In the days of old photography, slide viewers were very common. Though digital photography has changed a lot of things, there are still so many individuals that have old slides that have not been converted to digital format. If you still hope to view your old slides with bright lights without distortion, then you need to buy the best slide viewers.
In this article, we have put together a list of 10 best slide viewers on the market and also provided a buying guide to help you choose the right one.
Top 10 Best Slide Viewers
1. Pana-Vue 2
This is a brilliant little viewer that you will enjoy using: it has a compact design for either tabletop or hand use. It is built in such a manner that the slides are easy to insert and remove. The lighting of this illuminated viewer is good enough to view even very old slides without any distortion. It will be the ideal viewer to use when you intend to view some slides for sorting or for evaluation and organizing.
The Pana-Vue 2 Illuminated Slide Viewer features 2X magnification on 1 7/8″ screen with folding stand. It is powered by 2 AA batteries (not included) that can be easily installed and replaced. It is a compact viewer and is lightweight too. It performs excellently once you are using the right batteries. The price of this device is also right so you should expect real value for your money.
2. Pana-Vue FPA005
This is another small viewer for 2×2 slides that guarantees value for the money. It serves its purpose as a slide viewer, magnifying images sufficiently for screening of slides. It offers quite a lot of image details. The back light is bright enough to give you exactly what you want and more. It is an excellent little unit that can hold 36 slides and features automatic slide change through a manually operated slider bar.
The Pana-Vue Automatic Lighted 2×2 Slide Viewer offers brilliant 4X magnification on a 2 5/8″ square viewing screen. It also features an easy push-pull operation. The device can be powered by 2 ‘D’ batteries (not included in the package), or household current with optional transformer. This is a great little device that can make viewing slides quite enjoyable.
3. Rybozen LED Lighted illuminated Slide Viewer
This is one of the best illuminated slide viewers you can get to review old 35mm slides. It is a little gadget that is well-built and performs its duty excellently. It has a portable design with fold-away stand that makes it ideal for use in studios as well as in homes. It is also lightweight and easy to use. Considering that this is a budget device, the sort of performance it delivers is something you really need to experience.
The Rybozen LED Lighted illuminated 35mm Slide Viewer operates on 2 ‘AA’ batteries (not included in the package). There are few complaints by users that it can be a little difficult to figure out how to use the device but they confessed that once they were able to get it working, it offered excellent slide viewing experiences. The price is another thing that will make you smile.
4. Rybozen Film and Slide Viewer
This is another LED illuminated slide viewer from the Rybozen family. It is one of those perfect little machines that can reproduce your old memories by lighting and enlarging your 35mm slides and film negatives. It is a well-built device with Slide Tray and Eject Button. It is a convenient to use at home and in studio too.
The Rybozen 35mm Film and Slide Viewer offers 3x magnification without distortion, blurriness, or loss of details. Other interesting features include the super bright Backlit Light box, Ultra Bright Daylight LED illumination, and large viewing area that delivers crystal clear images. For power supply, you have the option of DC 6V 500mA adapter or 4 ‘AA’ batteries (not included in the package). It is easy to use and doesn’t cost as much as other products with similar features.
5. KODAK SCANZA Digital Film & Slide Scanner
Kodak is associated with quality so you should have an idea of what to expect from this product. It is one little device that guarantees instant time travel. All you need to do is load the 35mm slides or similar film negatives via the slide slot or film feeder, and you are ready to view each nostalgic snap in a magnified manner without distortion or loss of details.
The KODAK SCANZA Digital Film & Slide Scanner features 3.5″ color display for image viewing and editing. It also comes with 3 numbered slide inserts that easily adapts to your old films for safe and convenient loading.
6. Imagine World Medalight SV3 K1
This is another slide viewer that is sure to delight any user. From the build quality (which is so solid) to the performance (which is spot on), there is nothing any real user can complain about this device. It is also very convenient to use, with a quick eject button that allows the slides to stack in the collection tray. It is also very portable so you can use in studio or at home.
This Medalight Sv3K1 Negative and Slide viewer offers 3X magnification. This is also an upgraded version that features 4 tru-color LEDs for bright, even illumination of slides and filmstrips. There are two options to power the device: you can use a 6V 500mA AC adapter (not included) or you use the 4 ‘AA’ batteries that are included in the package. In addition to the Kodak 4-pack ‘AA’ batteries that comes with the slide viewer, you also get The Image World Micro Fiber Cleaning Cloth. It is a highly valuable package.
7. DLC Medalight 35mm Film Slide and Negative Viewer
This is another good quality slide and negative film viewer that will help you review old slides without breaking sweat or straining. It is a well-built device that gets the job done in time. It is easy to use, thanks to the overall design and a button on the side that releases the slide into the holding tray at the bottom of the viewer.
The DLC Medalight 35mm Film Slide and Negative Viewer offers 3x magnification function which is ideal for transforming 2×2 mounted slides and 35mm film strips and negatives into interesting images for easy viewing. Though it is a manually operated slide viewer, it performs its basic duty well. There are some complaints about the device jamming when the release button is pressed to clear the slide from the viewer. Other than that, most buyers are happy with this device.
8. DC &CO. Medalight Film LED Slide and Negative Viewer
This is a 35mm Film LED slide viewer that is mostly praised for its excellent optics and magnification. It can be your best companion when you need to digitize so many slides. In terms of illumination, you don’t get it any better than this. About the design, this is a well-built small device. Using it is also easy as the quick eject button allows the slide to stack up in the collection tray.
The DC &CO. Medalight 35mm Film LED Slide and Negative Viewer features a 3X magnified Glass screen. It also features 4 tru-color LED for super bright illumination. It can be powered by 4 ‘AA’ batteries (included in the package) that can last for a long time.
9. Kaiser 202011 DIASCOP Mini 2x Slide Viewer
This is a small viewer that can save the day when you are in dire need to magnify and view old slides. It is a well-built device that is also very simple to use. There is no ON/OFF Switch, all you need to do is gently push the slide into the slit at the top and it will light up immediately. Though you will have to view one slide at a time and manually put the slide into the slot, this will still make your viewing experience remarkable.
The Kaiser 202011 DIASCOP Mini Slide Viewer features 2x Magnifying lens on a 2×2″ viewing area. It also features hinged support bracket for angled viewing. This small plastic viewer is quite inexpensive and durable. It comes with 2 ‘AA’ size 1.5 volt batteries as the power source.
10. Zuma SV-3 LED 35mm Film Slide Viewer
This is an excellent slide viewer that is well designed and gives great viewing experience. The 35mm Film Slide Viewer is designed to view 2×2 mounted slides and performs that duty as efficiently as you can expect. Due to the impressive design, it is very easy to use this device. There is an ejection button at the side that releases the slide into the collection tray at the bottom of the viewer.
The Zuma SV-3 LED 35mm Film Slide Viewer is a 3x magnification LED slide viewer. It also features a genuine glass lens and 6500K LED light source for amazing bright, even illumination. There are also two ways you can power this slide viewer: you can use 4 ‘AA’ batteries (not included), or you go for AC adapter (sold separately). Many users feel this device is worth all the penny they spent for it and even more.
Buyer’s Guide
If you truly have the intention of taking a trip to nostalgia through old slides, you need the best slides viewer to achieve that. Depending on what exactly you need a slide viewer for and the types of film slides you own, you need to approach buying with care so that you get exactly what you want.
As you can see from the reviews, there are different manufacturers of slide viewers. Collectively, they have so many models on the market that choosing from the lot can give you serious selection headache. To help you make the right decision, we have reviewed the best products on the market. Here, we will also consider how you can choose the perfect one for you.
Factors to Consider Before Buying Slide Viewers
There are some important factors that will determine to a great extent how a particular slide viewer will be useful to you. It is important that you consider these factors before you make any purchase. We will briefly discuss them here to give you an idea of how to buy your best slide viewer.
Manufacturers
It is important to buy slide viewers that are made by reputable brands for so many reasons. Those companies that have established themselves as industry leaders are more likely to manufacture top quality slide viewers. The products featured in this list are majorly from manufacturers that have several years of product innovation. In addition to having the best products on the market, top manufacturers have created an extensive amount of replacement components for their devices.
Portability
Gone are the days people patronized clunky devices. Many buyers are interested in portable devices and you should do likewise. A portable device is often easier to keep and use. With a portable slide viewer, you can view slides anywhere at all.
Ease of Use
It is also important that you buy a slide viewer that is easy to use. Ease of use is majorly dependent on the way the device is designed. There are some that allow you to load slides in and shuffle them as well as others that accept only one slide at a time. Both can be easy to use but you need to consider how convenient it will be to use any slide viewer. You should also consider the number of slides you have to view while making your decision.
Magnifying Power and Image Clarity
Depending on how you want to view your slides, you need to consider the magnifying power of the slide viewer you need to buy. Some very powerful ones offer 4X magnification while some offer 2X magnification. You also need to consider lighting and the clarity of the images produced by each device.
Powering Methods
The way the device is powered is another factor you should consider. Most of the devices that operate with a back light require battery power. The slide viewers that offer two powering options are always preferred by individuals that hope to use their devices at different places.
Conclusion
If you are interested in keeping your old slides and taking some trips back in time, then you need a slide viewer. It is important that you don’t just go for any slide viewer. Consider your specific need and buy a device that will meet it. Here, we have reviewed the best slide viewers available on the market and discussed the best way to determine the best one to buy. All the products featured here were selected through a rigorous process and they all have good reviews from confirmed buyers/users. Buy with confidence and enjoy your slide viewing experience.