The Best Slide Scanners

Best image of slide scanners
Photo: Kodak SCANZA Digital Film & Slide Scanner - Converts 35mm, 126, 110, Super 8 & 8mm Film Negatives & Slides to JPEG - Includes Large Tilt-Up 3.5" LCD, Easy-Load Film Inserts, Adapters & More
UPDATED DECEMBER 21, 2024

To help you find the perfect slide scanner, we continuously put forth the effort to update and expand our list of recommendable slide scanners. Our team collects, edits and publishes new information, in order to present it to you in an accurate, significant and neatly arranged way.

Our Picks

Kodak SCANZA Digital Film & Scanner image
FILM TO JPEG IN SECONDS – Powerful 14/22MP KODAK Film Scanner Converts Old 35...
Epson Perfection V600 Color Photo image
Create extraordinary enlargements from film: 6400 x 9600 dpi for enlargements...
ClearClick QuickConvert 2.0 Photo image
Easily & Quickly Scan Your Old Photos, Slides, & Negatives To Digital Photos ...
Our Choice
Kodak SCANZA Digital Film & Scanner image
FILM TO JPEG IN SECONDS – Powerful 14/22MP KODAK Film Scanner Converts Old 35...
Epson Perfection V600 Color Photo image
Create extraordinary enlargements from film: 6400 x 9600 dpi for enlargements...
Low Price
ClearClick QuickConvert 2.0 Photo image
Easily & Quickly Scan Your Old Photos, Slides, & Negatives To Digital Photos ...

8 More Slide Scanner Alternatives

AMAZING MINIATURE FILM SCANNER – All-in-One Device Lets You Scan, View, Edit, Convert &...

MULTIPLE ADAPTERS FOR FAST LOADING – Enjoy Maximum Compatibility & Ease of Conversion w...

UPDATED USER INTERFACE WITH 2.4” LCD – Dedicated Scan & Home Buttons Provide Easy One-P...

Built-in infrared channel can detect dust and scratches on the surface of the original ...

7200 x 7200 dpi (69 Megapixels) for 35mm Negative film and mounted slides. 48-bit input...

Up to 3.6 Dynamic Range Enhanced Multi-Exposure Function for improved image quality 64-...

SAVE OLD PHOTO MEMORIES: 1422MP Digital Film Scanner Lets You View, Edit and Convert Yo...

5” LCD DISPLAY WITH GALLERY MODE: Features Large, Crystal-Clear Screen with Wide Viewin...

CONVENIENT EASY-LOAD FILM INSERTS: Quick-Feeding Tray Technology Allows for Continuous ...

Quickly & Easily Scan Your Old Film, Slides, & Negatives to Digital Photos at 22 MegaPi...

Extra Large 5" Preview Screen - See Your Photos in "Real Time" As You Scan

Works with 35mm, 110, & 126 Negatives and 50mm Slides - No Computer or Drivers Required

PRESERVE OLD MEMORIES - Quickly and easily converts 35mm/110/126/Super 8 film negatives...

MULTIPLE WAYS TO VIEW - Using the stunning 5'' LCD screen, view your film, slides & sca...

BUILT-IN MEMORY & SD CARD SLOT - With a convenient 128MB internal memory and an SD card...

[NewlyLaunched] OpticFilm 8300i Ai equipped with new generation of chip, which increase...

[Advanced IT 8 Targets Included] bundled with 3-slide of 35mm Calibration Target (99 US...

[Dual Professional Software Included] - Bundled with world's digital imaging software -...

SAVE OLD PHOTO MEMORIES: 13/22MP Digital Film Scanner Lets You View, Edit & Convert You...

7” LCD DISPLAY WITH GALLERY MODE: Features Large, Crystal-Clear Screen with Wide Viewin...

CONVENIENT EASY-LOAD FILM INSERTS: Quick-Feeding Tray Technology Allows for Continuous ...

Save Old Memories: 22MP digital film scanner allows you to view, edit and convert old c...

5 Inch LCD Display: large HD screen with gallery mode and wide viewing angle for instan...

Quick and Easy: Convert old color and B&W negatives/slides/monochrome to digital JPEG p...

Buying Guide

When you want to preserve your old film, slide scanners are handy tools. These devices come in a massive array of models with unique features. Before you purchase yours, however, there are a few things that you ought to understand.

Slide Scanner Essentials


Slide scanners, also known as film or photo scanners, make it simple to transfer your analog images straight into a computer. In the old days, you would have had to make a print and then scan that, but slide scanner technology lets you cut right to the chase.

Why not just work with a regular office scanner? The problem has to do with the large image scanning beds that these machines use. You’ll have to align your tiny film strips and negatives with extreme precision to get consistent results. Even if you have faith in the steadiness of your hands, however, you’ll still need to repeat the process hundreds or thousands of times depending on how many slides you want to replicate. Using a machine made for the task dramatically reduces your workload.

Features That Are Worth Considering


Not all slide scanners are the same. Pay attention to the following characteristics so that you can make a smart choice for your next photo preservation project.

Media Compatibility


Are you scanning original 35 mm film negatives or a reel of 120 mm film? Do you want to replicate microscope slides or photo prints? Always pick a scanner that can accommodate the different media formats that you’re interested in preserving.

Film scanners typically feature various holders that ease the process of aligning your originals. For instance, the Epson Perfection V800 Photo Scanner has holders for 35 mm slides, 35 mm film strips, 4 x 5 inch prints and
6 x 20 cm medium format media. Canon’s CanoScan LIDE120, on the other hand, lacks a special film holder, so it's better for scanning photo prints.

Resolution


To reproduce the fine nuances of photographic prints and small slides, you need a scanner that can capture images at extremely high resolutions. The 1,200 dpi high setting on your regular flatbed may be okay for things like your kid’s drawings or your personal documents, but using it on photos and film will result in flaws, artifacts and lost details.

Choosing Your Hardware Capabilities

Is there such a thing as a perfect resolution? It all depends on the photos that you’re trying to scan. For example, if you’re copying an image produced by a camera that was slightly out of focus, then no amount of resolution can overcome the soft edges and blurriness present in the original. On the other hand, you’re almost sure to notice the effects of low-resolution scanning when you’re trying to duplicate an image that was initially clean and sharp.
As a general rule, some photography buffs recommend starting at around 2,400 dpi and higher for stills. When converting movie film to video, people report being able to create quality HD content by starting at around 800 dpi for 35 mm formats.
It’s important to remember that these are just guidelines. Even within the world of once-commonplace formats like 35 mm, different manufacturers produced film products with unique dimensions and aspect ratios.
Leaving yourself with wiggle room is always best, so many people go for scanners with the highest resolution capacities they can find and then use software to downsample the resolution as needed. This strategy reduces the amount of image information that you lose along the way. For instance, the Plustek OpticFilm 8200i scanner has a steep learning curve, but it captures images at a whopping 7,200 dpi. It also includes optimizations for 35 mm film.

Computer Compatibility


It’s entirely up to you which side of the PC vs. Mac vs. Linux debate you fall on, but at the very least, make sure that your scanner is on the same team. Not all devices that claim to operate fine with Macs or PCs do so flawlessly, so if a manufacturer says that their software is compatible, don’t just take it on faith. Always be certain to check which versions of your operating system the software is verified to function with before buying.
Scanning images is a data-intensive process. Although USB 2.0 connections are fine for transferring limited amounts of information to your computer, you may want to choose a FireWire- or USB 3.0-equipped scanner to speed bigger batches along faster. Or go with an option like the 2,500 dpi Ion Pics 2 SD for built-in SD card data recording. Using self-contained scanners means that you don’t even have to fiddle with installing drivers or software.

Workflow


When you’re scanning many images, it pays to have assistance. Unfortunately, you might not be able to convince your friends or significant other that they should spend their weekends helping you load film into a scanner.

In such cases, options like Jumbl’s 22MP All-In-1 Film & Slide Scanner can make life much easier. This model accepts continuous film reels and incorporates a speed-load adapter system that makes it possible to feed in slides and negatives at much higher rates. It also features an LCD screen that lets you see what you’re scanning and perform some basic error-correction functions on the spot. The Plustek OpticFilm 135 offers a motorized solution for moving large batches of film through the system to save you the hassle.

Image Quality: Software vs. Hardware


Dust and scratches are hallmarks of classic prints and movie reels. Scanning images at extremely high resolutions, however, transforms these subtle aesthetic touches into huge blemishes. Although despeckle tools and other kinds of software filters can help correct problems after the fact, it may be easiest to work with a scanner that just eliminates problems in the first place.

Different scanners work around these issues in unique ways. Some, like Konica’s Minolta DiMAGE Scan Elite 5400, use digital infrared scanning to distinguish scratches and dust from valid pixels and correct them mid-scan. Professional-grade slide, transparency and film scanners commonly use a combination of infrared cleaning and other techniques to produce higher-quality images.

Digitize Your Collection


There are many ways to scan your slides so that future generations can enjoy them. Let us know which one you pick in the comments below, or give us your suggestions about the photography-related products you’d like us to cover next.

Top Rated Slide Scanners

If you're looking into finding the best rated slide scanner, you should probable check out the KODAK Mini Digital Film & Scanner. We looked at various sources of reviews and found this one to have the best mix between review count and average rating stars.

KODAK Mini Digital Film & Scanner

The Lowest Price We Could Find

Often, going for the best price is a simple but good option. With a price of $89.99 (last checked this morning), we do not list any other slide scanner cheaper than the 22MP Film and Scanner. Just remember that it's not always the best option to go for the cheapest one.

22MP Film and Scanner

The Slide Scanner With the Most Reviews

With at least 2433 reviews and counting, the Epson Perfection V600 Color Photo might be another option to consider. This large amount of reviews signalizes that many people are using it, with most of them beeing satisfied.

Epson Perfection V600 Color Photo

High Quality Slide Scanners

It's quite rare that the saying "You get what you pay for" turns out incorrect. If you have the money on the sideline, feel free to choose the most expensive item from our list: The Plustek OpticFilm 8300i Ai Film Scanner currently sells for $539.00.

Plustek OpticFilm 8300i Ai Film Scanner

The Slide Scanner With the Most Clicks

If you trust us and our users, feel free to check out the Kodak SCANZA Digital Film & Scanner. Our statistics say that it is the most favorite Slide Scanner from the list above.

Kodak SCANZA Digital Film & Scanner

Our Bestseller

If you're still undecided, I would recommend that you go with the masses and choose the top selling slide scanner: The Kodak Digital Film Scanner is the hottest bestseller in this category right now.

Kodak Digital Film Scanner

Slide Scanner Reviews

There are no reviews on slide scanners, yet.
Be the first to write a review, or check for additional reviews in the Further Reading section below.

Further Reading on Slide Scanners

New: Our editorial list of additional articles. We decided to gather informartion all around the internet and present you a list of helpful, external links to interesting reads about reviews, pros & cons and similar products.
The Best Photo Scanning Service: Reviews by Wirecutt...
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The Pros and Cons copy scan convert Slides Negatives...
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JPEG vs TIFF for Scanning Photos, Slides, & Nega...
JPEG & TIFF Compared: The chart below outlines the pros and cons of each format. 35 mm Film Scanning: pixel & file size of a standard 35mm frame. ...
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SlideSnapPro.com | Automatically scan batches of sli...
Rapid, Automated Slide Scanning Worldwide, SlideSnap is the standard for high volume slide scanning. Owners include We're In Good Company  ...
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What Should I Do with All My Slides and Photo Negati...
Once you've selected the slides and negatives you want to scan, try to put them The Pros and Cons of Keeping Your Slides and Negatives. ...
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Microscope slide scanner - All medical device manufa...
Microscope slide scanner / bright field / fluorescence / high-resolution Aperio VERSA. Research The Aperio VERSA is a comprehensive digital pathology scanner, designed and developed to support the diverse imaging needs of cutting edge re... ...
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Research

Do you want to know more about slide scanners? Check out the links below to gain knowledge about the whole topic of slide scanner products.

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