Photo printer/scanner (that will also scan slides?)

[Father Ted]

I am pondering the purchase of the canon MP610 multi-function photo-printer scanner . I was wondering whether i could scan 35mm slides with this unit and if not are there decent alternatives in this price range?

Cheers FT

[Zad]

All flat bed scanners are limited in slide scanning performance. The glass sort of gets in the way and you just can't get the resolution and dynamic range a slide needs. I have an Epson 1680 with lightbox which is pretty decent at doing transparencies and negs, but I wouldn't really call them anything but preview scans.

[_dobbo_]

Zad - I find that interesting - I've got an epson perfection 3200 and it scans 35mm negs at 48bit colour depth at something insane like 40 megapixels. Quality is pretty spot on I'd say.

That being said - I wouldn't expect the same of a multi-function printer/scanner device.

[griffsmith]

hello I don't think that the MP610 can scan 35mm slides as you new the light source on the opposite side the the scan head not sure if it has this or an option light box,

I would have to disagree with Zad I've got an epson perfection V700 (flatbed scanner) and I have to say I'm amazed with the quality and resolution of the scans, ok it a bit more money and doesn't print but then it depends what you want to scan and print. I bought it to scan the family slide archive. I bet a purpose made slide scanner would slightly out perform it for quality but I have a large number of reflective photos to scan as well so the flat bed was the way to go...

so it all depends on what you need it for most frequently and indeed how much. if you've only got a few slides then get them done by someone else.

[Zad]

Oh my Epson scans at huge resolution and colour depth, it just isn't a patch on a 'proper' slide scanner that's all!

[lowdrag]

Have a look at the Canon 9950F. It does transparencies, negs and flatbed scanning and has proved very versatile. It takes an age to scan five rows of negs at full 4800dpi resolution but the results are very good. I scan at 2400dpi for speed and then, if there is one neg I particularly want to keep, rescan that one alone at 4800.