic holder is a bit of a waste of time.

The other thing, which I've done with my dad's negatives, is only pull out the best for high res.  All the lesser shots can be done at 1600 to make it quicker.

[Francois]

ha!

Ill probably never get through it all.  My mom found an old slide viewer to trying to sort though them  but the slide viewer is ancient and I think the cooling fan it mentions in the instructions doesn't work as it gets very hot very quickly...so not sure how long it will last.    Fun though...

For me, what is probably the most bang for the buck right now when it comes to not so bad quality scanning and speed is the Kodak Scanza. They also have another lower priced model that is well worth considering. They produce a 14 megapixel image, don't need drivers, support SD cards and can process slides and negatives as fast as you can shove them through the device.
I have one of the ancestors to these devices and it's gained a permanent spot in my workflow.

[BernardL]

the slide viewer is ancient and I think the cooling fan it mentions in the instructions doesn't work as it gets very hot very quickly

Try to open the case and identify the bulb. Then try replacing it with a LED lamp (recommend "neutral white", or 4000K) with same socket. Lots of models available on aliexpress.

[Francois]

But since it's just a viewer who's purpose is mostly to identify if it's a picture of uncle Henry or aunt Julia, color balance is not of the utmost importance.

[This-is-damion]

the slide viewer is ancient and I think the cooling fan it mentions in the instructions doesn't work as it gets very hot very quickly

Try to open the case and identify the bulb. Then try replacing it with a LED lamp (recommend "neutral white", or 4000K) with same socket. Lots of models available on aliexpress.

Thanks!  Good advice.

Thanks also to François,  I’d never heard of the scanza,  looks good for the price. 

[Francois]

I must admit that when I saw it I thought it looked pretty darn good for the price. What I like about it is that there is some image control other than just flip and rotate like on my scanner.

When I use mine, I often just plug it in a USB power brick.