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Thread: scanning lantern slides

  1. #1
    W K Longcor
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    scanning lantern slides

    I have a good sized collection of historically interesting lantern slides. They date from the 1800's - about 3 x4 inches in side -- and though they are on glass -- they are not all completely flat ( I think some may have been coated on whatever was available in the way of glass) . I would like to scan them so that they could be "cleaned up" (spots, fly specs, scatches ad stains) on the computer. I have no idea as to what to look for in a scanner of this type. Also -- budget is very important - I had to buy a gallon of gas this week for my lawn mower -and that almost broke the bank!

  2. #2

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    Re: scanning lantern slides

    A flatbed scanner with transparency adapter would do the job.

  3. #3

    Join Date
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    Re: scanning lantern slides

    If you are on a really tight budget, you could look for a used Epson 3200 or 4870 scanner. Get some 1 mm thick pieces of shimming material to raise the corners off the glass.

    Doug
    ---
    www.BetterScanning.com

  4. #4
    W K Longcor
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    Re: scanning lantern slides

    Raise the edges 1mm --??? I'm guessing this is the thickness of the film carrier used on the scanner? Are all film scanners set up to "focus" at 1mm above the plate? If so, the lantern slide cover glass might be close to the correct thickness without shims???

  5. #5
    Whatever David A. Goldfarb's Avatar
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    Re: scanning lantern slides

    Lantern slides are usually really contrasty for projection. Presuming you find some suitable way of getting sharp scans, they don't necessarily make great prints, even with digital controls, because the information often just isn't there in the midtones.

  6. #6
    W K Longcor
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    Re: scanning lantern slides

    You are quite right about the contrast. And, since some of these were not "professionally" made -- the exposure, development, and overall general care in production was lacking. But, they do have some (local) historical interest. My goal is to preserve the images, and make as good as possible a print as I can -- so that they can be easily viewed by interested persons. Years back, I had a similar project. I copied the slides using a Polaroid MP4 camera. I exposed and developed to end up with the desired contrast. Then did extensive manual retouching and recopying and printing. I'm older now -- not getting paid for the job -- and modern technology has its appeal.

  7. #7
    Leonard Metcalf's Avatar
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    Re: scanning lantern slides

    I just threw mine on my Epson 3200, straight on the glass. I managed to get many acceptable prints. Mind you I had to spend many hours in photoshop with the clone & heal tools. They are so beautiful... And well worth the effort.

    Regards, Len


    Len Metcalf

    Leonard Murray Metcalf BA Dip Ed MEd

    Len's gallery lenmetcalf.com

    Lens School

    Lens Journal



  8. #8
    Tin Can's Avatar
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    Dec 2011
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    Re: scanning lantern slides

    May as well add to this thread

    Just got an eBay Lantern Slide of my ancestors!

    Lapp/Sami with their home.

    Not a great scan

    Sunday I will show it to my Sons of Norway club outdoors with masks on

    SAMI Lantern Slide by TIN CAN COLLEGE, on Flickr
    Tin Can

  9. #9

    Re: scanning lantern slides

    I just scanned a bunch of these using my S1R set up with pixel shift. Correct me if I'm wrong but it sure seemed to me like these were dupes from some other original photographic process? Even for an old tech the resolution seemed generally lacking on a number of them.

  10. #10
    Tin Can's Avatar
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    Re: scanning lantern slides

    Many Lantern slides were mass produced and copied forever

    School used them in large auditoriums

    I am 70 and dimly remember the horrible shows, yet crappy 35mm slides were used in many schools up to 20 years ago

    Then they slowly moved to crappy digital projectors

    Now we suffer with 4K TV burning our eyes blind
    Tin Can

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