Anne, I was talking to the Canon tech support guy the other day (because I messed up my connections when I changed computers), and he said my scanner, the 9950F, was a great model because it scans different sizes of negatives. (My dad had several cameras, and produced negatives in several sizes.) According to him, Canon isn't making one like that anymore because of low demand for this feature. I know the current models will scan 35mm film. I think you'd have fun scanning your old family negatives. If your scanner doesn't handle the size you have, you could look for a used model that does.

Realize that CS5 is a full suite of products, mostly geared towards graphics and publication. Within CS5, Photoshop is the same...really geared towards graphics, but good for photo manipulation too. But if you can get it for a decent price, then have at it. I use Photoshop (via CS4) quite a bit, yet again, for photos you'll barely scratch the surface of the what the software can do. Good news is that there are plenty of tutorials both on Adobe's website as well as other websites, even YouTube has an extensive collection of PS tips to get you started. Scnners, it depends on what you'll be scanning. Just prints, or negatives, or slides? I have an Epson V700, about $500. Excellent for all three. Scanning while using the scanners dust/scratch auto removing functions can really slow a scan down. By a factor of...many! Seriously, it might take 20 seconds for a "regular" scan, but then use the built-in correcting software and it can take several minutes. That's true with every scanner. You might find that the correction software actually softens the scan a bit when trying to do dust removal, etc, so sometimes I just scan a straight file and use photoshop. If you will be scanning hundreds or thousands of prints/slides, there are scanners that can to batch processing. Set and forget, come back in a half hour, reload and let it run again. When shopping, keep an eye on the dpi rating. Some are "true" dpi counts, other scanners have "interpolated" dpi. In my opinion, interpolated doesn't really do you much good in the real world scheme of things. While this may sound frilly, consider wearing white cotton gloves, especially if doing negatives or slide scanning. It helps prevent you from getting body oil on any film or on the scanner glass. Sounds silly, but when doing good scans these things show up, and they are the last thing you want to see after waiting 30 minutes for a batch scan to finish. Be wary of Amazon, There prices are fine and all, but their packing for shipping is just atrocious. I'll order all sorts of stuff from them, but I'm hesitant when it comes to delicate stuff. Check out B and H, good company and excellent packaging. Lastly...not sure what you have for a computer, but when getting into high end scanning, file manipulation (Photoshop) and printing, try to calibrate your monitor. That way what you see on your monitor (pixel coloration) is what will come out of the printer. Sorry to drone on, best of luck! It's enjoyable to resurrect old photos.

We have a Canon scanner too and the only use is for photos and negatives. I'm providing the link via Amazon but it's not sold there any more. We purchased it for about $120. The Canon's are really good for scanning pictures and negative, even slides! I would highly recommend purchasing a scanner and taking your time doing the archival work yourself. You have control over the time, the cost and most importantly, the finished product. If you don't get comfortable "fixing" pictures using a photo editing software, you would be able to send files to someone to work on. This way, your originals are safe and if they mess it up, they've messed up a copy of your image. My husband is really good at this and I'm trying to convince him to start a business. He doesn't think he's that good but he's repaired some and I swear you can't tell they were ever damaged! Here is a link that might be useful: Canon Canoscan LiDE700F Color Image Scanner

I do appreciate your reply. My absence from home delayed seeing it. I have Windows XP Pro. The EPSON SCAN feature worked fine for a few days and now will not open. I get the little window advising that I can use the troubleshooting guide if I wish. It does not help. I can go to Control Panel, Cameras And Scanners and use my scanner that way. But that way lacks some of the versatility of EPSON SCAN. So the problem must be in some software issue. I have uninstalled and reinstalled more than 3 times, no help. I got the newer version online from Epson, no help. I am even considering buying another computer for scanner use only, adding nothing to it except the scanner software, never using it online, so that software conflicts will not arise. Please post your suggestions. I again might be away for a few days.