Re: [APML] To mount, or not (slide film)

["Greg Hartke" <ghartke@adelphia.net>]

Hi, Alan,

For what's it worth (which ain't much...), I always cut my own slides with a
pair of scissors. I used white cotton gloves that I got at the pro photo lab
to handle 'em and never had a problem. Cutting them was the easy part.
Mounting them is another story. I first used Unicolor slide mounts (I think)
which impressed me not at all. Someone (I think Kent Kirkley) put me onto
Pakon slide mounts which he said are the best (and I see no reason not to
concur with Kent's excellent advice.) These I could also get at the pro lab
where I have my work done. I found them a bit difficult to use and I managed
to scratch the snot out of a slide before I got the hang of mounting them
properly. (I actually tried to buy a Pakon slide mounter but I seem to
recall that was out of production when I looked fo rit.) I suggest
practicing with a blank field before trying to mount the real frames. The
mount really is excellent once you get the frame into it.

Now that I'm using Supra, I cut the film into strips and use the film
feeder. I've never noticed an obvious focus problem with my Nikon Super
CoolScan 4000 ED using either method. I find storage of the film strips much
easier. I bought glassine envelopes for the strips and keep them there. I
think I'm showing my age here, though: this is film strip storage from
bygone days. I think most people use print files or a binder page these
days, as Kent suggested.

The only caveat to the film strips is that my scanner has an interesting
time registering the strip when I scan using VueScan. I've turned my
keyboard blue from the things I've said as I've tried to get the offset
right to get the frame centered on the scan. (I would say there's a
hysteresis problem with the feeder.) Obviously you don't have this problem
since you've been scanning film strips since Hector was a pup.

Opinion: I think I like Supra better for AP but the jury is still out. I
have a couple of 3 hour Supra exposures of M33 at the lab now that I need to
find the time to pick up. I'll let you know what I think when I find the
time to pick the film up and check 'em out.

Regards,

Greg

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