Photographing Delicate Documents

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Photographing Delicate Documents

• Dick Eastman
• October 20, 2007

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Traditional Method of Creating Images of Documents

• Use a desktop scanner, such as this single-sheet
  scanner

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Disadvantages

• Manual
• Slow
• Requires significant handling of the document

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Disadvantages

• Scanning thousands of documents may be tedious

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Page feed scanners are even worse

• Will work well in unattended mode but internal
  rollers may damage delicate documents.

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Ultimate Unattended Scanner APT BookScan 1200

• Will work well in unattended mode for books but
  not suitable for delicate books.
• Expensive at 125,000.

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Use a scanner designed for books

• Planetary scanners create minimal page damage.
• Expensive at 10,000 and up.

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Use a scanner designed for books

• Available in different models with different
  scanning speeds
• Expensive at 15,000 and up.

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Use a scanner designed for books

• Genealogists can duplicate this for a fraction of
  the expense.
• Use a camera stand and a high resolution camera.

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Use a scanner designed for books

• Genealogists can duplicate this for a fraction of
  the expense.
• Use a camera stand and a high resolution camera.

11
Use a scanner designed for books

• Genealogists can duplicate this for a fraction of
  the expense.
• Use a camera stand and a high resolution camera.

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Use a scanner designed for books

• Best results are obtained with a slow shutter
  speed and lots of light.

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Use a scanner designed for books

• Prices vary from about 60 to

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Use a scanner designed for books

• Prices vary from about 60 to
• 150 or more.

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Recommendation

• Use a slow shutter speed
• And use lots of light!
• Sunlight works best

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You may appreciate remote control software

• Such as DSLR Remote Pro