Best photo / negative scanner?

[talonracer]

Hi folks,
I have probably a couple thousand photos and at least a thousand negatives (the negs are mostly b&w) that I need to get scanned and digitized. Is there a scanner you'd recommend? These are all for personal reference but I will more than likely need to scan items professionally in the future with it, though.

Thanks!

 

[MacInWin]

I have a scanner from plustek that works pretty well. It's an older model now, but it scans slides and negatives very well, and the software it uses (Silverfast) has good color correction and de-speckling features. I won't give the exact model number because of the age, but plustek makes pretty good scanners. The scanner has a holder that holds 4 slides (in the cardboard holder) or four 35mm negatives in a strip.

 

[pm-r]

I have probably a couple thousand photos and at least a thousand negatives (the negs are mostly b&w) that I need to get scanned and digitized. Is there a scanner you'd recommend?

Having known several people who have gone through a similar process I would suggest getting a scanner that can best handle the photos and negatives you have at hand and which model can make the process as easy as it can be depending on the money in your wallet and your budget.

Auto feed and Auto Alignment might be something you want to focus on, as it can be a long drawn-out process if you don't buy the features you need in the first place so it's probably best not to go too cheap if you're going to be scanning a few thousand photos and negatives.

And speaking of money, you might want to check out the used@youcity and Facebook Marketplace type places for a used photo/negative scanner that the seller has done for their collection of photos and negatives but now needs to sell the scanner, their experience might be some help whether you want to buy it or not and maybe save yourself some money.

Just be sure the scanner you buy can actually scan the photos and negatives you have on hand. Sizes and mounts can change drastically and need to be accommodated and a handy auto feed and self-centering feature might be a nice option to seriously consider.

Good luck.



- Patrick
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