Many professional and amateur photographers are learning painful lessons when it comes to slide scanners. While some of these scanners are capable of producing reasonably good quality images, they tend to be plagued with problems and the scanning process is incredibly time consuming. Choosing a professional company to send your slides out to for digitizing is currently the best way to go. The quality with most reputable companies is better than you will ever be able to produce with consumer equipment, and the advantage they give you in a reduction in headaches and time lost is immeasurable.

First and foremost a consumer slide scanner is not cheap. The cheaper models tend to cost a bit more than traditional document scanners. These less expensive models are slow on any computer and there is no shortage of complaints on online bulletin boards, forums and blogs about the quality of the scans and the slide trays. It turns out that the trays for these cheaper models frequently break, misalign your images, or just plain don't fit the slides or the scanner properly. If you look at the cost of these less expensive models alone you are already near the cost of having several hundred images professionally scanned without having your time wasted and the troubles of using poor quality equipment.

If the speed of use is not that important to you, then consider the sheer fact that consumer slide scanners have poor quality slide holders. Many users of these scanners report having the trays break, or simply not fit their standard 35mm slides properly. They also seem to have problems with different quality outputs. They have been known to cause motion blur and other simple photographic issues that aren’t usually seen with professional grade scanners. Technology might move fast, but not in this arena.

So what is the average consumer supposed to do with their slides? They should go to a professional company like Got Memories to transfer their 35mm slides and save time. The best part about professional companies is that they recognize that you want professional results and will go ahead and try hard to make sure that happens. They know when the machinery is not relaying the right color or the photo is unintentionally blurred. A consumer level scanner does not come backed with professional grade assistance. To get help with a consumer level product you have to call a customer service representative that doesn’t really know the photography world. They are simply in a large room with a headset trying to troubleshoot your problem with a list of frequently asked questions.

If you’re considering purchasing a slide scanner for your personal use, you might want to think twice. Make sure that you read the reviews online, and talk to other people that have made the investment, most often to disastrous results. These machines are low quality, extremely slow, and don’t compare to the scanners that the professionals use. It does sound nifty to be able to scan in your 35mm slides, but you’ll find it hard to manage when things go wrong. Maybe someday scanners will be better in the consumer market, but at this point, it just isn’t there quite yet. Make sure you visit a professional company like Got Memories and get quality pictures scanned from 35 mm slides. You won’t regret their ease of use, and fast turn around, that’s for sure.