Convert 35mm film negatives to digital?

[Coffeenut]

Is it possible to have old 35mm film negatives converted into a positive digital format? I'm sure everyone has old film pics they would feel safer stored in digital. It must be possible - I just haven't looked for this service before. Any recommendations would be appreciated.

[stugotzo]

Film scanner. Depends on your needs. But, you can pick them up fairly cheap now (under $200). Like anything else, you could spend 10x more than that for something with more resolution and faster, better software, etc.

Just Google "Film scanners".

[V8Rumble]

I would say its safer to have your film negatives stored they way they are. Digital pictures disappear when a hard drive crashes or a dvd gets scratched. Negatives in a box stay in a box.

But it is still good to have a digital copy of old favorites. Easier to share with others. Film scanners are what you are looking for.

[Coffeenut]

True -poor choice of words. I was thinking safer more in terms of redundancy.

Thanks for the replies, I will look into the film scanners.

[Bill Roberts]

I would say its safer to have your film negatives stored they way they are. Digital pictures disappear when a hard drive crashes or a dvd gets scratched. Negatives in a box stay in a box.

But it is still good to have a digital copy of old favorites. Easier to share with others. Film scanners are what you are looking for.

You've got a very valid point there, but on the other hand the actual slides or negatives can degrade over time.

I've recently scanned my slides because they were showing signs of mould and the colour was deteriorating quite badly. Admittedly some of them were over 40 years old, and although kept in reasonable conditions I'd probably developed them myself and can't guarantee I'd made a good enough job of washing them! (that's a nice way of saying maybe I had other things on my mind at 16) :lol:

I figured that if I had a digital version at least they couldn't deteriorate any further and I could use PP to clean them up somewhat. A decent film scanner with digital ICE and ROC can make quite a difference. Keep the originals but a digital copy is well worth having as well.

Cheers
Bill

[mai_lin]

I had a large project I was working on for a fashion calendar - I had to scan in 80 film negatives using a film scanner.

Next time (who am I kidding, there won't be a next time - we're digital only submissions now) I'll send them out for someone else to do it - it was that much of a PITA.

Just a word of warning - I agree that storing them in a box is good for now, unless you have a lot of time you feel like wasting.

[lauderdalems]

Remember by converting them to digital, you also have a backup copy that can be stored in another location. It's not very easy to make a 'copy' of a negative (esp since I no longer have a chemical darkroom)

[CRE@TE]

I bought a Epson Perfection 4490 Photo scanner. It scans prints, negatives (35mm and medium format) and slides.

[cgratti]

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http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/consumer/consDetail.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&oid=53540925




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[DozerLYP]

i need a film scanner too, but i need one that would scan negative 2 1/2" x 4 1/4" like this.

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n56/dozerlyp/IMG_0187.jpg

[Shooting]

As soon as you scan them, burn them to cd or dvd and then it don\'t matter if your hard drive crashes, etc..you will still have them.

[GonzoMD]

As soon as you scan them, burn them to cd or dvd and then it don\'t matter if your hard drive crashes, etc..you will still have them.

But be careful not to rely too heavily on a single backup copy -- recordable cd/dvd media deteriorate, with lifespans in the 5-10 yr. range, depending on who you ask.

[DozerLYP]

i know, i will upload them to zenfolio too, so they'll be there forever.

but i need a scanner first, any suggestion...

[JDB]

I use an epson v700 with the medium-format film holder and AN glass from www.betterscanning.com for my 220 film, and a borrowed Canon FS4000US for 35mm. I'd love to get a proper film scanner that can do medium format, but I don't shoot enough film to justify the cost.

That said, the V700 is pretty versatile, and the scan quality is decent (I must say that the holder and glass from Betterscanning.com made a pretty big difference); it may not be on par with a proper film scanner, but the price isn't either. PM me if you'd like me to send you some samples.

[randomlinh]

I was thinking of getting an epson 4490, $100 for a refurb unit direct from epson (or a new V350, not sure what to get/how much i'm willing to put into this). I'm starting to get back into b+w film, and with my first experience w/ ritz getting them digitized (I have no where else to go really), I want to look at doing it myself.

Another option my friend did was slap a 500D on his 70-200 and fired away w/ a makeshift light table essentially. I was considering a 250D on my 85 to try it out. A hell of a lot faster, and his results looked pretty good. I'm only aiming at maybe 8x10's at most (if at all...). Has anyone tried this or have any resources for tips/suggestions?

[sperho]

I use an epson v700 with the medium-format film holder and AN glass from www.betterscanning.com (http://www.betterscanning.com) for my 220 film, and a borrowed Canon FS4000US for 35mm. I'd love to get a proper film scanner that can do medium format, but I don't shoot enough film to justify the cost.

That said, the V700 is pretty versatile, and the scan quality is decent (I must say that the holder and glass from Betterscanning.com made a pretty big difference); it may not be on par with a proper film scanner, but the price isn't either. PM me if you'd like me to send you some samples.

Do you have any comparison images using the stock neg holders vs. the betterscanning holders? I'm considering going the v700/750 route to begin to digitize my old stuff too. Thanks.