[mantone]

I have been asked to transfer some 35 MM. slides onto DVD. My question is, can I take a photograph of slide from source. In other words directly from the slide, using a back light of some sort. I would be using a FujiFlim SL1000 camera, and tripod.

[Jocko]

I transferred slides by using a slide scanner. The problem with photographing slides is getting an even back-light, but there is no harm in trying.

[EnglishBob]

I've done it successfully using my DSLR, a macro lens and then I fabricated a tube to slot over the end out of black foam.

I made it an Inch or so longer than the minimum focusing distance of the macro lens. Cover the end with a piece of translucent white material (I used a piece of a broken diffuser umbrella).

Then I cut slot through both sides of the tube, got a piece of stiff card and cut a slide size hole through it and attached the slide to it. Slot it through the tube.

Point the contraption at a bright light source (I used a 100W daylight toned bulb) and focus.

I then colour corrected the images. The first one or two took a while aftere that it was pretty easy.

Using a 15mp camera I was ending up with digital images around 8-10mp after cropping.

I have also gotten okay results by just placing the slides on a lightbox and shooting them with a macro lens, was much simpler but the quality wasn't quite the same.

I gave the tube away long ago but would think you could use a much shorter tube if you attached the lens to some macro extension tubes.

[mantone]

I've done it successfully using my DSLR, a macro lens and then I fabricated a tube to slot over the end out of black foam.

I made it an Inch or so longer than the minimum focusing distance of the macro lens. Cover the end with a piece of translucent white material (I used a piece of a broken diffuser umbrella).

Then I cut slot through both sides of the tube, got a piece of stiff card and cut a slide size hole through it and attached the slide to it. Slot it through the tube.

Point the contraption at a bright light source (I used a 100W daylight toned bulb) and focus.

I then colour corrected the images. The first one or two took a while aftere that it was pretty easy.

Using a 15mp camera I was ending up with digital images around 8-10mp after cropping.

I have also gotten okay results by just placing the slides on a lightbox and shooting them with a macro lens, was much simpler but the quality wasn't quite the same.

I gave the tube away long ago but would think you could use a much shorter tube if you attached the lens to some macro extension tubes.

Many thanks EnglishBob for your reply. Might just give that a try.

[Phil J]

Or you might try projecting the image onto a proper screen and then photographing the projected image. After all, that would have been what the viewer would have seen originally. If you do go down this route, remember to let the slide 'pop' and then refocus the projector before copying. Also, 'stating the obvious' use a tripod to keep this consistent.

Regards.

Phil.

[EdMak]

I was amazed when a friend showed me a DVD of his 8mm. films done as Philip suggests, he projected them onto a Fridge door! Do it with with no ambient light, and, watch for trapezium. Ed.

[mantone]

I was amazed when a friend showed me a DVD of his 8mm. films done as Philip suggests, he projected them onto a Fridge door! Do it with with no ambient light, and, watch for trapezium. Ed.

Thanks Ed, but I do not have a projector, hence the question.

[WDHewson]

I digitized my father's slides with an $100 Epson scanner. It was a bit laborious as it only did 4 at a time, and there was no magazine loading arrangement. But, with film expensive many decades ago, his entire photo collection was less than 1000 images.

Here's Daytona Beach in about 1958. I'm the little guy with the too big hand me down clothing from my older brother.

[MrB]

Film negatives and slides do deteriorate after a while and therefore need a bit of editing; in this case it looks to have gone a bit yellow-green to me.

This had a clean-up and some tweaking in PaintShop Pro:

   

Cheers.
Philip

[Jocko]

I copied a load of slides, a good few years ago. These ware about 30 years in their Kodak and Agfa boxes, stored in a drawer. The problem I found was they appeared to have a minute fungus on them. For every 10 minutes it took copying I spent another hour "spotting". A real pain.

[WDHewson]

Film negatives and slides do deteriorate after a while and therefore need a bit of editing; in this case it looks to have gone a bit yellow-green to me.

This had a clean-up and some tweaking in PaintShop Pro:

.........................................

Thanks MrB. That's a fine improvement in color.

That cheap Epson does have an automatic color correct function, but I forget if it was used in this case.

I'm rusty forgetful about slides, but my father shot Kodachrome and Ektachrome, and over the decades the slides have become very red so needed unreal amounts of color correct. Well beyond my capabilities.

[JohnF]

Here's Daytona Beach in about 1958. I'm the little guy with the too big hand me down clothing from my older brother.

Is that a Fordmaster - what year. Looks to be in great condition.

[WDHewson]

Here's Daytona Beach in about 1958. I'm the little guy with the too big hand me down clothing from my older brother.

Is that a Fordmaster - what year. Looks to be in great condition.

Hi JohnF. It was a 1955 Ford with a V-8 engine. My dad traded his old Studebaker for it. So in the image it was just a few years old. I don't know my cars well, but it might have been a Ford Custom. My Dad bought the utilitarian models for transportation.

Within 2 or 3 years of this photo my older brother, also in the photo, totaled it in a head on collision. He walked away, but others were hurt badly but not critically. No seat belts, harpoon steering column, steel dash, and crumple zones was a term yet invented.

[Jocko]

Been there. Done that. Young lads and cars are a dangerous combination. I totalled two of my Dad's Fords. (Only one was my fault though!)

[mantone]

Attachment shows handmade viewer, used to photograph slides, has done the job I wanted. Took me a few tries to get what I wanted, but I am pleased with results.[attachment=6360]

[mantone]

Attachment shows a copy of one of the images taken, using the slide viewer

   

[mantone]

Attachment shows handmade viewer, used to photograph slides, has done the job I wanted. Took me a few tries to get what I wanted, but I am pleased with results.

   

[EdMak]

Bit of P/S adjustment?? Ed.

[mantone]

Hi Ed, thanks for the reply. That image has just been taken, no improvements made, its WYSIWYG.