>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 Email: [log in to unmask] Opinions expressed in this message may not represent the policy of my agency. ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).