Kurt,
In a nutshell, posting to a website does not require state-0f-the art digital imagery. Your computer monitor cannot reproduce the detail that a printed, much less projected, slide has.
So, go digital, but you need two components: a digital camera, and a computer with the software to repair/enhance the images. That means something halfway serious in the way of a camera, say close to $600 for a point and shoot; e.g. Canon's G9 (if I've got the model right) or Leica's D-Lux 3 (which is what I have). They come with software for your computer. In the case of the Leica it's Adobe Photoshop 4 and you download the module for the D-Lux 3 from the Adobe website, not at all difficult (I'd guess that more recent sales have a CD-ROM with the new module part of the Adobe software).
Why do you need to enhance your images? Basically with gun photos you need to minimize the highlights caused by lighting and increase detail in the shadows. It's dramatic how you can bring out the detail by suppressing highlights/enhancing shadow areas. You can actually take a noontime shot with scanned slide or print film and produce a decent image out of it without the harshness and lost detail in the shadows. But, you've got to invest a few hours to figure out how to use the software.
Using a digital SLR with your old lenses (Canon, Nikon, Leica) is a different matter and quite doable, but you have to invest some serious bucks which is why I am using the Leica point and shoot rather than going to Canon digital SLR so I can use my old EOS lenses.
Regards, Tim
