Re: [APML]: Digitizing Slides. Help!

[Steve Bell <sb635@delphi.com>]

Chuck Vaughn wrote:
> 
> 
> >Do any of those little $1000.00
> >slide digitization hardware packages work for astrophotographs, i.e.,
> >can brightness and contrast be adjusted?
> 
> I have a Polaroid SprintScan 35 and it does a very good job as long as the
> density doesn't go past 3.0. That's probably not a problem for astro slides
> but sometimes it is for Tech Pan negatives.
>...
> 
> Microtek has a slide scanner that is <$1000 but I don't think it's as good as
> the others.
> 


I use the Microtek ScanMaker 35t which costs about $700.  I think it does a good job, 
especially given how 
relatively inexpensive it is.  It comes with Twain compliant software (I use SkyPro to 
drive it) that allows 
one to adjust the brightness and contrast, and I can usually find settings that do a good 
job on my TechPan 
negatives, but Chuck is right - these slide scanners don't like dark negatives.  They 
sure beat the hassle of 
making prints, though.


-- 
Clear skies,
Steve Bell
sb635@delphi.com
http://people.delphi.com/sb635 - Astrophoto page