Hopeful this is the correct subreddit or someone would be willing to point me in the right direction:) I have 1,000’s of old photos, slides and negatives that need to be scanned for prosperity. The task will be incredible daunting so I’d like advice on a scanner. My goals are firstly quality images as well as ease of use and workload. The images range mostly from the 1930’s-early 2000’s. I want to do the job “right” the first time and willing to pay up to $3,000ish. Please help:)
I used to have a v850 Epson for scanning negatives.
Be aware that the amount of labour involved is staggering.
Your negatives will have dust on them even when cleaning them right before scanning. It’s a battle. Even with the software, removing dust only does a halfway decent job.
To scan negatives properly you are going to want to wet mount them which will give you the best result outside a lab.
Keep in mind you will also have to photoshop the colour/grading to your liking afterwards. The software can only get you closer to what you want from the photo.
If you have the time and inclination I’d say try it out and decide if it’s a project worth your time.
You may be better off scanning already existing prints, or just having a facility do a professional scan of those super important photos you really want done right.