[sindbad1]

Fast digitizing slides with the Filmolino Slidescan

I use DSLRs from Pentax to 'scan' negatives and slides, because the enhanced resolution of pixel shift comes without increasing the number of pixels.

For scanning mounted slides in magazines I use a modified slide projector and mostly the Pentax K-70 with a Tamron 90mm macro. In principle, the light source of the slide projector is replaced by an inexpensive LED Lamp with diffuse light and a mirror placed at an angel of 45° in the light shaft to reflect light falling from above towards the front of the slide. In addition, the lens of the slide projector is removed in order to capture the slides through the opening with a macro lens on a camera.

This year (2022) a company in Swizerland developed a small controller, which automates that process. It's called Filmolino Slidescan and is a little smaller than a regular alarm clock. The device alternately causes a slide change and the triggering of a digital camera.

You need your own slide projector. On a german website you find a description for the modification. Never mind the language, the pictures show enough and Google Translate can translate the text well if needed:
https://www.photoinfos.com/Fotolabor-digital/Dias-2-Projektor-modifizieren-z...n-von-Dias.htm

There is more detailed information about the Filmolino Slidescan on the maker's website.
The device is not yet commercially available because they don't know if there is a demand for it. A minimum of 100 units must be ordered to be worth producing and shipping a first batch. If you are interested, please enter it on the linked page. https://filmolino.com/slide-scan-en/

Alternatively you can try to build it yourself. On GitHub you'll find the instrcutions.

I have a prototype which works really well. The results depend on how well you align the slide projector and the camera with the lens to each other. Everything else is amazingly simple and you can digitize an entire slide magazine in minutes.

A connection to the smartphone can be established via WiFi in order to enter other values under 'Config'. This includes pauses between operations. After the slide change, my device pauses for 5 seconds before the camera is triggered. I do this to let tremors subside. Those using a flash for lighting can also use the pause function to give them time to recharge after a shot.

Early users should submit feedbacks to the developers, regarding for example whether the Filmolino Slidescan is compatible with your slide projector or not. I use a Leitz Pradovit R 150, which I could buy for €30 on eBay.

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Last edited by sindbad1; 12-26-2022 at 12:25 PM.

[zapp]

Decent slide scanners, not to mention multi-format scanners, basically don’t exist anymore. More and mor3 people pick up analog cameras these days, so the need should be growing again. The problem is old: quick scanning of many slides, whole trays or rolls of film. Filmolino is on the right track, but the solution requires still some work. I am happy to follow them.

[AggieDad]

If I understand what I saw in the video, essentially the SlideScanner unit is advancing the slide and then activating the shutter of the camera. The camera itself is directly facing the lens of the projector. Am I correct? If so, that's very clever and most efficient.

Should this be the case, it should be a simple build with an Arduino — or similar — microcontroller. Add to that a bracket or cradle of some sort to position the camera accurately and keep it in place. Maybe it could be an extension or accessory for my macro setup. Hmmm. It could be a winter project.

What might be the best lens focal length to use, and how do you focus everything?

[sindbad1]

If I understand what I saw in the video, essentially the SlideScanner unit is advancing the slide and then activating the shutter of the camera. The camera itself is directly facing the lens of the projector. Am I correct?

You have to remove the lens from the projector. Look here.
I use a 90mm macro lens on a Pentax K-70 oder Pentax K-5 II. That focal distance is large enought to get the slide inside the projector in focus.

Should this be the case, it should be a simple build with an Arduino — or similar — microcontroller. Add to that a bracket or cradle of some sort to position the camera accurately and keep it in place. Maybe it could be an extension or accessory for my macro setup. Hmmm. It could be a winter project.

On the website of the swiss guys who made the Filmolino Slidescan is a link to their page on GitHub with instructions for building a controller. They list all the parts from the first prototype, which didn't have a display but could be configurated with your smartphone.

For others who don't want to or can't build it, they would offer them complete and ready. I hope, that enough people will support that project.

[kypfer]

All very clever … certainly going to be a lot quicker than my CanoScan 4000US

[Bob 256]

Another "hack" one might consider is replacing the projector light source (and condenser lens) with a tri-color LED source (this might take a little doing to get even slide coverage for all three colors but it shouldn't be too hard to make a small light mixing box and use separate R, G, and B LEDs. This light source will allow the adjustment of the white balance (camera in fixed WB mode) and provide more consistent lighting once set. Usually, the green intensity is set at a fixed value and the red and blue sources are adjusted to achieve the white you want. You can also use this arrangement to compensate for unwanted color casts in a given slide.

The overly bright lamp & condenser in a typical projector might not be the best light source for copying purposes since the condenser can cause hot spotting and the brightness would need to be reduced some way to accommodate a practical camera exposure (plus a significant amount of heat is produced by a typical projection lamp).

Also, if your camera provides it, electronic shuttering would be best as that would reduce the wear and tear on your mechanical shutter.


https://www.mpja.com/RGB-10W-High-Brightness-LED-Common-Anode/productinfo/31518+OP/

[AggieDad]

Thanks for the information. It all certainly gives me something to think about and possibly play with.