Photo Scanner

[gramps]

Hopefully, some of you excellent photographers can help me with a recomendation on a good scanner for scanning 35 mm negatives and possible very old family photos.  I would like to put a couple thousand of them on an external hard drive.  I have no knowledge at all of scanners or how to use one.
Thanks

[Slider]

I've got a HP(Hewlett Packerd) all in one Printing, copying, and scanning with one compact machine. Works very good. Good Luck

[popeshawnpaul]

You have two options.  First, there are plenty of consumer grade ones out there and most do what you need them to do for a decent price.  You want to look at the optical resolution.  I like to scan at a high resolution, so I use a scanner that has at least 4000 dpi.  There are some that go higher, but it becomes pointless after a while to go too high.  You can buy or pick one up on ebay or craigslist for cheap as they aren't popular anymore.  

The second option is to rent one down at Glazers in Seattle.  You can keep it for the weekend and scan as many as you want all weekend, then return it.  I chose this option as I don't shoot film anymore so I wouldn't need it anymore.  If you still shoot film, you may want to look at buying one.

Shawn

FYI - I have two flat bed scanners that do a good job that I'll give away.  They are scsi.  I have no use for them.

[gramps]

Thanks..

I may look into renting one and spend a few days at my daughter's place and do it that way.  When you say 4000 dpi, aren't there two numbers?...4000 x ?.   Would an HP of this dpi rating be good?

Thanks

[Slider]

 Link to HP. They make very good printers/scanners. I paid about $160.00 acouple years ago at Costco. The price has come down. Just select a printer/scanner and click on the Spec folder.



http://www.shopping.hp.com/product/printer/Photosmart/1/storefronts/Q8330A%2523ABA

[huntnphool]

FWIW, Pope has got the right idea. You can rent a high quality one from Glazers in Seattle, http://www.glazerscamera.com/  and get them all done in a weekend. Sure you could purchase one but once they are scanned what are you going to do with it? Save the cash for a new lens, rent it

[gramps]

Thanks everyone.

It will take me quite a long while to just sort them and pick the ones to scan.  Renting one sounds like a good way for me to do this.  Thanks for the links too.

[Slider]

Hunting Fool I use my scanner all the time. Even if it's just to scan receits for Taxes or Warrantys.

[huntnphool]

Good idea Slider, thanks for the idea.

[popeshawnpaul]

4000 dpi stands for dots per inch.  since a 35mm negative/positive is slightly larger than an inch, the file size ends up being big.  You want to rent a film scanner at Glazers and scan the negatives or slides.  They will be better quality than doing a flatbed scan of the print the lab made for you.  That way you can blow them up.  I would rent and scan all the ones you want.  If you just want to scan portraits, just pick up a cheap flatbed scanner.  Or take one of my free ones...

shawn

[gramps]

Thanks again Shawn...I travel thru' Bellevue often, I may get ahold of you before my next trip in two or three weeks.