The QV-5000SX' built-in macro capability worked quite well, even surprisingly so, given the lens' wide-angle focal length. At its closest focusing distance of 4 inches (10 cm), it covers an area 3.2 x 4.2 inches (8.0 x 10.7 cm). If all you need is a 640x480 image, the 2x "zoom" is quite effective in macro mode, reducing the minimum area to only 1.6 x 2.1 inches (4.0 x 5.6 cm).

ON READING THE ABOVE AND NOT KNOWING VERY MUCH ABOUT DIGITAL CAMERAS, CAN 35MM SLIDES BE COPIED THE OLD WAY BY A BELLOWS UNIT, ONE COULD REALLY SEE A DUEL PURPOSE FROM THE NEW CAMERAS.

-- DEVIN DRISCOLL (MDGOME@AOL.COM), March 08, 1999

Answers

Well, no way to get the bellows unit in between the lens and sensor on most prosumer-level digicams. I've had good luck though, just using a couple of high-quality macro adapters on my Oly D-600L and getting a bright, diffuse light source behind the slide. Some newer cameras (like the Nikon CP950) have such an extreme macro capability that they wouldn't need any auxiliary lenses.

-- Dave Etchells (web@imaging-resource.com), March 09, 1999.

I have had very poor results copying slides with my digital camera. I recently bought a scanner and through some trial and error procedure I have discovered an excellent way to copy 35mm slides using an inexpensive scanner. I just put up a web page http://jmpeneton.4t.com. There are some samples of scans that I made and I have found they are far superior to trying to photograph them. Jim

-- Jim Peneton (jpen_10@hotmail.com), December 24, 2000.