Slides Versus Prints

I recently came across a good example of why slides yield such better scans than prints. I found similar images of the same event, one that I had only from a Kodachrome slide and that I had only from a print. Both are from the mid-1960s.

First, the print (after running through Easy.Filter).

Next, the slide (with my default scanner settings).

The quality difference is evident, even in these small images. Closeups of similar features (Grandpa's nose) make the difference even more stark.

Alright, so Grandpa is closer to the camera in the slide image than the print one. But, I am comparing a 100% crop of the original print file against a 25% crop of the original slide file. The slide file actually contains four times more information than what is seen above.

The difference is clear -- slides (and film) trump prints for digitizing. The color is more accurate, the detail is finer, and the brightness and contrast are much better. When there is a choice, always go for original slide or negative.