Slide Scanners

Best 35mm dedicated film scanners

If you have a lot of 35mm film you'd like to convert to digital, you might be interested in a dedicated slide scanner, which also scans film negatives. While buying a separate piece of equipment might seem like overkill, it could ultimately be cheaper than paying a photo lab to convert years of 35mm film and slides.

The Nikon Coolscan V ED film scanner (*Est. $580) is a clear choice among dedicated film and slide scanners. CNet.com's editors are among those giving the Nikon V ED high grades. Because the Nikon V ED supports multi-pass scanning, pros can better control grain and other image fine-tuning. Experts say color fidelity is great, and the V ED slide and film scanner is easy to use, with straightforward setup and well-placed controls. The V ED uses a special glass lens (Nikkor ED), which in combination with high optical density gives it the power to handle "extreme contrast in both slides and negatives," according to CNet.com's Jeff Dorgay. The included software is powerful enough to take the place of a stand-alone image-editor and offers advanced options for the expert user. The Nikon Coolscan V ED is both PC and Mac compatible.

Keep in mind, however, that some flatbed scanners, like the Canon CanoScan 8800F or Epson Perfection V700, can batch-scan slides and negatives (generally about four at a time), while also providing higher resolution (4800 dpi for the 8800F and up to 6400 dpi for the V700 vs. 4000 dpi for the Nikon V ED). Lori Grunin at CNet.com notes that once you're finished scanning your library of slides, a dedicated film scanner like the Nikon "becomes an expensive paperweight. So after the costs and benefits play out, your best overall choice turns out to be a really good flatbed scanner -- like the Epson Perfection V700."