What features,etc would you say were a good digital camera for this work? What exactly makes a good digital camera? Sorry, I know this must be elementary to most but I quite new to camera, let alone digital ones. Thank you Ginger ----- Original Message ----- From: Bill Pease <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, May 10, 2003 12:13 PM Subject: Re: [SP] Docupen Scanner: use digital camera instead > Bob, sorry, I don't know about the Docupen Scanner, but I'd suggest that you > use a good digital camera instead if you cannot readily handle the > manuscript books. I've used mine many times for copying pages from books > (including manuscript books from church archives) and it works superbly. You > can use normal picture mode or text mode (black & white only.) Try both > beforehand & experiment with lighting. Be sure to get a camera with Macro > (close-up) ability. Don't use the in-camera flash (it will bounce right back > at you & glare out the page) unless you have a detachable one that can be > held out from the side; instead use near window light if possible or a light > at 45 degrees from the book surface from the sides. Buy, or borrow, or rent > a good digital camera; you won't get good results from a cheap one. > > I never go on genealogy research trips without my digital camera now. It's > just like taking an excellent scanner with you wherever you go. > > Bill Pease > Lancaster, Pennsylvania > USA > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Bob Kirk" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Saturday, May 10, 2003 10:59 AM > Subject: [SP] Docupen Scanner > > > > Has anyone on the list had any experience with the Docupen scanner? > > > > I desperately need a scanner that will scan books (parish Records) that > are > > too fragile to be thrown around on a conventional scanner and the Docupen > > would seem to fit the bill. Although some of the results leave a bit to be > > desired. > > > > I found the Docupen scanner at: > > > > http://hh385.hiphip.com/merchant/docuport_home.htm > > > > > > If anyone has any Experience of scanning this kind of material or can > > suggest an alternative scanner, I would be grateful for your input. > > > > > > Bob KIRK > > Dukinfield > > Cheshire > > > > Http://KirkSoft.co.uk > > > > http://www.fhsc.org.uk/dukinfield.htm > > >

There are a couple of things to look for. First figure out how much you want to spend. Then within your amount look at what is available. I have a Nikon Coolpix 995 with the 3.3 megapixels which does a great job anywhere in any light. With it's flexible head, you don't have to contort your self in different directions to get that shot. It takes great pictures with available light. I used it on my genealogy trip last June, taking pictures of tombstones in all kinds of light without doing anything to the headstones and they turned out great, even better than my cousins who stood next to me taking pictures as well. It has also taken great shots of documents and from microfiche readers without using a flash. I believe the new 4500 runs around $399. Two things to look for are the number of megapixels available and if you can change the settings. How close can you get to your object, some of the digital cameras do not allow you to get close enough to read the print. The other thing is look at is the number of the optical zoom rather than the digital zoom. With your budget in mind, you can get a good camera that will do a lot if you shop around. Check the websites of several cameras before you go shopping. One other thing you might want to consider if you are focused only on doing documents is the HP Capshare. I don't know if they still make something like it or not. It is similar to the docupen, only it does a larger area and will scan photos as well. You might be able to get one on ebay or write to HP and ask them. I have used mine and it does a good job although you have to put it directly onto the document. It is a neat little scanner. I am not sure if it will work with Windows XP. I have not use it in awhile at least not since I upgrade to XP. Just my two cents, Kathy

Hi I was the originator of this item and I have followed the replies with great interest. Thanks to all that have given their two penneth. I do have a Digital Camera (Cannon G2) which gives superb photographic results of anything I point it at. However there is one major difference between the results from a Scanner and a Digital Camera (DC) and that would appear to be the software that processes the image. With a DC you always get a tonal image, whereas most of the Scanners have software that will give you a choice of Colour, Black & White and Grey scale, as well as Line Diagram, Magazine, and OCR. The original material I am trying to copy is hand written on various shades of white paper in sometimes fading ink. I know from experience that a good B & W line image is possible from my existing scanner but these original books are just to fragile to be continually turned upside down and thrown onto an upward facing scanner. Thats why I was so intersted in the Docupen. The professionals use scanners that in effect are a camera facing downwards and the books are placed face up on a well illuminated baseboard. All that is then needed is to turn each page and scan it. They even have software that takes out the curvature of the page as it takes the picture. Of course these are well outside my budget. Kathy mentioned "HP Capshare" and I will be looking into this asap. Meanwhile thanks again for you suggestions. Bob KIRK Dukinfield Cheshire Http://KirkSoft.co.uk http://www.fhsc.org.uk/dukinfield.htm Interests Are: KIRK (Crewe & Manchester) DAWSON (Manchester) ----- Original Message ----- From: "K.DeLosReyes" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, May 12, 2003 5:59 PM Subject: RE: [SP] Docupen Scanner: use digital camera instead > There are a couple of things to look for. First figure out how much you > want to spend. Then within your amount look at what is available. > > I have a Nikon Coolpix 995 with the 3.3 megapixels which does a great > job anywhere in any light. With it's flexible head, you don't have to > contort your self in different directions to get that shot. It takes > great pictures with available light. I used it on my genealogy trip last > June, taking pictures of tombstones in all kinds of light without doing > anything to the headstones and they turned out great, even better than > my cousins who stood next to me taking pictures as well. It has also > taken great shots of documents and from microfiche readers without using > a flash. > > I believe the new 4500 runs around $399. Two things to look for are the > number of megapixels available and if you can change the settings. How > close can you get to your object, some of the digital cameras do not > allow you to get close enough to read the print. > > The other thing is look at is the number of the optical zoom rather than > the digital zoom. > > With your budget in mind, you can get a good camera that will do a lot > if you shop around. Check the websites of several cameras before you go > shopping. > > One other thing you might want to consider if you are focused only on > doing documents is the HP Capshare. I don't know if they still make > something like it or not. It is similar to the docupen, only it does a > larger area and will scan photos as well. You might be able to get one > on ebay or write to HP and ask them. I have used mine and it does a > good job although you have to put it directly onto the document. It is > a neat little scanner. I am not sure if it will work with Windows XP. I > have not use it in awhile at least not since I upgrade to XP. > > Just my two cents, Kathy > > >