Scanning Slides using the Nikon Super Coolscan 5000, Slide Feeder SF-210, and a Macintosh with OS 10.3 (Panther)

Justin Long
University of Georgia
27 February 2004

Discover Life | Education | Training Guides | Scanning Slides
Starting and Inserting Slides

  • The power switch for the Nikon Super Coolscan 5000 is on the front, just to the right of the slide feeder.

  • After the green Status LED has become solid on the front of the scanner, start Nikon Scan 4.0

  • Load the slides into the scanner (with the front facing the left side of the scanner and in the upright position).
    All slides MUST be oriented in such a way that the slide is in landscape position.
    For photographs that were taken with a vertical orientation, place these with the top of the slide in the same position as the left side of a horizontal slide.

  • Adjust the slide size using the wheel on the right side of the scanner such that the opening for the slide to move through is 1.5 times the thickness of the slide.
    Note that this is why all slides must be of the same or comparable thickness for each batch of slides.

Index

Previewing and Scanning Slides

  • In the box named "Tool Palette 1", make sure the settings are as follows:

    • Layout tools
      • No settings necessary.

    • Information
      • No settings necessary.

    • Crop
      • Keep this crop (which you will set in the preview box).
      • Resolution 2,700 pixels/inch.

    • Curves
      • Curves selected.

    • Color Balance
      • Color Balance selected.
      • All settings at zero.

    • Unsharp Mask
      • Unsharp Mask selected.
      • Intensity at 0%.
      • Halo Width at 1%.
      • Threshold at 0 levels.

    • LCH Editor
      • LCH Editor selected.

    • Digital ICE4 Advanced
      • Enable Digital ICE selected. (On, Normal)
      • Enable Digital IEE selected. Slidebar adjusts automatically for each slide.

    • Analog Gain
      • All values at 0.

    • Scan Image Enhancer
      • Enable Scan Image Enhancer selected.

    • Scanner Extras
      • Scan Bit Depth 8.
      • Do not ever adjust manual focus adjustment.
      • Mode (1x).
      • The number in the feed images box is the number of slides you wish to scan.

    (These settings should be the default so you should only have to change the number of slides being scanner in the feed images box)

  • After making sure the settings are correct, click Preview and the image should appear in the second box named "Preview".

  • Make sure, in the slide preview box, that Positive and Calibrated RGB are selected.

  • Set the crop to be the entire slide.

    (It doesn't matter if the image includes black around the edges. That can be fixed later after scanning.)

  • After cropping the image, click Scan. This will open a box regarding slide naming and saving procedures.

Index

Saving and Naming Images

  • After clicking scan, you will find that Batch Scan Options has opened. Make sure all boxes are checked and click OK.

  • This opens yet another box, Batch Scan, for which the following options should be set (not all of these options are default):

    • Prefix, leave box empty.
    • Suffix, enter .mx into the box.
    • Slidebar should be set to 2 digits.
    • Starting index should be the number that you would like the first slide to be (usually 00 or 50).
    • File location, click Browse, this will open up a window that allows you to pick the correct JPXXXXX directory to save slides to.
    • File type, MUST be set to JPEG.
    • Compression, set to Good Balance.
    • Click OK.

  • The scanner will now begin scanning all of the jobs. This may take several hours.

    NOTE: Do not remove jammed slides with your hands EVER!! Try clicking feed slide (Scanner>>Feed Slide).
    If this does not work, call technical support, you may damage the feeder irreparably with your hands and void the warranty.

  • The scanner will finish scanning and saving the slides. At this point, you may close Nikon Scan 4.0.

Index

Transferring Images to a Directory

Files are transferred over to their appropriate directory using a UNIX program in Terminal.

  • Open Terminal.

  • Once Terminal is open and the command prompt is present, type the command 2dial JPXXXXX, where XXXXX is the directory number.

  • This will prompt for the DiscoverLife user account password, type it (the cursor will not move).

  • The scanned slides will now drop into the appropriate directory.

  • Delete the folder where the images were saved in Macintosh HD>>Users>>dl once you're sure the files have transfered over.

Discover Life | Education | Training Guides | Scanning Slides Commands

Last updated: 27 February, 2004