Slide projectors have been around for well over a century, providing the opportunity to take images and display them on a bigger screen for clearer viewing.
Photography and film technology have advanced exponentially since they were invented, and nearly all of our pictures and videos today are digitized and captured with smartphones. But there are a lot of slides, negatives and 35-millimeter film stored in basements and attics that can be meaningful to look at and even digitize into a permanent format for future use.
For its high-quality resolution and transportability, the Rybozen LED Illuminated 35 mm Slide Viewer is the best.
There are many types of 35 mm slides. Most have a mount size of 2 by 2 inches, but they have different sizes of film transparency. Knowing the kind you have leads to the best projector for you.
Some slide projectors have a built-in scanner that digitizes 35 mm film. The film negatives are fed into the scanner a few frames at a time. The scanner saves the scanned images to a file or computer.
There are three main projection technologies.
Some slide projectors have cartridges that store multiple slide mounts for viewing in succession. Others have a single-loaded mount for viewing slides one at a time.
More expensive projectors that also have scanners come with adapters for different types of negatives and film. These adapters attach to the machine, then feed that specific kind of transparency.
Slide projectors include a focusing lens in addition to the display lens. This lens fine-tunes the image. It is most helpful when projecting images on a screen or wall.
Inexpensive slide projectors, which are small, portable and display one slide at a time, cost $20-$40. Middle-range slide projectors cost around $40-$75 and include multi-slide cartridges and some digitization capabilities. Expensive slide projectors run $75-$200. These include adapters for multiple types of negatives and film; they can digitize the images into multiple formats.
A. No. Using a microfiber cloth seems like a safe way to clean off old slides, but using one can smear or scratch the transparency. This leaves the slide permanently marred.
A. Yes, because they keep your fingers from touching film transparencies. Fingerprints on the emulsion side of the film can be difficult to remove and even cause degradation.
Rybozen LED Lighted Illuminated 35 mm Slide Viewer
What you need to know: This compact slide viewer displays high-quality resolution and can be transported anywhere.
What you’ll love: Featuring a premium glass lens and 2x magnification, your 35-millimeter slides are viewed without blurriness. The viewer weighs just over 7 ounces and is easily carried to and from your home or studio. It comes with two AA batteries.
What you should consider: Some reviewers said the battery compartment can be difficult to open.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Porta Slide PS-E2 Illuminated Slide Viewer
What you need to know: This portable slide viewer is designed for both tabletop and handheld operation.
What you’ll love: It works with both 35 millimeter and 2- by 2-inch slides. Weighing less than 6 ounces, it's is ideal for handheld use. It has a metal folding support for displaying on a table. It comes with two AA batteries and a limited one-year warranty.
What you should consider: Some consumers found the screen too small for viewing.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Kodak Scanza Digital Film and Slide Scanner
What you need to know: From a leading brand, this scanner and viewer converts negatives and slides to JPEG files.
What you’ll love: It features a 3.5-inch high definition color display with adjustable brightness. The file conversion takes seconds. Multiple adapters and film inserts are included. It is compatible with both MAC and PC.
What you should consider: The picture quality of converted files varied.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Steve Ganger writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
