[caseysoftware]

In that particular case, definitely. More generally, it's risk.

Every time an archivist touches the media - no matter gloves, a clean environment, the care applied, etc - there's a risk of altering or even damaging it. In our case, the eventual goal was to keep the ever-deteriorating originals in nitrogen-filled vaults.

Therefore, if you can avoid having to touch it often (or ever), then you've managed to protect it better, probably longer, and more cheaply.

[dredmorbius]

Right.

Static, high-resolution photography (or other imaging) is about the least-invasive, lowest-risk options available.