Digital Images to Slides

Has anyone had their digital images transfered to slide? If so, I'd be interested to know who you used, how they were to deal with and whether you were happy with the outcome.

I've got quite a few that I'd like to do, and have heard that Microquiz are good, but any other opinions would be gratefully received.

Thanks,
Dan

Daniel

In the last century there were devices for doing this called film recorders. Unfortunately they were not very sharp and are only used by the movie industry now. If you want good quality slides from digital files, make a print and photograph it on slide film (if you can find it). Use a copy stand, even lighting and a good 50mm or even a Macro lens for small prints.
Matte paper prints avoid problems with reflections but 6x4" prints also work.
For the ultimate quality a pro grade glossy print copied using cross polarized light usually used for photographing fine art. The technique is complex but the results are spectacular.

Cheers Pierre

Dan,
I don't have first hand experience of Microquiz ( http://www.microquiz.net/ ), and haven't really had the need to try them. But I heard from a fellow photographer that did very wenn in a local competition with a digital image transferred to slide by them
I'm sure that 8192 x 5464 dots will outclass most original digital source files (like the *ist-D at 3008 x 200.
Matt

Some slides are good, some not so good, and none of them have the quality of an original slide. Unfortunately, there is a definite "that's a digital slide" look.

There are more expensive services around that have very high standards, but at several pounds per slide it could be expensive indeed.

The only thing that's missing from their site is a colour profile. Without that you can't quite be sure what the output result will be (and may explain why John sees that some are good, and some not so good).
It would be worth ringing them, and maybe putting one or two test files through before committing to a large number
Matt

Thanks for your replies, I guess I will just try a few and see what they're like - not too expensive to give it a go. I was hoping someone here might have had first hand experience of them or a competitor.

Pierovitch - thanks for your suggestion (your use of 'in the last century' threw me a bit, my immediate thought was something to do with the Victorians!). I can't help thinking that getting a print, then taking a slide from it, is introducing a further step in the process, and the more steps there are, the more room for degradation. Having said that, I do have some Velvia in the fridge, might as well use it for something!

Dan

I wonder how the quality of photographing off an lcd monitor would work? test with digital first?
Could someone refresh my memory on "flashing" film prior to using it for copywork?
I seem to recall using (print?) film for internegs, but had to pre-expose each shot on a greycard to reduce the contrast as copying caused an unacceptable increase. Is the same true on slide? maybe I'm confused because I've not had my morning pot of coffee and I've not touched a project like this in over ten years....but if it increases contrast, then a high contrast film like velvia might not work.

Hi Don, and good morning!

Taking a photo of the monitor would, I guess, give a reasonable image, but at a far lower resolution than the original image (unless you have a HUGE monitor ). Once that was enlarged by projecting it, I'm guessing you would notice a marked reduction in quality.

As far as preflashing film - it's not something I've ever got into, so couldn't possibly comment . I have taken shots of prints for presentations before, and used Velvia then, and the results were acceptable, but for the purposes I'm thinking of now, I want an easy, quick and relatively inexpensive way of producing slides from my files. Producing prints, then shooting these on slide film is, I think, a bit long-winded and probably more expensive than the Microquiz route - £1.80 (approx. 300 of your Canadian dollars ) a mounted slide.

However, if your morning coffee gets those grey cells going, and you have a 'flash' of inspiration, let me know!

Cheers,
Dan

One of the problems with copying onto film is that contrast tends to increase to an undesireable level. One solution is to pre-flash the film with a very low exposure that partially fogs and reduces the contrast.

There is proper slide duplicating film though, and this may be a better prospect. No doubt it is available to special order only and probably in 30m lengths.

All copying should be done with impeccable technique and will be a slow and exacting procedure.

Copying off a monitor gives results adequate for presentations, but not really of proper pictorial quality.

Wouldn't it be simpler to get a roll of Provia?

I had some company over the other night, and they were looking through some of my slides in a little viewer. They asked me how I got the pictures on slides, and were also amazed at the viewer-sort of an analog iPod Photo.

I would be inclined to question why this need be done at all, since there is no convenient and inexpensive way to do it.

If you want to give slideshows, you'll probably get better quality using a digital projector - though I know it won't be as good as a real slide viewed with a proper projector.

G

You could always try printing them onto A4 transparency film using a good quality inkjet printer, then give them to you kids to cut them into suitable 35mm slide sized pieces and mount them yourself. I'm not sure if the resolution would be good enough for your needs though and it might need some experimentation to get it right. Ought to be good enough for presentations I guess, but not for archival purposes.

Hi all,

George, if I had a laptop I might consider getting a projector to go with it, but I've already got a 35mm projector, so slides are the far cheaper option.

Peter, I'm not having kids just so I have someone to cut up A4 transparencies - laptop and projector would be a far cheaper option!

I want slides, as I give talks about both my photography and the country park I work in, and for both of these I have a large number of slides to choose from already. However, my photography has changed to a certain extent since going digital, and this isn't reflected in my talks yet. I'm looking to get around 50 or so slides made.

As far as I can see, the resolution from 3008x2008 pixel images, written to film with a 8000ppi machine, would be far greater than the 1024x768 given by most digital projectors. Having said that, the digital route would give me more flexibility regarding choice of image, transition between images, text etc.

I can't help but think sometimes though, that for portrait format images 512x768 is a very low resolution.

Anyway, I'll let you know how I get on.

Thanks,
Dan

Daniel, have you tried www.micro-quiz.co.uk

Got this from the Clay Cross Exhibition programme

If you quote "CLAYCROSS" they work out to around £1 each (I am told)

A couple of the guys at my CC have used them and the results are damned good.

WHOOPS!

sorry didnt see the "microquiz" in your post

but yes, they are good.