Photos to Computer??

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jttheclockman

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Now this question is probably going to show my age and also my computer ineptness so no laughing. I can see you.:):):)

Is there a way and or a device that can scan actual photos. You know the kind where you use to take the roll of film to the drugstore or photomat and get them developed and place them on my computer??? If so what is a good device to get clear photos?? Thanks.:):):)
 
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hokie

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Now this question is probably going to show my age and also my computer ineptness so no laughing. I can see you.:):):)

Is there a way and or a device that can scan actual photos. You know the kind where you use to take the roll of film to the drugstore or photomat and get them developed and place them on my computer??? If so what is a good device to get clear photos?? Thanks.:):):)

Absolutely! Depending on what you want to scan into your computer, there are several form factors.

I like the flat bed scanner style like this: https://www.amazon.com/Epson-Perfection-V39-Photo-Scanner/dp/B00SSXQ7Q2/ref=sr_1_6

Some folks like feeding their photos and documents through a smaller footprint device like this: https://www.amazon.com/Epson-Workforce-ES-50-Portable-Sheet-fed/dp/B07KQZWPYN/ref=sr_1_3

You can even get portable versions: https://www.amazon.com/Avision-IS15-Portable-Scanner-Photos/dp/B00XDGY0S6/ref=sr_1_10

If you have 35mm film or slides, you can also get film scanners to digitize those old slide shows.
 

jttheclockman

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My printer is fairly new but it is not compatible to XP64 that I am running. So I can scan but that does not gt them loaded on the computer.

These are 35mm film photos no slides. They have been developed already many years ago. :):)
 

jttheclockman

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Now this question is probably going to show my age and also my computer ineptness so no laughing. I can see you.:):):)

Is there a way and or a device that can scan actual photos. You know the kind where you use to take the roll of film to the drugstore or photomat and get them developed and place them on my computer??? If so what is a good device to get clear photos?? Thanks.:):):)

Absolutely! Depending on what you want to scan into your computer, there are several form factors.

I like the flat bed scanner style like this: https://www.amazon.com/Epson-Perfection-V39-Photo-Scanner/dp/B00SSXQ7Q2/ref=sr_1_6

Some folks like feeding their photos and documents through a smaller footprint device like this: https://www.amazon.com/Epson-Workforce-ES-50-Portable-Sheet-fed/dp/B07KQZWPYN/ref=sr_1_3

You can even get portable versions: https://www.amazon.com/Avision-IS15-Portable-Scanner-Photos/dp/B00XDGY0S6/ref=sr_1_10

If you have 35mm film or slides, you can also get film scanners to digitize those old slide shows.

That third one maybe what I am looking for. If they can scan to a flashdrive that I can use with my computer.
 
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My flatbed scanner came with a program that scanned photos directly to my photo program... I replaced it and my old printer with a all in one Epson 430 scanner/printer that does the same thing... the flatbed that Hokie noted in his post would work for you, if the program/drivers work with your photo program.
 

jttheclockman

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My printer/scanner is a HP OfficeJet Pro 6978. I had to have a tech install it on my computer because he had to use older drivers from an older model. He said this model will not work with all the bells and whistles on Windows XP64 and I tried using the features but they do not work. I can not scan photos to my computer using it. I can make copies from the computer but that is about all. I can scan and make copies, I can Fax, but not much more with it.

My thoughts here is some 35 years ago I started my scrollsawing business. I use to take 35mm photos with my Minolta 35mm camera and made albums of all my projects and people were able to look through and pick projects. Now we have gone all digital and these old methods will not work because we sell through the computer. I have 100's of photos that I would like to transfer to digital. Doing so to a flashdrive or a disc could then do 2 things. One transfer to computer and send or use an Ipad for showing.
 

bmachin

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John,

Rather than doing it yourself (especially if you have a lot that you want digitized), why not just send them out? Lots of services available online and most will provide color correction and enhancement for faded prints and slides. Just box your originals up and send them off. A couple of weeks later your originals come back with a dvd of your photos scanned at whatever resolution you asked for.

Here's a link to the current "Top Ten Reviews" site on scanning services.

https://www.toptenreviews.com/services/multimedia/best-photo-scanning-services/

For what it's worth, I used Scan Cafe for a thousand or so slides about 20 years ago and was quite pleased, but a lot of water has gone over the dam since then.

Bill
 

monophoto

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John

Yes - it is called - wait for it - a scanner.

I have an HP scanner on my desk next to my computer monitor - all I have to do is open the cover, lay the photograph or document on the glass window (face down), invoke the software, and scan the image. The output is typically a .jpg graphic image file. It cost less than $100 and plugs into a USB port on my computer. Scanners come with the software drivers needed to actually use them.

The scanner software provides the ability to do a preview, and then crop the scan to exclude unwanted stuff. It also has the ability to switch from color to gray scale or black/white, and to set the contrast and brightness, as well as the resolution of the scan. But it can also be used in 'dumb mode' where it defaults to a generic setting that works most of the time.

A scanner can be used as a copier (scan and then print) or to send faxes. However, to send faxes, it is necessary to have a telephone modem in your computer and to hook your computer up to a phone system - either a landline or a cell phone. My computer (which is newer than my scanner) doesn't have a modem, but that's not a problem because about the only people who routinely want faxes these days are lawyers (and I certainly don't want to have anything to do with them!) For ordinary folks, its good enough to scan a document to create a pdf file that you then transmit as an e-mail attachment.

The main purpose for a scanner is to create a digital image file, But depending on the software that comes with the scanner, it may also be possible to scan a printed document, and then convert the scan to text that can be imported into a word processor for editing.

You can also purchase so-called 'three in one' printers that both print and scan. The 'three' name is applied because they can also be used to send a fax. The price for a decent 'three in one' printer isn't all that different from the price for a basic printer. I currently have a basic HP wireless printer on top of a file cabinet on the other side of my office. One of the frustrations with printers is the cost of ink - a set of replacement ink cartridges for my printer costs about what I originally paid for the printer, and I typically burn through two sets per year. So I'm thinking that the next time I run out of ink, I will throw away both my printer and scanner, and purchase a new 'three-in-one' box to save space.

Most scanners are designed to scan ordinary material on opaque paper, and many can also do a passable scan from transparent things such as photographic negatives and slides. But if you need true photographic-quality scanning, there are specialty photo negative or slide scanners available. They are pretty expensive.
 
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jttheclockman

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John,

Rather than doing it yourself (especially if you have a lot that you want digitized), why not just send them out? Lots of services available online and most will provide color correction and enhancement for faded prints and slides. Just box your originals up and send them off. A couple of weeks later your originals come back with a dvd of your photos scanned at whatever resolution you asked for.

Here's a link to the current "Top Ten Reviews" site on scanning services.

https://www.toptenreviews.com/services/multimedia/best-photo-scanning-services/

For what it's worth, I used Scan Cafe for a thousand or so slides about 20 years ago and was quite pleased, but a lot of water has gone over the dam since then.

Bill

That maybe an idea. Thanks.
 

CREID

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jttheclockman

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You can also just take a picture with your cell phone or other digital camera.


Sent from my iPad using Penturners.org mobile app

Use a flip phone so that is not good. :):)
Our local news station always has a question for the day. Todays question:
QUESTION OF THE DAY: 30% of people say they won't date someone if they have this. What is it?


The answer was "A flip phone":eek:
No worries there. Dating days are well over. I heard flip phones are making a comeback so I will be hip:biggrin::biggrin:
 

More4dan

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My church has a Family History Library with an automated scanner that will let you scan photos and documents to a thumb drive or directly to your online account from www.familysearch.org. PM me if you want me to check if there is one close to you with this capability. They will have volunteers there that could help.

Danny


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randyrls

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JT; What model printer or scanner do you have? I would search first for a newer driver for your printer. Install it and see if you can scan photos.

There are services that will scan photos, but for large numbers of photos it may get pricey.

If you have the time, photos can be scanned one at a time, but this will get old FAST! They do make self-feeding scanners as others have noted. Epson FF-680W is about $530-$600, but it may be cost effective. Look around locally to see if there are any places you can use a scanner, Library, Historical society, Archive or the like.

Hope this helps...
 

monophoto

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Warning: Off Topic

. One of the frustrations with printers is the cost of ink - a set of replacement ink cartridges for my printer costs about what I originally paid for the printer, and I typically burn through two sets per year.

I received a PM from RANDYLS in response to this comment. He noted that using refillable cartridges can save quite a bit of money.

I appreciate Randy's comment, and in principle, I very much agree with his idea that the DIY approach can lead to considerable savings. For example, wife and I both wear glasses, and I routinely make eyeglass cleaner (equal quantities of isopropyl (rubbing)alcohol and demineralized water, and with a tiny drop of dishwashing detergent) that costs a fraction of what you have to pay at the pharmacy or the local eyeglass outlet. That approach makes a lot of sense in a lot of areas, and is very easy for those of us who are naturally 'tool oriented' to do.

Having said that, my experience with refillable or aftermarket solutions to printer ink have been less than satisfactory.
 
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jttheclockman

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Randy

Thanks I answered that question a couple posts back. I can get this done at FedX where many times I make large amount of copies. They have a scanner there that I can do them. never did that so not sure what quality they would be but it is a source. I will get all photos together and see how many I have and weigh the price to have a service do them or buy a unit to do them myself. It will only be a one time thing because all photos now are digital.

Louie

I did not respond to your post because I know what a scanner is and I too posted above that I have a printer/scanner/fax but it is not compatible to my operating system. None on the market are. This one said it was but turns out it is not. I had a tech load some older drivers just to get some functions to work with my computer. Scanning to the computer is not one.
I also tried refillable inks but had bad luck with that so I buy new when I see them on sale. I make alot of copies of patterns for my scrollsawing business. Sometimes I will use FedX copiers to do this and times I will do at home. Averages out about the same.

Thanks all for the replys. I am still reviewing my options.
 

Terredax

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Use a flip phone so that is not good. :):)

I had to look up a flip phone to see what it is. J/K.:wink:

It might be less expensive to get a new smart phone, than to digitize your old photos. Then you can take photos and send them directly to your computer, and you can utilize this feature in the future. The cameras are amazing good in phones, if you have a steady hand. I don't.

Don't say you can't afford a new smart phone. We have two of them, and for both of them, the cost is less than $5 a month. That includes unlimited text and calls, along with some data. We don't use the data, so I'm not sure how much is included. If you do use the data, it's a low cost per GB over your included amount.

Just another option to consider.
 

jttheclockman

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Use a flip phone so that is not good. :):)

I had to look up a flip phone to see what it is. J/K.:wink:

It might be less expensive to get a new smart phone, than to digitize your old photos. Then you can take photos and send them directly to your computer, and you can utilize this feature in the future. The cameras are amazing good in phones, if you have a steady hand. I don't.

Don't say you can't afford a new smart phone. We have two of them, and for both of them, the cost is less than $5 a month. That includes unlimited text and calls, along with some data. We don't use the data, so I'm not sure how much is included. If you do use the data, it's a low cost per GB over your included amount.

Just another option to consider.

John I know what you are saying but I am not looking to take photos with my phone. I can do everything with my flip phone as with a smart phone but the viewing screen is smaller.

Again 35 years ago I use to take 35mm film photos because all that tech was not around yet. I use to make up photo albums for my scrollsawing work and use them as my source for people to browse through and select projects for me to make for them. I would like to put the photos on a disc or flashdrive so I can use on the computer or other device to once again use as an album.

I know they make specific scanners for things like this. I had seen them on QVC and may look into what they were selling. I was hoping someone did this before and could recommend a specific model they used that they were satisfied with. I have a digital camera that is very good and yes I could take photos of the photos and transfer that way but there has to be an easier way. Any pens i show here were taken with my digital camera. Any new photos I take today are taken with that camera
 

Curly

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Man I would love to get your plan rates. 2 phones with a basic plan here is about $170Can ($130US) a month. House phone is $67Can on top of the cells.

JT I'm trying to remember if you have ever said you have an iPad. If you do it opens the possibility of hooking up to your scanner/printer either directly, through a flash drive or SD card.
 

MRDucks2

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Use a flip phone so that is not good. :):)



I had to look up a flip phone to see what it is. J/K.:wink:



It might be less expensive to get a new smart phone, than to digitize your old photos. Then you can take photos and send them directly to your computer, and you can utilize this feature in the future. The cameras are amazing good in phones, if you have a steady hand. I don't.



Don't say you can't afford a new smart phone. We have two of them, and for both of them, the cost is less than $5 a month. That includes unlimited text and calls, along with some data. We don't use the data, so I'm not sure how much is included. If you do use the data, it's a low cost per GB over your included amount.



Just another option to consider.



John I know what you are saying but I am not looking to take photos with my phone. I can do everything with my flip phone as with a smart phone but the viewing screen is smaller.



Again 35 years ago I use to take 35mm film photos because all that tech was not around yet. I use to make up photo albums for my scrollsawing work and use them as my source for people to browse through and select projects for me to make for them. I would like to put the photos on a disc or flashdrive so I can use on the computer or other device to once again use as an album.



I know they make specific scanners for things like this. I had seen them on QVC and may look into what they were selling. I was hoping someone did this before and could recommend a specific model they used that they were satisfied with. I have a digital camera that is very good and yes I could take photos of the photos and transfer that way but there has to be an easier way. Any pens i show here were taken with my digital camera. Any new photos I take today are taken with that camera



John, you may want to check your local Walgreens. When I was in Houston, I discovered they had all sorts of photo scanning, printing, etc. available at extremely good rates. They copied, scanned, printed photos for youngest daughters graduation, put phots to cd, disc and thumb drive, printed from disc and thumb drive. I believe they even had an option to scan and load to the cloud. For a 1 shot it could well be most affordable, even in quantity.


Sent from my iPhone using Penturners.org mobile app
 

jttheclockman

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Man I would love to get your plan rates. 2 phones with a basic plan here is about $170Can ($130US) a month. House phone is $67Can on top of the cells.

JT I'm trying to remember if you have ever said you have an iPad. If you do it opens the possibility of hooking up to your scanner/printer either directly, through a flash drive or SD card.

Pete thanks will have to look into that. I do not have an Ipad but this is the thought down the road to be able to get these photos to digital so I can show on an Ipad.
 

jttheclockman

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Use a flip phone so that is not good. :):)



I had to look up a flip phone to see what it is. J/K.:wink:



It might be less expensive to get a new smart phone, than to digitize your old photos. Then you can take photos and send them directly to your computer, and you can utilize this feature in the future. The cameras are amazing good in phones, if you have a steady hand. I don't.



Don't say you can't afford a new smart phone. We have two of them, and for both of them, the cost is less than $5 a month. That includes unlimited text and calls, along with some data. We don't use the data, so I'm not sure how much is included. If you do use the data, it's a low cost per GB over your included amount.



Just another option to consider.



John I know what you are saying but I am not looking to take photos with my phone. I can do everything with my flip phone as with a smart phone but the viewing screen is smaller.



Again 35 years ago I use to take 35mm film photos because all that tech was not around yet. I use to make up photo albums for my scrollsawing work and use them as my source for people to browse through and select projects for me to make for them. I would like to put the photos on a disc or flashdrive so I can use on the computer or other device to once again use as an album.



I know they make specific scanners for things like this. I had seen them on QVC and may look into what they were selling. I was hoping someone did this before and could recommend a specific model they used that they were satisfied with. I have a digital camera that is very good and yes I could take photos of the photos and transfer that way but there has to be an easier way. Any pens i show here were taken with my digital camera. Any new photos I take today are taken with that camera



John, you may want to check your local Walgreens. When I was in Houston, I discovered they had all sorts of photo scanning, printing, etc. available at extremely good rates. They copied, scanned, printed photos for youngest daughters graduation, put phots to cd, disc and thumb drive, printed from disc and thumb drive. I believe they even had an option to scan and load to the cloud. For a 1 shot it could well be most affordable, even in quantity.


Sent from my iPhone using Penturners.org mobile app


Yes I have seen these and yes my Walgreens as well as my drugstore has them. Did not look at price. I will have to compare to FedX and see about price as well as quality.
 

Gary Beasley

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Have you tried Vuescan? Its likely to be compatible with your OS and will be able to run your scanner. I think its still a free download so it should cost nothing but time to try.
 

EdM

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John,
That printer supports scanning to multiple destinations, including scan to email, cloud, and what I think would be your best solution, scanning to a usb drive, then transfer the files to your computer.

The main issue with using a multifunction device for this is that they, especially the more inexpensive ones, typically do not scan at resolutions higher than 300 or 600dpi, which is fine for text or mixed text/photo pages, but not good enough for the reproduction of high quality pictures.

I recently needed to scan several hundred family photos that were deteriorating (some were 75 years old), and I wound up taking pictures of them with my iPhone, then pushing them to my OneDrive account in the cloud. My Officejet 8630 just wasn't up to the task !

As I'm sure you've heard before, XP is a dinosaur, and while it may still work for you, an upgrade to a Windows 7 or 10 PC is advised.

Happy to advise if you have any further questions!

BTW, most of the stand alone scanners are junk. You'd be better off to invest in a higher quality OfficeJet that can scan flatbed docs at 1200 dpi.....

Ed
 
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jttheclockman

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Thanks

I have no plans of updating the system on this computer. Just not worth the effort and if things are lost I am up the creek. I do back things up but will put on a new computer if I need to go that route. I will look into all the suggestions and go from there. Thanks everyone.
 

sbwertz

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It may be time to upgrade to at least Win 7. MS just officially killed off all versions of XP. Up until now, they have sent out updates for the really bad security holes, but as of yesterday, they don't patch anything. There are some real nasties out there that can do things like record your keystrokes (think bank passwords) and such. Even though MS said they weren't supporting it, they have patched it for the really bad security holes for the past 17 years. No more...and they are going to kill off Win 7 next year. They are really pushing Win 10. The good news is that Win 10 is finally getting to be pretty solid.

You may find it difficult to find a scanner that will talk to XP. Try checking goodwill or something similar to see if you can find an older scanner that would work with the old OS.
 
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gtriever

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I agree with Sharon, try Goodwill, or if you can find one, a good local pawn shop. I still have an ancient Epson flatbed scanner and will probably cry when it finally dies.
 

jttheclockman

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Once again all thanks for the suggestions.

Not sure it was here or another forum (not going back to reread all) but someone suggested my scanner actually scans to a flashdrive and it does so I will try this as first option. Then if not will get all photos together and if I have negatives too I will look into an outside source doing this all in one time shot. :)

It is ashame windows XP is not supported any more because of all the systems I had this one was the easiest to use with less flaws. I just do not know if my computer could support the windows 10 system and what it would cost to install. I may take it to my computer store and have them give me an estimate.
 

sbwertz

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JT if you have an iPhone or an iPad you can use the scanner built into the "notes" app. It does quite a good job.
 

jeff

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It is ashame windows XP is not supported any more because of all the systems I had this one was the easiest to use with less flaws. I just do not know if my computer could support the windows 10 system and what it would cost to install. I may take it to my computer store and have them give me an estimate.

In case you're in the market for some unsolicited advice... I'm guessing your computer is 5+ years old? Let's say you take it to a computer store and they sell you some hardware upgrades and Win10 and install it. Probably $250 minimum. And you're still left with a 5 year old computer that is orders of magnitude slower than new. You can get a pretty respectable new laptop with Windows for under $400.
 

jttheclockman

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It is ashame windows XP is not supported any more because of all the systems I had this one was the easiest to use with less flaws. I just do not know if my computer could support the windows 10 system and what it would cost to install. I may take it to my computer store and have them give me an estimate.

In case you're in the market for some unsolicited advice... I'm guessing your computer is 5+ years old? Let's say you take it to a computer store and they sell you some hardware upgrades and Win10 and install it. Probably $250 minimum. And you're still left with a 5 year old computer that is orders of magnitude slower than new. You can get a pretty respectable new laptop with Windows for under $400.

These are my thoughts too Jeff and that is why I hesitate to do any upgrades to it. I had to replace the power supply recently and that was something that was a quick fix. I will not get a lap top but will get a full size desk system again. My computer is over 15 years old and was built by a friend who has moved so no more connection there. It has served me well. Someday I may hit the button and won't be able to visit the site.:)
 

sbwertz

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JT, I'm a computer consultant in real life. I have bought nothing but refurbished Dell computers for about the last five years. I have yet to have one fail. Look for ones that have been factory refurbished by Dell. They are usually a year or so old...often business lease returns. The last two 17" laptops I bought you couldn't tell from brand new. (working on one of them as we speak and my husband has the other.) I got them on Amazon for about half what a new one would have been.
 
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