Great scanner for 35mm slides

2025-12-23    -Stephen B

I purchased this scanner a week ago and I have digitized well over 500 35mm slides so far. In summary, this is a great scanner for scanning 35mm slides. It’s easy to use and the image quality is good.The scanner comes with a 5V, 1A USB wall adapter, but if your end goal is to upload images to a PC you can leave the scanner connected to your PC’s USB port. I typically capture a batch of images to the scanner’s memory, upload to the PC, delete the images stored in the scanner and start again. I installed a 32GB SD card since the scanner’s 128MB internal memory only holds about 50 images. Captured images are named “PICTxxxx.JPG” so if you want to keep images organized by event, date, etc. you’ll need to work in batches. I wish there was an option to capture directly to the PC, where captured images could be renamed or tagged on the fly.The 35mm slide adapter makes easy work of continuously feeding and capturing slides. I found that the best way is to have three slides in the adapter – one infeed, one outfeed and the middle slide being scanned. Pushing on the infeed and outfeed slides allows you to shift the middle slide back and forth to ensure it is perfectly centered before hitting the “Capture” button.If your goal is to scan negatives, watch out! I tried scanning some 35mm negatives, but the film catches on the adapter outfeed slot and does not feed through. The plastic adapter has a slight step at the outfeed slot that catches the film. This is likely a molding defect, but it completely kills this feature.The images on the built-in 5in LCD screen look good, but to really see detail I suggest connecting a PC monitor via the HDMI port. The addition detail visible on an external monitor allows you to ensure the slide is centered and you’re not capturing the edge of the slide frame. Even so, be prepared to do a lot of digital cropping to get rid of the occasional edge artifact.On an external monitor the image sensor gaussian noise is noticeable. I was disappointed to see this, but it is not really a problem, just an opportunity for improvement.The resolution spec. is misleading. The sensor is a 16Mp sensor (4920x3280). The scanner is spec’d at 24Mp, but this is achieved with interpolation. Pixel interpolation does not necessarily mean better image quality, but it guarantees a larger file size. I’ll let the marketeers debate image quality, but I did not see any significant difference, so I set the resolution to 16Mp (about 3Mp per JPG image) and left it there.Once I established how to orient the slides, I did not need to use the vertical or horizontal flip buttons. The most common adjustment I needed to make was the brightness, and this is easy to do with just a few button clicks. Brightness adjustment just ensures no part of the image is saturating. After that, any remaining adjustments (tint, contrast, etc.) require image editing software on a PC.The cleaning tool works brilliantly. Thankfully my slides are relatively clean, but it was very easy to clean the occasional bit of dust that landed on the scanner’s illumination pane..Overall, this scanner is easy to use and works exactly as described. I am happy with this purchase.

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to use and does a great job. Purchase an SD card to do bulk transfers to your computer.

2026-01-05    -socca_dad

Does the job nicely. It's quick and pretty accurate. It does cut off a little bit of the 35mm slide but not enough to make much difference. Transferring the images to my Mac is easy and quick. The internal memory only holds around 15 images but after transferring them it's easy to delete the memory and start again. I wouldn't use it much for editing the images. Just transfer to your computer and use your editing software for that. The only quirk I noticed is that when a slide is very dark, the screen flickers like it's about to crap out but once you remove that slide everything goes back to normal. This probably isn't for a professional but it's great for average home use to convert your slides.

4.0 out of 5 stars Cheap, efficient, and worth it

2026-01-11    -Therese Polin

I finished scanning over 8,000 negatives (up to 35 years old), including one Black&White set of negatives. On the whole, this is a really awesome little gadget. It does all the basics, very efficiently, and with a very minimal learning curve. I managed to complete my scanning in less than 6 weeks, working basically on weekends (maybe 40-60 hours tops). It really beats having to scan your prints, using your home printer, at the rate of 3 minutes per print, assuming you have a decent copy of your prints. With this machine, it takes longer to get the negative out of its current location, identify the proper side, than to load it and make the digital copies.I have not tried any of the other similar products, so I'm not sure how they compare.What I've used:- Different negative types (mainly 35 mm, color & black&white, some 110, some 126) - it has all of the adapters- A perfect little dust brush to clean the interior glass surface on a regular basis (particularly if you own cats/dogs in the house).- The brightness setting for particularly under or over-exposed pictures. Keep in mind that it won't make the picture better, just lighter or darker.What you'll need:- an SD card to load your scanned images, which you'll then need transfer elsewhereA couple of things that could be improved:- With the included adapters, you can only scan the equivalent of a 4x6 ratio, which you can easily adjust horizontally (left or right) as you see fit, but which you cannot adjust vertically (top or bottom), meaning that it crops the top and bottom for you systematically. The only way around the vertical cropping is not to use the adapter and feed the negative without the adapter, at the risk of not positioning it quite right. I only did that for a few pictures.- It would have been nice to have a USB cable into your computer directly and skip having to scan the negative onto an intermediary SD card. I guess it was fine though, the SD card served as my backup until I copied the photos to alternate devices. However, the SD card adds on to the overall price of the project, but you can repurpose the card later.- The default color may not be perfect, although who knows whether it's the machine's fault, or the deterioration of the colors on the negative strip itself. I had a hard time using the feature without the original print for comparison.A few things to keep in mind:- If your negatives are in good shape, and were high quality to begin with, this machine will work beautifully. If your negatives are bad, no machine in the world will make them better.- If you need a poster size high-quality image, then you might consider taking those negatives to a professional. But for 4x6 prints, this machine is fine.For perfection, you'd have to invest in a much fancier, pricier and more time-consuming device. If you have the time and money, that would be ideal. In the meantime, this little machine is pretty nice.

Highly recommended

2025-12-26    -A. Hadley

This is an excellent product, easy to set up and use, with great results. I had previously tried scanning old slides with an Ion “slides forever” device, but the quality was terrible because of low resolution. This Magnasonic is more expensive but there’s no contest when it comes to quality. The resulting images are clear and bright. You have to feed slides manually but it’s quick and easy - each slide pushes the previous one out the other side. Exposure or colour can be adjusted when (rarely) needed, though not in detail. The device has a very small internal memory so it’s advisable to buy some standard SD cards for bulk processing. Important note: it will only work with lower capacity cards - 2GB recommended (which will hold a few hundred images). Files can be transferred to computer via card reader or direct from the device. No software needed.

Für den "Home"-Anwnder wirklich gut

2026-02-11    -HWrede

Ich habe den Scanner gekauft, um meine über 2000 Negative aus meiner Jugend zu digitalsieren. Ich habe damals mit 15 hauptsächlich in Schwarz/Weiss fotografiert, alles selbst in den gängigen Lösungen (hauptsächlich in Microphen) entwickelt, vergrössert und mich gefreut. Dann haben die ganzen Schätze über Jahrzehnte im Keller gelagert. Ich suchte nach einer schnellen, halbwegs zufriedenstellenden Möglichkeit mit überschaubarem Aufwand die ganze Sache zu digitalisieren. Und: ich bin vollkommen zufrieden. Ja, es geht besser. Aber dann wirds richtig teuer. Dieser Scanner mit ein wenig Nachbearbeitung in Photoshop erzielt wirklich gute Ergebnisse im privaten Bereich. Nachbearbeitung ist notwendig, aber dann sind die Ergebnisse für den überschaubaren finanziellen Aufwand wirklich gut

Good for price

2026-03-02    -Attique A.

Very good item, highly recommended.

Für den "Home"-Anwnder wirklich gut

2026-01-29    -HWrede

Ich habe den Scanner gekauft, um meine über 2000 Negative aus meiner Jugend zu digitalsieren. Ich habe damals mit 15 hauptsächlich in Schwarz/Weiss fotografiert, alles selbst in den gängigen Lösungen (hauptsächlich in Microphen) entwickelt, vergrössert und mich gefreut. Dann haben die ganzen Schätze über Jahrzehnte im Keller gelagert. Ich suchte nach einer schnellen, halbwegs zufriedenstellenden Möglichkeit mit überschaubarem Aufwand die ganze Sache zu digitalisieren. Und: ich bin vollkommen zufrieden. Ja, es geht besser. Aber dann wirds richtig teuer. Dieser Scanner mit ein wenig Nachbearbeitung in Photoshop erzielt wirklich gute Ergebnisse im privaten Bereich. Nachbearbeitung ist notwendig, aber dann sind die Ergebnisse für den überschaubaren finanziellen Aufwand wirklich gut

Great scanner for 35mm slides

2026-02-27    -Stephen B

I purchased this scanner a week ago and I have digitized well over 500 35mm slides so far. In summary, this is a great scanner for scanning 35mm slides. It’s easy to use and the image quality is good.The scanner comes with a 5V, 1A USB wall adapter, but if your end goal is to upload images to a PC you can leave the scanner connected to your PC’s USB port. I typically capture a batch of images to the scanner’s memory, upload to the PC, delete the images stored in the scanner and start again. I installed a 32GB SD card since the scanner’s 128MB internal memory only holds about 50 images. Captured images are named “PICTxxxx.JPG” so if you want to keep images organized by event, date, etc. you’ll need to work in batches. I wish there was an option to capture directly to the PC, where captured images could be renamed or tagged on the fly.The 35mm slide adapter makes easy work of continuously feeding and capturing slides. I found that the best way is to have three slides in the adapter – one infeed, one outfeed and the middle slide being scanned. Pushing on the infeed and outfeed slides allows you to shift the middle slide back and forth to ensure it is perfectly centered before hitting the “Capture” button.If your goal is to scan negatives, watch out! I tried scanning some 35mm negatives, but the film catches on the adapter outfeed slot and does not feed through. The plastic adapter has a slight step at the outfeed slot that catches the film. This is likely a molding defect, but it completely kills this feature.The images on the built-in 5in LCD screen look good, but to really see detail I suggest connecting a PC monitor via the HDMI port. The addition detail visible on an external monitor allows you to ensure the slide is centered and you’re not capturing the edge of the slide frame. Even so, be prepared to do a lot of digital cropping to get rid of the occasional edge artifact.On an external monitor the image sensor gaussian noise is noticeable. I was disappointed to see this, but it is not really a problem, just an opportunity for improvement.The resolution spec. is misleading. The sensor is a 16Mp sensor (4920x3280). The scanner is spec’d at 24Mp, but this is achieved with interpolation. Pixel interpolation does not necessarily mean better image quality, but it guarantees a larger file size. I’ll let the marketeers debate image quality, but I did not see any significant difference, so I set the resolution to 16Mp (about 3Mp per JPG image) and left it there.Once I established how to orient the slides, I did not need to use the vertical or horizontal flip buttons. The most common adjustment I needed to make was the brightness, and this is easy to do with just a few button clicks. Brightness adjustment just ensures no part of the image is saturating. After that, any remaining adjustments (tint, contrast, etc.) require image editing software on a PC.The cleaning tool works brilliantly. Thankfully my slides are relatively clean, but it was very easy to clean the occasional bit of dust that landed on the scanner’s illumination pane..Overall, this scanner is easy to use and works exactly as described. I am happy with this purchase.

Good for price

2026-02-28    -Attique A.

Very good item, highly recommended.

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to use, negatives to digital images in seconds - good quality - well worth it

2026-02-24    -LDub

This is the third film to digital scanner I've purchased, and it is the best. The others worked, but not easily and I always had problems. This unit has a nice display to show you where your alignment is and it captures good quality images from the slides. It is a nice size, not too big, not too small. You'll need to remember to check for dust and clean it, but that is simple with the supplied cleaning stick (or a can of compressed "air"). I highly recommend this unit for home users - professionals may have different standards, but it certainly would work for their proof sets.