Question about Dwaynes slide scans

[ken_nyus]

I'm new to slide film processing, and I have sent two rolls out to Dwayne's to be processed and I also used their $4.95 scan option.

On the web page they say that these are "high" resolution scans, with files of 6.5mb in size.

I didn't expect top quality high res scans, but I did expect better than the corner drugstore.

To me they look the same as drugstore scans, and the files I see on the disk are 1-2 megs in size, not the 6.5meg that they advertise. When I called them to ask about this, they said the files are compressed, and that when you open them with an editor they will be the full 6.5 megs.

This explanation makes no sense at all. They only offer one scanning process, there are no options, so I assume I am getting the same scans as anyone else.

Does anyone get 6.5meg scans from Dwaynes or is this just a misleading statement (or is there something I am missing)?

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

Nah, they're just like supermarket scans. I was disappointed too.

 

[ken_nyus]

So the files you get are around 1-2megs in size?

What could they possibly mean by 6.5meg files?

 

[nome_alice]

they give you a 1-2meg jpg? save that as a tiff and it will be closer to 6.5meg, but of course you're not gaining anything at all. you can't polish a turd.

 

[ken_nyus]

So what are the practical alternatives? I asked at one pro shop, but they want $30 an image, and they give you a 30meg file, so that seems to be the high end.

Is there nothing in the middle?

Seems like the choice is to buy my own Coolscan for around $1500 and put the hours in myself to do the scans. Trying to avoid this and get something decent for selected images.

 

[iamzip]

You could get a flatbed scanner cheaper (about $100), and while the quality isn't as good as from a Coolscan I would guess that it would be better than the average drugstore / supermarket scan. You would still have to put the time into it though, and you would have to adjust colors etc.

 

[Tuolumne]

I long ago stopped using commercial scans from any film processor. They are all junk. I scan with an Epson 4990 flat bed. It works great. You can buy them cheap. Don't believe the derisive remarks that get made against all flat beds from posters here. My 4990 scans of 35 mm slides are better than the ones that I get with a dedicated 35 mm scanner. (Minolta Scan elite 5400). Just remember not to have the slides mounted. Dwaynes only uses card board mounts. The rounded corners remove alot of slide real estate, and the cardboard shreds left on the chrome make it dirtier than a pigs slop.

/T

 

[CorreCaminos]

Many places will charge around $7 or $9 to do up to 25MB scans on an uncut roll.

I too have been disappointed with Dwayne's scans and plan to have them develop my next roll of Kodachrome and return the roll uncut. Then I can have my local photo store scan them all in with their Noritsu processor for $8.95

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

Yep, it was Dwayne's that got me to buy a V500. It has paid for itself...

 

[dmr]

So the files you get are around 1-2megs in size?

What could they possibly mean by 6.5meg files?

There's a thread about just this over at the Kodachrome Forum.

http://www.kodachromeproject.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7

Here's a brief quote:

Image was JPEG, 4,409kb and 2962x1974. Turn around time about 5 days at the most. -Dick

You might express your concern over there, because Dwayne's does participate in that forum.

 

[ferider]

They are talking about 6.5 MPixels, and reduce it to 2-3 MBytes JPEG, most likely.

Get your own scanner, it's really helpful also in terms of configuration of the scans. The normal flatbad scanner can scan 30 35mm pics in one shot.

Best,

Roland.

 

[ken_nyus]

They are talking about 6.5 MPixels, and reduce it to 2-3 MBytes JPEG, most likely.

Get your own scanner, it's really helpful also in terms of configuration of the scans. The normal flatbad scanner can scan 30 35mm pics in one shot.

Best,

Roland.

I am going to look into flatbeds.

Dwaynes should change the text on their site if they mean pixels:

"....All exposures on the roll are scanned at high resolution (6.5 MB in size) ..."

MB means megabytes to me and probably the rest of the world.

 

[ferider]

I am going to look into flatbeds.

Dwaynes should change the text on their site if they mean pixels:

"....All exposures on the roll are scanned at high resolution (6.5 MB in size) ..."

MB means megabytes to me and probably the rest of the world.

You are right of course. BTW, I get 6.5 MPixels from our local Longs (C41) for about 2 bucks per roll (when I need to preview quickly).

Roland.

 

[chris00nj]

Their scans are 2.34 MP. Mine are about 2 MB in size. I've been happy with them though. The quality of the scans is MUCH better than the drugstores. Many times with the drug stores, the scans don't exactly look like the prints. (They may be darker or the color is off). Like digital cameras, there is more than just MP

 

[Richie]

I too had a similar experience with 2 rolls of K64 scanned by Dwayne's this summer. The scans were simply awful, with a lot of dust and scratches. They are lying when they claim these to be high resolution scans!

 

[retro]

I'm glad this thread was started. I was about to send them a roll
to scan. Now I won't.

Thanks 🙂