>We have a collection of
>around 1700 pieces, and all need to be shot for our accession records.  We
>are thinking of creating a slide library, but we are also thinking of using
>a digital camera,


Andy, I've been lurking here for a while but this is my first posting as
well....I'm one of 2 staff photographers at the NCMOH, just right down the
road from you (sort of)...feel free to drop us a line if you need any help
getting your equipment together. We have a love/hate (mostly hate)
relationship with digital. I'd say that alot of the decision probably comes
down to what kind of facilities you have, i.e. do you have a studio, access
to a decent pro lab for your slides, etc....

We strictly shoot 4x5 CTs and b&w negs (an even split) for our artifact
documentation. We dupe down to 35mmm if we have to, or else just shoot 35s
as well. The long term files are all 4x5. We have a full studio, a b&w print
lab, and deep tank line, and we run our own E6 in-house (as well as dupes)
so doing all this is really just the way it's set up. The NCMOA is similar
as well, although it's been a few years since I've been over there and I
don't know the current staffers.

A few years ago we bought what was then a medium  end pro digital camera. We
have a Nikon E3s, which was the model prior to the D1. We still use this,
but mostly just for quickie web shots. We are currently assisting our
collections branch in their online access & internal database. Because of
the file size limitation for Re:Discovery, the images are all small jpegs.
This is for quick reference only. We use a flatbed scanner for the CTs and
an older Polaroid sprintscan for the 35mm slides. We are providing a little
bit more in the way of digital files to patrons, but still prefer to work
out loan agreements for CTs, or to provide prints at cost.

I may be the odd man out here, but I would say that if you can afford to do
so (equipment & film costs), to shoot slide film, and use a film scanner for
your database. You can still hold much more detail in even a 35mm slide over
most digital cameras. You would have to move to pro cameras, or even high
end scanning backs to come close a 4x5 sheet of film, or 120. There's also
the investment in computer gear and storage as well....slide film/CTs are
much simpler, will give you more options down the road, and may even last
longer compared to migrating digital files and worrying about CDs failing,
etc.

Drop us a line or call if you want any assistance, KT

Kent Thompson,  Photographer
North Carolina Museum of History

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