I would like to scan a lot of 2-1/4" glass mount slides. This is just to archive old slide my Dad took. So the quality does not have to be superb...OK will do. I would like to keep the cost in the $500 range. I would consider finding a older used scanner, too.

Any ideas?

-- Douglas Lawrence (issaquah@jps.net), December 24, 1999

Answers

Unfortunately, nothing in the $500 range. The cheapest new model is the Minolta Dimage Scan Multi, at ~$2500 list price. If you weren't that concerned about quality, you could get a flatbed with a transparency adapter, but unless you spend a lot of money, the resolution is low and they tend to have poor dynamic range (range of dark to light they can handle).

-- Dave Etchells (web@imaging-resource.com), December 30, 1999.

The ACER 620 Prisa flatbed scanner has a built in transparency adaptor for up to 5x7 transparencies and the entire thing is only about $150. It works fine. I used it to scan a bunch of 4x5 images for a stock photo agency web site. They were happy.

-- Bob Roberts (bob@bob.com), January 06, 2000.