[Leica] Re: ION Scanner

[lrzeitlin at optonline.net (Lawrence Zeitlin)]

On Dec 27, 2008, at 11:29 PM, Geoff wrote, re Jerry's request for  
info on the ION scanner:

> Jerry I tried to Google ION scanners to see if I could help. I got  
> a rather
> unexpected result! Is the present giver your parole  
> officer??!!! ;-) Make
> sure you put the 2PC in the search everyone.
>
> Once I found some info on the film scanner (not the cocaine  
> scanner!), it
> looks like it is nearly automated. One of the new generation using  
> a digital
> camera sensor and meant to be really simple to operation for the  
> average
> home user. It has simple photoediting software with it which should  
> work for
> to start you out. I would make myself a new folder for scans on my  
> computer
> and just try a few scans on full automatic. It sounds like the default
> settings will give you a scan suitable for a print up to maybe 8x10  
> or a
> file you can downsize if you want to post photos on-line.


A few decades ago we used a device called the Heiland Slide Copier to  
make duplicates of 35 mm Kodachromes. Basically it consisted of a  
small copier stand with a lightbox, a 1 to 1 copying lens, and a SLR  
camera body. When everything was set up, the camera was loaded, a  
slide was slipped into the carrier on the lightbox, and the shutter  
snapped. You could buy similar gadgets incorporating a fixed focus  
lens for imaging movie frames on roll film. The ION seems to be much  
the same thing except that a digital sensor substitutes for the film.  
The scanner, really a digital slide duplicator since no actual  
scanning is involved, is sold at many electronics stores and is  
available for less than $100USD. The ones I have seen have about a 5  
megapixel sensor, adequate for 5 x 7 prints but marginal for anything  
larger. There is no provision for digital dust removal or ICE so the  
slides to be copied must be pristine. Also the software appears to be  
PC only - frustrating us Mac users. Still, if you are not too  
particular, the ION or one of its several workalikes might be just  
the thing for very occasional digitizing of slides.

Larry Z