coolj001 !

Library eh? Sounds like a most excellent idea.

Trust me - it is ! :-)
I've done photography since 1976 ( worked as a Photo- and Image Teacher for some years ) and there's lots of books written on the subject. Some good - some not so good ...

I have already scratched my Panasonic's Leica lens.

Ouch !!
Scratches on lens surfaces has the effect of scattering the light rays hitting them and thus affects sharpness, but if it's a very small scratch it may not have too much an overall effect. A filter is a very cheap insurance aginst damages like that.

On your scanner thoughts:
No, you can't scan a negative/slide in a flatbed without a proper adapter. Neg/slides are "see through" and flatbeds work as reflectives.
Even if you would manage to make a scan it won't be of any comparable quality at all.
Your best go is to scan your hard copies.
Sorry ...
.......................

Erlik:

I have no intention at all to start some variant of "Platform Ware" here, so I let your post stand as is.

I've done photo since 1976 and I've tried both classic and digital. Both have their advantages and their drawbacks.

Let me just say that my customers are very happy when I can deliver them 3000x2250 pixels 300 dpi Tifs as workfiles for their printing. Some even want 4700x4700 pix 300 dpi's and larger. You do the math...

Buying the Minolta I mentioned instead of a digital equal left me money to invest in a hi-quality slide/neg scanner ( enough for 5000x5000 pix 1200 dpi ) and to hot up my puter such that I can handle files those sizes without PS slowing to a crawl or choke on the job.

It all comes down to what you need your photo equippment for...

Bakkti.

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