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Thread: Getting UFO microfilms scanned in the USA??

  1. #1

    Getting UFO microfilms scanned in the USA??

    Anyone know any person or company in the USA that would be willing to scan a bunch of UFO microfilms at no, or low, cost?

    Or have any ideas about finding such a person?

    I have some UFO contacts in Europe willing to do this sort of thing for free, but now need someone in the USA (to avoid sending a lot of rare microfilms around the world).

    (The scanned UFO documents would be made freely available online).

  2. #2
    Lead Moderator calikid's Avatar
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    Just to be clear; you want to mail a box of microfiche to a vendor, who will scan the text into PDF files (naming convention TBD), and return the microfiche along with a Flash drive filled with PDFs.
    Any clue on the volume (number of pages)?
    .
    Something a volunteer could knock out on a consumer grade flatbed scanner (maybe 300dpi)?
    .
    Don't know a direct vendor, but can make a few inquiries from my business contacts.
    The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but
    progress. -- Joseph Joubert
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  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by calikid View Post
    Just to be clear; you want to mail a box of microfiche to a vendor, who will scan the text into PDF files (naming convention TBD), and return the microfiche along with a Flash drive filled with PDFs.
    Any clue on the volume (number of pages)?
    The documents are on rolls of microfilms. Over 100,000 pages. About 300 microfilms (of varying degrees of priority - so someone with the necessary equipment willing to do just a fraction of the 300 would be great). About half of the microfilms are 35mm and the other half are 16mm.

    Mainly official UFO documents (over 100,000 pages), but also a collection of newspaper clippings on microfilm as well.

  4. #4
    Senior Member earthman's Avatar
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    I was just gave a good idea Isaac. University's have Microfilm readers and you may be able to just go there and do it for free that way. I will look into my self and get back to ya on that.

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    Lead Moderator calikid's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by earthman View Post
    I was just gave a good idea Isaac. University's have Microfilm readers and you may be able to just go there and do it for free that way. I will look into my self and get back to ya on that.
    Not to answer for Issac, but FYI do not think he lives in the USA (note Europe reference), so won't be doing it himself.
    Also, most libraries (University & otherwise) have readers, but AFAIK not scanner attachments that would convert to digital output.
    But please Earthman, do check in your area, maybe pleasant surprise.
    The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but
    progress. -- Joseph Joubert
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  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by earthman View Post
    I was just gave a good idea Isaac. University's have Microfilm readers and you may be able to just go there and do it for free that way. I will look into my self and get back to ya on that.
    Mmm. I've used Microfilm readers in the past (in the UK, at our National Archives) and those ones were rather old things that just display part of a microfilm roll on a screen using technology that looks like it dates back to the 1960s.

    I know there are (professional-only??) scanners that can be used to scan rolls of microfilm into digital images, but I'm not sure anyone would have these lying around at home. Perhaps they do have such equipment in some libraries in the USA?? I think that's almost too much to hope for.

    My hope is that someone that owns, or works for, a relevant company in the USA is able to scan some or all of the relevant rolls. (As I mentioned above, I have some relevant contacts in Europe but don't recall anyone in the USA mentioning any such resource).

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by IsaacKoi View Post
    Mmm. I've used Microfilm readers in the past (in the UK, at our National Archives) and those ones were rather old things that just display part of a microfilm roll on a screen using technology that looks like it dates back to the 1960s.

    I know there are (professional-only??) scanners that can be used to scan rolls of microfilm into digital images, but I'm not sure anyone would have these lying around at home. Perhaps they do have such equipment in some libraries in the USA?? I think that's almost too much to hope for.

    My hope is that someone that owns, or works for, a relevant company in the USA is able to scan some or all of the relevant rolls. (As I mentioned above, I have some relevant contacts in Europe but don't recall anyone in the USA mentioning any such resource).
    There should be plenty of flatbed scanners available that can scan microfilm and slides. My first scanner could, and had the gadgets needed to position the slides and microfilm. (I only mention the slides because the procedure on the scanner was more or less the same).

    This article, from last year, lists some scanners that can be used for it:
    https://familysearch.org/blog/en/sca...negatives-pro/
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  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Garuda View Post
    There should be plenty of flatbed scanners available that can scan microfilm and slides. My first scanner could, and had the gadgets needed to position the slides and microfilm. (I only mention the slides because the procedure on the scanner was more or less the same).

    This article, from last year, lists some scanners that can be used for it:
    https://familysearch.org/blog/en/sca...negatives-pro/
    Cheers. That's encouraging. I've scanned plenty of slides at home using a fairly cheap kit, but not rolls of microfilm some of which contain up to about 1,000 pages each. If they can be done at home easily, then that would make getting the microfilm rolls scanned _significantly_ easier.

    I'll look into the home option more, including your link.

  9. #9
    Lead Moderator calikid's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by IsaacKoi View Post
    Cheers. That's encouraging. I've scanned plenty of slides at home using a fairly cheap kit, but not rolls of microfilm some of which contain up to about 1,000 pages each. If they can be done at home easily, then that would make getting the microfilm rolls scanned _significantly_ easier.

    I'll look into the home option more, including your link.
    My flatbed scanner (with 35mm slide attachment) does a max of 600dpi.
    Any idea what DPI resolution the current guy are doing?
    It is great if you want a "day at the beach" 35mm slide/photograph converted to JPG.
    I'll have to dig up my slide adapter, it will do slides but not so sure it will accommodate film.
    Also, not sure scanning microfilm, with 1000pages per frame (am I reading that right Isaac?), would be legible.
    With magnification, I suspect "greeking" and pixilatation would be a big problem.
    Would any test media be available? Maybe evaluate a few frames?
    The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but
    progress. -- Joseph Joubert
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  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by calikid View Post
    My flatbed scanner (with 35mm slide attachment) does a max of 600dpi.
    Any idea what DPI resolution the current guy are doing?
    It is great if you want a "day at the beach" 35mm slide/photograph converted to JPG.
    I'll have to dig up my slide adapter, it will do slides but not so sure it will accommodate film.
    Also, not sure scanning microfilm, with 1000pages per frame (am I reading that right Isaac?), would be legible.
    With magnification, I suspect "greeking" and pixilatation would be a big problem.
    Would any test media be available? Maybe evaluate a few frames?
    In one of the articles I read, the person was scanning microfilms at 4800 dpi.
    The scanner I had went to 3600 (?) dpi. (I can't remember for sure). But it could do microfilm. (Not that I ever tried microfilm on it).
    An opinion should be the result of thought, not a substitute for it.
    - Jef Mallett

    Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge.
    - Charles Darwin

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