Using S80 to photograph old photographs

[ffortino]

Hi,

I'm new to photography and picked the S80 for its price,
features and good reviews. I'm a software engineer by trade.

I need to copy a lot of old photographs inti my PC and did not want
to use a scanner, which takes too long to scan.

I did not realize that the A80 does not have a raw mode, which
I would have liked for max resolution.

I am using a tripod.

What is the best Mode to use to copy photographs??
Now I'm using the Fast Shutter mode, to minimize bluring

I also use Macro mode, and I am having some problems.
Sometimes when I push the button half way down the camera starts
to focus, gets a sharp focus, then ends up on a blurry focus.
What is making it not focus correctly??

So, now I'm using manual focus instead.

Also, the PC software does not allow me to erase all the pics
after I download them to my PC. Am I m issing something??

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Frank Fortino
Sonoma, CA
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[platinumdoc]

Try shutter delay to minimize movement. ISO 50. No flash. Macro mode. Customize white balance to available light. The quality isn't as good as a scanner, though.

[stopbath]

If you're downloading by using a directory browser, it won't allow erasure of old images off the card. Use zoombrowser to download and erase, or just format the card (in camera) after downloading.

If you could set up your copy stand near the camera, you could operate the camera straight from the PC using the Remote software. The pictures could be delivered straight to the PC and not even go on the card. Using the remote will remove the need to use self timer, and ensure no camera shake...

[UnknownVT]

I need to copy a lot of old photographs inti my PC and did not want
to use a scanner, which takes too long to scan.


I am very surprised that a flatbed scanner would take a long time to scan a photo.

Using any relatively recent flatbed scanner set at 300dpi (very modest) on a 10x8 photo should take less than about 1 minute, and results in a digital image of 3000x2400 pixels - ie: 7.2Mp - much better than almost any affordable digicam out there - and there would be no worries about aligning/squaring up the photo and lighting problems.

Almost ANY current flatbed scanner will do - even the cheapest sub-$50 - will have at least 300dpi optical(real) resolution or much better, and probably better than 36 bit-color.

In fact I use an old cheapo (<$40) flatbed scanner to take "Macro" photos of small objects - and I have found it faster, easier, and more reliable than using my digicam - please take a look at -

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB18&Number=191340