scanning micro fiche

[mortieau]

Sometimes the only source of parish registers I have available is micro fiche sold by the country registry office. Often these images are of poor quality, and with the limited magnification the readers at my local library have are unreadable.

I have notice were digital images are available I can usually manipulate a poor image enough to be able to read it.

My question is can micro fiche be scanned so I have a digital image. I've tried with a set-up I have on my scanner that I used for old colour transparencies but with no success.

Any help apreciated.

Thanks
John

[Calverley Lad]

As you have found trying to use a scanner is a waste of time.
I use my digital camera mounted on a mini tripod, which in turn is on a good heavy book.
In what way is the microfiche quality poor?
My only problems have been down to the 'flowery' handwriting found on some records.
I use what is called a 'variac' - A device that allows me to vary the supply voltage which results in a dimmer image in some cases allows the information to be clearly seen.
 Regards Brian

[mortieau]

Hi Calverly,
Thanks for your reply, it's not the writing styles I have a problem with, it's when the original PR was obviously faded with a digital image by pushing up the contrast control and lowering the brightness ( in photoshop) often I can get a readable image.
With the micro fiche reader, some of them let you vary the stength of the light as well as slight magnification, but usually that is not enough.

Best
John

[Ron Lankshear]

I did try once for a team project and found it difficult
However the team leader said I should have had scanner save as PDF

[newburychap]

The right scanner would do the job - but you need a very high optical resolution scanner with film scanning capability (eg the 6400 dpi Epson V700 or V750 - expensive).

You can try a camera photographing the fiche reader screen.

Or a camera with a slide copying setup - perhaps possible with a supplementary close-up lens or a DSLR with tubes or bellows and, perhaps, a reversed lens. Not the sort of stuff that is readily to hand.

The simplest solution might be to get a higher magnification lens for your fiche reader (you don't say what you have).

Or you could try a fiche reader/printer at a library or somesuch that has more magnification.

[Calverley Lad]

The main library's usually have more choice on spec for readers.
 Brian

[mortieau]

Thanks Newbury Chap & Calverley Lad,
This afternoon I did try taking a digital pic of the scanner screen, it was'nt great but it was usable, and got images that previously I could'nt read so I can live with that.

Thanks for the help
John