Surely it is possible to borrow slide-scanner. While searching accordingly, more than 15 addresses in Germany (mostly in major cities and centers) can be found
This possibility might be a good way at first view…
… but bad for millions of other peoples. People who live apart from centers have to accept a longer drive in order to get an explanation of how the equipment works. Afterwards, they have to transport the damageable slide-scanner slowly and at their own risk home. This might cause problems.
Slide-scanner for rent? High costs and high time exposure!
Further problems occur with the hardware. Renting a slide-scanner is expensive and who really knows all the features and technical possibilities of a slide-scanner? The cheapest models you can borrow cost about 30€ per day. The most expensive ones cost about 129€ per weekend. People who might think they are able to reveal all secrets of a slide-scanner are wrong. If you want to get good scanning results, you slowly have to learn the ropes of the handling of the equipment. Which settings do I have? What are the optimal settings for my slides? They have to be determined in the first place and saved afterwards. Each slide film – no matter if it is one from Kodak, Fuji, or any other manufacturer – has its own profile, according to its emulsion. These profiles are partially offered in the internet. Hopefully even the one of the scanner you have rented. Cheap slide-scanners are unfortunately really slowly. Depending on the chosen resolution, the time exposure can be enormously. Several tests, which are necessary in order to get the optimal result, increase the time exposure additionally. Time is short and disappointment spreads quickly. Unfortunately, the weekend has meanwhile gone by and the borrowed scanner has to be brought back. Regarding the costs of the equipment, frustration arises easily.
Image editing additionally requires a high amount of time exposure!
This can even increase the frustration! Older slides are often coated with dust particles, which cannot be removed by polishing with a soft cloth. Rubbing leads to a static charge and then again transforms the great masterpiece into a real magnet for dust. These foreign bodies are scanned as well and appear on the unwrought slide. This cannot be avoided and therefore leads to further problems. How fit are you regarding image editing? The unwrought data get their finishing touch by using Photoshop or any other image editing program. Several scanner, which are offered for rent, include an image editing program. They often promise a lot but usually only keep a fraction. Removal of dust and scratches simply done at the touch of a button. The result will be marvelled by a photo-friend. All scratches are removed and no dust is visible anymore – instead problems regarding sharpness and contrast occur. Everything vanishes into a blurred mass. That is why you need to study a compact manual. Practicing needs time and the question arise whether renting is really paying off.
No problems with the costs in a specialized company!
As a conclusion there has to be said that renting a slide-scanner will only pay off if you are already familiar with the equipment and its software. It will be cheaper and quicker if you hand over your small masterpieces to a competent and specialized company like DIAFIX. They understand your problems better than other companies which only rent hardware. Don’t forget: such businesses earn their money with long rental periods. Nobody lightens your workload. And only you will be liable for any defects and damages on the expensive scanning-hardware.