Coolscan 9000 35mm color slides

[JeremyLangford]

I just shot a roll of 35mm Provia 100F and plan on getting it developed tomorrow. Should I get the slides mounted or unmounted if I am planning to scan them with a Coolscan 9000? It seems like I could use the Nikon stock plastic 35mm mounted slide holder and get good results. Or is it better to get them unmounted and use the glass holder or another holder?

 

[historicist]

It's a bit quicker unmounted in the regular plastic holder for unmounted 35mm film - 12 at a time rather than 6 (or 5, I can't quite remember). I've no experience with the glass film holder for 35mm though it makes a big difference for medium format.

 

[JeremyLangford]

It's a bit quicker unmounted in the regular plastic holder for unmounted 35mm film - 12 at a time rather than 6 (or 5, I can't quite remember). I've no experience with the glass film holder for 35mm though it makes a big difference for medium format.

I'm really not worried about speed as much as I am about quality.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

It depends on how flat the slides are in the mounts. slides are often not perfectly flat in the mounts and you can definately see loss of sharpness near the edges on many mounted slides I have scanned. For absolute best quality, don't mount, and use the glass carrier.

I hadn't noticed if you had actually gotten your 9000 yet, I guess you did? What do you think so far?

 

[JeremyLangford]

It depends on how flat the slides are in the mounts. slides are often not perfectly flat in the mounts and you can definately see loss of sharpness near the edges on many mounted slides I have scanned. For absolute best quality, don't mount, and use the glass carrier.

I hadn't noticed if you had actually gotten your 9000 yet, I guess you did? What do you think so far?

I got it for $1700 in perfect condition. I've actually not tried it yet because my current mac mini hard drive is completely full and I'm waiting to get a white Macbook.

I just ordered a ton of slide film and I hope to learn a lot about it and start shooting it a lot. I just don't know whether to get them mounted or unmounted. If they're mounted then I can scan 5 at a time. If they're unmounted then I can only scan 1 at a time with the glass carrier right?

I'm fine with getting them unmounted if it will get better results but it seems like the mounts would keep the film pretty flat.

 

[gdi]

Unless you are going to project them, I see no reason to have them mounted. I find the standard carrier works fine for 35mm, if you flatten the film properly.

 

[literiter]

I've had my Coolscan 9000 for about two months. Scans from mounted slides seem quite good in terms of focus, at least from my observation at this point. Scans from 35mm negatives in strips are excellent.
Scans from medium format cameras are a little dicey because the holder I have is the unit that came with the scanner and does not appear to hold the flat enough for really fussy work.

 

[JeremyLangford]

I asked for them to be unmounted. Hopefully this will get me better results as well as save me $1.50.

 

[jke]

I rarely get slides mounted any longer. I don't like the accidental/arbitrary crops that show up as the result of mis-mounting or skewed mounting. Better to have the whole thing at one's disposal. Having strips is easier to deal with in a variety of scanners. Plus you can store flat in sleeves. The only reason for slide mounting really was to show them in a carousel slide projector. Few people do that now, if slide projector prices are any indication.