Slide Projectors
Slide projectors were first created in the late 1800s and came into widespread household use in the 1950s. They offered a way to store and later display high quality images. Slides were small (often 35mm) photographic plates set in thin cardboard or plastic frames that were transparent. Projectors consisted of a light, a lens to focus the light on the slide, the slide holder and a lens to focus the image from the slide. This simple construction made slide projectors highly versatile and dependable and they were widely used for much of the late 20th century as educational aids and home entertainment devices. While no longer in common use due to digital technologies and modern video projectors, their prevalence has resulted in a great many photographic records being stored as slides. This means there is still a market for slide projectors for people who may wish to view archival records or heirlooms.
Types of Slide ProjectorSlide Projectors come in several varieties and some are old enough that they are sold as vintage or historical products. One of the most common types of slide projector is the carousel projector, which uses a rotating tray capable of holding up to 140 slides. The capacity and design of the carousel projector makes it useful for large presentations, such as lectures. The slides are inserted manually then can be rotated through in order at the click of a button. Simpler projectors require manual slide changing with a slot at the top or side allowing a slide to be swapped out for the next. Many other designs have been produced, most based around different ideas of slide storage, automatic mechanical swapping and reliability. Single, hand-held slide projectors lack the light component and require a separate light source. The user inserts a slide and holds the viewer to the light to view the image.
Slide ScannersAs well as older slide projectors, slide scanners can also be purchased. Most modern digital scanners are not capable of properly reading slides. Slide scanners are specially designed to hold and scan slides, often several at a time. These scanners allow the digitisation of slides, updating archival material to modern digital formats.
Slide StorageStorage boxes specially designed for slides are a necessity when storing slides long term. These boxes contain grooves to careful hold numerous slides and provide a dark, airtight environment to preserve the slides’ quality.