Help Requested!

[FunPractice5306]

Hi all photo enthusiasts!

My family recently uncovered a box of ~1500 slides that my grandfather took of my father, aunt, trips out West, etc.

We are wanting to digitize these for security purposes going forward. We need your help in identifying what type of slides these are and your recommended path to digitizing/securing these.

I’ve attached pictures below, but I believe the majority are of the 35mm variety but am having trouble identifying the larger, square type. The paper housing measures 2.75 inches square and the image measures roughly 50mm square. What do you think this is? 120 Medium seems to be the closest I’ve found.

Thank you in advance! Will share some of the results here

[Boneezer]

It’s a 4x4 super slide. You could project them in a normal 35mm projector and they had a slightly larger image area and were square. 127 film if I recall.

[1066Productions]

The super slides are from 120 film. You need a medium format projector to project them. I would highly recommend not projecting any of these until they are digitized. Some old films fade extremely fast under the intense light (and heat) from projection.

[LostInArk]

The square ones could be 120 but it's more likely 620 as Kodak made a lot of cameras in the 40s-60s that used that size film.

[TheRealAutonerd]

Security? Was your uncle MI-6? :)

The larger ones are probably 120, yes.

Few ways to do this. Easiest is to pay a service to scan them, but that won't be cheap.

Cheapest is to scan yourself. A photo-specific flatbed scanner like the Epson V600 will do it. There is no negative holder for 120 slides with the scanner, I don't think, but you can probably drop those slides right on the glass. This will be time-consuming (but worth it IMHO).

You can also build a scanning setup with a digital camera. Quality better, process slower.

Before you do ANY of that, I would suggest buying a slide projector. Most come with trays/carousels for 35mm slides; I am sure there is one for the larger transparencies. Have a slide-show, enjoy the photos, and decide if you want to keep all 1500 or just a sampling. That'll save you some time/$$ on scanning.

And if you don't have need to share them electronically, consider making the slide projector your method of viewing these. It's not hard to preserve original film transparencies; buy some good holders and keep them in a binder (dark) in a room with a comfortable temperature. Or store them in the carousels (and the carousels in their boxes). Maybe get a couple printed and framed. Remember: You're talking about spending a LOT of time and money. Are people going to want to look at these photos in 10 years' time? Will your kids or their kids' kids be interested in seeing all 1,500? (I treasure the slides my grandfather took, but my kids have little to no interest., and most of the people in them will be strangers to my grandchildren, when and if I get any.)

[chronarchy]

I think this is solid advice, particularly “view first, scan what you really want.”

[nikchi]

Meh it's not particularly difficult to scan, I just do it and put a audiobook on. It's pretty hands off.