Viewing 35mm Slides

The best slide viewer I ever came across (still got one)
was the GAF Pana-Vue. Just drop a full film of slides into
the hopper and view by pushing the sliding handle in and out.
I even bought the hopper version they did for a projector.
Nothing else was as fast

Only available now on ebay link

A mains alternative is the Kaiser Diascop 50N link

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Alan,

Morris Photo still sells the projector and has the bulbs for it (on special offer at the moment)

They also sell the magazines.

You can also buy direct from Braun Photographic in Germany.

Speed Graphic still sell new projectors. Try thier website

The Widescreen Centre sells a pretty wide range of slide projectors/viewers. I've used them in the past and their service was top notch: link

Al

I agree with you that scanners have got better but they weren't that bad 10 years ago. However the slides may not remain at the same quality. I have some 50 years old slides - some have held up well (Kodachrome) whereas others have gone strange shades of magenta/purple/blue etc. Scanning and colour correcting has worked well where that is the issue but other slides have been attacked by fungus/dust storms (it seems) and other damage but none will last forever.

So it is worth scanning them now and if something better is required in the future try again then if the need arises.

I find some of the older mid to high end scanners perform much better than the current cheaper ones and they can often be obtained quite reasonably. One just has to be careful to ensure it still has drivers available for your version of windows.

I have had a Minolta Scan Dual II for quite a while and just upgraded it with a second hand version IV. One reads that it isn't compatible with Windows 7 but don't believe all you read! It is working just fine with a modified driver found using a Google search.

John

Bear in mind that Kodachrome doesn't scan as well as Ektachrome, because of its different structure. The Nikon Coolscan has a special Kodachrome setting for this reason.

Silverfast software also has the special Kodachrome setting but how do you spot a Kodachrome slide when it has been glass mounted, other than guessing :

I ended up buying a Braun Novamat M330, which has a built in screen (as well as projecting in the usual manner).

No need to guess, Kodachrome can't be mistaken!

I find there a certain fidelity/sharpness about Kodachrome slides. Probably due to its slow ASA rating. Later Kodachrome seemed to lose some of that. I'll certainly lament its disappearance but I may have been one of many who added to that by doing my own processing of Barfen film as I always wanted to get results ASAP. I even purchased a Polaroid 35mm slide kit to get results even quicker (still have some film left!) and then the first Canon analogue 'digital' still camera (The Ion).

I remember saying why can't I get an electronic back for my ME! Move along a few years and we're nearly there! Once Pentax release a full frame DSLR we'll have made it.

What was special about the Coolscan Kodachrome setting. Surely it isn't something that couldn't be achieved in basic PP software such as Elements?

John

It's to do with the initial scan, which is something that's far too late at the Photoshop stage. Try scanning black and white film on a colour negative setting and see what happens!

The Scan Dual IV software does adjust the final scan based on its prescan so maybe it does something similar automatically. The older Dual II scanning software was much more basic but it still managed to get Kodachrome slides scanned OK. I suppose you don't miss what you haven't got!

John

I have tried scanning with the Kodachrome setting and also correcting afterwards in Photoshop to remove the blue cast with some success.

But I understand that it is best to make as many corrections as possible during the scan process, rather than 'correcting' a scan later.