How do most of you scan your film images?

[josh51699]

About to pickup a film camera. Do most of you let the camera shop put them on a cd for you @ 2 dollars a roll or go out and buy a scanner?

If you did buy a scanner which would you buy?

Also whats the avg cost to get your film developed these days?

[Penguin_101_1]

I have a Canon Lide 60 or 80 (I forgot) to scan my pics. It goes up to 1200DPI. I like it and it come with pretty good software. It also lets you copy things right there so I think it is better than the CDs. I get One Hour at Target (single prints 4x6) for about $5.12 a roll.

[josh51699]

you dont any lose quality with such a cheap scanner?

[psk4363]

I tried the High Street shop route and was very, very disappointed with the results. To get decent results you have to go to specialist firms and consequently up goes the cost.

In the end I decided to buy a film scanner - I'd previously owned a Minolta Scan Dual (about 2500 dpi from memory) and was happy with the results at the time. So I have recently bought the Minolta Scan Elite 5400 - 5400dpi at the top end with Digital Ice thrown in. Enough to make an A2 print (at 300dpi) from a 35mm neg or transparency.

Cheers,
Barry

[Penguin_101_1]

this was a little blurry to begin with but here is one at 3568x2369 http://mgulledge.fotopic.net/p6310883.html

Here is a regular size stamp: Click on the picture to see the full size.
http://images2.fotopic.net/?iid=y396oa&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1

[robertwgross]

For film scanning, you have to figure out what you are trying to end up with. Some non-pro labs give you digital files that are only so-so in resolution.

Within film, there is negative scanning, and then there is transparency scanning. If you have 35mm negatives or 35mm mounted slides, then a dedicated film scanner will give you best results, and you can "get down into the grain."

If you are taking prints and then trying to scan ordinary prints, even the cheap flatbed scanners will give good results, but the ordinary prints aren't normally that great to start with. You could take pro lab prints and then try to scan those, but the time and money wouldn't be worth it.

---Bob Gross---

[scottbergerphoto]

I use a Nikon CoolScan IV, which was replaced by the V. It is a dedicated film/slide scanner with a good software package and Digital Ice for dust/scratch correction. It works very well.
Regards,
Scott

[josh51699]

I wannt something that I can scan my negatives with.

What is my best option for the lowest price to scan negatives?

[robertwgross]

The only trick, and I'm sure that Scott would agree, is to use a computer with lots of RAM and lots of disk space. Film scans can get huge.

When I scan slides at maximum resolution, I can get anywhere from four to six images per CD-ROM.

---Bob Gross---

[josh51699]

wow i had no idea the film scans were that huge

guess ill go pickup another hard drive

and keep suggesting scanners that you guys use that scan either the negative or film slides...whichever is better

what are the advantages and disadvantages of each format?

[scottbergerphoto]

wow i had no idea the film scans were that huge

guess ill go pickup another hard drive

and keep suggesting scanners that you guys use that scan either the negative or film slides...whichever is better

what are the advantages and disadvantages of each format?
Most dedicated film scanners will scan both negatives and slides. If you plan on doing alot of this kind of scanning, a dedicated film/slide scanner is the way to go.
Check out www.scantips.com and www.hamrick.com .
Regards,
Scott

[robertwgross]

Scott uses Nikon. I use a Canon brand. Ever heard of that brand?

My Canon FS4000US was pretty much state of the art two years ago, so it is probably old news by now. Max pixels per inch is 4000 with 42 bit color (so that fits into a 48 bit file). The unit has two film carriers that will slide into the front of the unit. One carrier will hold a strip of 35mm negative film, and the other carrier holds four mounted 35mm slides, so you can go either way. It runs one carrier-worth of images as a batch, and then it dumps those into your image editor program. From each slide, I get a file from 100MB to 150MB, just depending on where I want to crop on the edges.

I believe the FS means film scanner, and I believe 4000 refers to the resolution, and I know US means that it will work on either a SCSI bus or a USB cable.

---Bob Gross---

[scottbergerphoto]

Scott uses Nikon. I use a Canon brand. Ever heard of that brand?

---Bob Gross---
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[josh51699]

yeah sure i think i heard of that brand...dont they make japanese bicycles or something

sarcasim aside..thank you for your help guys

[robertwgross]

I do about 97% of my photography with a digital camera. There is a lot of film expense that I skip. However, when I am out shooting and stumble across something really special with the digital, then I whip out the trusty old film camera and shoot up some Velvia.

A properly exposed Velvia slide can be scanned to the max, and the resulting digital file can handle printing into the large sizes. Whereas, the digital image is good enough for mere mortals until you get to sizes around 16x20 inches.

Of course, you can take a good digital file and upsample it, but that doesn't always get you anywhere.

---Bob Gross---

[josh51699]

So you pretty much carry Velvia around all the time just incase.

Is film really that bad on cost. I would think you have the intial cost of the roll and then getting the negative processed so you can scann the orignial.

After that I would load it to my computer and only print what I thought I may need.

Am I missing some cost?

[robertwgross]

I do not carry my film camera around all the time. When I am hiking around locally, I carry only my digital camera. When I head out to someplace special, then I carry the film camera also. Where I live, I don't expect to get any fantastic sunrise shots. However, where I will be in about 48 hours, the sunrise might be spectacular, so I will have the film camera there at the ready position.

Shooting film has the film cost and then the processing cost. First of all, I completely gave up using normal consumer slide film once I saw the results of Velvia. So, I occasionally shoot Velvia 50, Provia 100F, or some Kodak. If I buy a roll at a local pro shop, I'll pay through the nose for it. If I order a few boxes of (20) from one of the NYC companies, then it is about half the price. Processing is funny, too. If I get a roll done by a local E-6 processor, it costs about $9. If I mail it off to a Fuji or Kodak lab, it costs less than half of that. Plus, of course, the local wait is only two hours and the mailed off wait is about 9-11 days.

I scan my own slides with the Canon scanner. I keep files on hard disk and also on DVD+RW. I print everything myself up to 13x19 inches, and I mount everything myself.

How many would you like to buy, and where would you like them shipped?

---Bob Gross---

[josh51699]

Well I guess that all depends on how good they are doesn't it!

how about you give me a link so I can see some of your stuff that youve done

[psk4363]

I'm almost in complete agreement with Bob Gross only I now do around 80% digital and 20% on Velvia 50 for that 'special' event - I don't believe that even the latest Canon D-SLR can match the vibrancy of a well-exposed Velvia slide.

Just my two cents/pence worth,
Barry

[robertwgross]

Velvia 50 for that 'special' event

Barry, have you tried Velvia 100? I have not. About the only bad thing to be said about Velvia 50 is that it is so damned slow that I have to use a tripod for just about everything.

Maybe someday we will have Velvia 400. (wishful thinking)

---Bob Gross---

[GPR1]

Minolta DiMage 5400. I love it!

Greg

[psk4363]

Bob,

I took 3 rolls of Velvia 100F to the States (my first trip) last January. I found it to be very contrasty - too contrasty for my liking. This opinion is equally reflected by the majority of he slide users in my camera club too.

I agree with you re the slowness of Velvia 50 but I only ever put it into my 1nHS if I know I'll be taking my big Manfrotto tripod.

Barry