Customer Reviews
I'm Returning This Out of Date Book 
2008-02-08
This book may have been useful in 2003 when it was written, but in the hyper changing digital world, it's now (2008) seriously out of date. As a consequence nearly everything specific about particular hardware or software is not useful. I'm returning the book.
What a disappointment! 
2007-09-10
This book actually made me angry. I feel the title is misleading to the point of fraud. Not only will you not master slide scanning (or any scanning) with this book, you won't even get to first base. The author natters on and on about everything under the sun remotely connected to scanning but gives next to no information on how to actually scan! Some people are saying that it might be good for beginners, but I really disagree. It's almost completely lacking basic, basic information anybody, especially beginners, would need to get good results. I am in complete agreement with the critical reviews by Mark Zelyony, Bernd Schneitler, and Mick36522. Conversely, I am amazed at some of the laudatory reviews. Whatever you guys are smoking, I want some too!
The Book was great! 
2007-04-06
I thought the book went through step by step which is ferry help full I real recommend this to Slide person or somebody an pictures the book is ferry help full the best book on the shelf!!!!!!!!!!
Mastering Digital Scanning with Slides, Film & Transparencies 
2007-02-19
Excellent text and tons of infromation, too much for the casual user. For someone serious about scanning from film media it's excellent. Someone wanting to scan objects or photos should find another source.
Mastering scanner stuff buying 2006-10-15
This book should have been called "What can you buy if you are thinking about playing with scanner", and it is good at that. It does not tell you much about scanning, it is more about buying equipment, and possibly software related to scanning. Just think about it: There is a chapter "Where to buy", and a chapter "Buying on ebay". There is no chapter "Do this if you miss shadow detail", though. This book is aimed at a high school student who is doing his/her first steps with a film camera and wants to get those pictures into the computer (is there such a person these days?) The book even mentions cross processing. No, it does not say what should you do if you need to scan a cross-processed film. It just says that you can process your film in the wrong developer and it will affect the image on the film.
I was greatly impressed by the chapter on sending off your slides for scanning. Well you definetly need a book to tell you that you can do that, and it greatly improves your scanning skills
If I had a chance to look at the book at the local store I would not ever buy it. Now it goes back to Amazon.
Thorough but general and basic: not a book of tutorials about scanning film 2006-09-11
If you want to work with your traditional film images electronically, this is the guide that will finally show you how you can do it. "Mastering Digital Scanning" takes a photographer's viewpoint to the topic of digitizing, managing, and enhancing film-based images. You'll learn how to use your scanner's options to your best advantage and how to perfect your image once it becomes digital. You don't have to give up the advantages of conventional photography to enjoy the ease of digital manipulation!
A well made "how-to" handbook 2006-03-20
This book illustrates in a detailed manner all steps involved in going from the mere idea of transfer your pictures, negatives and slides into digital images all the way into what to buy, how to use it and beyond. Best if bought at the beginning of the process, but I'm sure very useful also if purchased in the middle of the road. Makes also a nice reference text to have on the shelf any time doubts arise.
Missing a lot of Information 2005-09-08
I hate to write negative comments but I was truly disappointed in this book. Granted, I know a few things about scanning but this book didn't provide any further inside than what is commonly known about scanning.
What about film formats, considerations for resolution calculation, where to make the adjustments (scanner or photo editor) in order to get the best quality? What about when to use higher than 8 bit scans for reflective or transparencies, how to handle and clean film the best, scanner color management, etc.? There are so many other scanning questions that I have that were not touched in any way. I would have called this book "Basic digital Imaging from film history through digital image output"
I have to say that I really liked the background information on traditional film but was very disappointed that there was so little about digital scanning and so much about photo editing, 3rd party vendors, image publishing, and other non-scanning topics.
There are better books out there if you just look for a good all-round book about digital photography.
Answers questions you'd never think to ask 2005-08-27
Remarkably thorough, covering even the chemical and physical characteristics of film, the nature of digital scanning, pros and cons of various types of scanners, selection , scanning technique and image manipulation. Personable, non-condescending style for both rank amateurs and photographic pros. Does not contribute much to the problems of labeling, indexing and retrieval of complex subjects among large numbers of images.
Mastering is a misleading title for this book 2005-08-01
If you know nothing about scanning slides, film, or transparencies, then this book may be of some help in introducing terminology and some techniques. Or if you are a purely artistic photographer, with no computer facility, then this book can help.
However, if you have done some scanning and understand the basics, then there is likely to be little here of value. The book has a lot of pages and is well organized, but each chapter falls well short of providing the in-depth knowledge required for mastery, despite the cutesie congratulatory message at the end of each chapter. If you have an analytical or engineering mindset, and wish to learn useful details of the scanning process, then save your money, this book is not for you.
