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grantr77

Joined:

Jul 07

Posts: 54

grantr77 says:

Converting old 35mm negatives to digital files

I've got a basic scanner and have recently scanned some old photo's onto my MacBook but the quality is not great. Presumably I would get better quality if the original negatives are converted, would that be a fair assumption? If so what suppliers would anyone recommend in terms of quality / price? cheers fror feedback.

 
  • Posted 6 years ago (22 September 2007 12:03)
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grantr77

Joined:

Jul 07

Posts: 54

grantr77 says:

Re: Converting old 35mm negatives to digital files

Ok thanks, as that all seems pretty expensive are you are aware of any online developers that provide such a serviceI don't want to convert tons of stuff so it might be more cost effective to just have somewhere do it for me. cheers.

  • Posted 6 years ago (22 September 2007 12:03)
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Mad Murphy NZ

Joined:

Mar 06

Posts: 757

Mad Murphy NZ says:

Re: Converting old 35mm negatives to digital files

Look for a 2nd hand Nikon Coolscan, I'm sure I've seen them cheap on ebay and they're very good. I suggest avoiding flatbed scanners for film. If you take it to a shop and they say they do cheap scans to CD, it'll be crap done on a film printing machine, you'll wind up with some rubbishy compressed JPEGs that aren't good for much other than the web.

  • Posted 6 years ago (22 September 2007 12:03)
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steve1967

Joined:

Apr 06

Posts: 1157

steve1967 says:

Re: Converting old 35mm negatives to digital files

check ebay for film scanners , lots of people selling them ,probaly on there 10th owner as people get them , to scan the old negatives onto disc , then sell them on when this is done .:)

if life is like a box of toffees why oh why do i have all the toffees ....

  • Posted 6 years ago (22 September 2007 12:03)
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panther

Joined:

Jan 06

Posts: 1484

panther says:

Re: Converting old 35mm negatives to digital files

Epson makes an inexpensive flatbed and negative/slide scanner, the Epson Perfection 3400 Photo. Not a high class scanner but good enough for less critical scans. I presume it is still in production. You never know these days! Steve Have you packed yet? :D

  • Posted 6 years ago (22 September 2007 12:03)
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frameman

Joined:

Jan 07

Posts: 3359

frameman says:

Re: Converting old 35mm negatives to digital files

There is a Canon scanner that will do 35mm, and larger, my son has one and with the included software it will quick scan, allow them to be adjusted and then scanned at a higher resolution. I think it's called preview. He has scanned a huge amount of negs and rates it highly. From memory it might have been a Canon 8400F probably updated by now. From my perspective the results looked very good, but then I am no expert. Message was edited by: frameman to add and larger

Sharpness is a bourgeois concept. - Henri Cartier-Bresson

  • Posted 6 years ago (22 September 2007 12:03)
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Mary-Lou

Joined:

Aug 07

Posts: 557

Mary-Lou says:

Re: Converting old 35mm negatives to digital files

My neighbour has a Nikon Coolscan (negs & slides) - it is really very good. I paid her for half of it, so we own it jointly. They are expensive & a lot of outlay if you're not going to use it on a regular basis - would recommend either finding someone (close by) that you can "share" with or buying second hand - depends on how much you are going to use it - hence the amount for sale second hand. Alternatively is there not a specialised "shop" that will do the scans for you?

  • Posted 6 years ago (22 September 2007 12:03)
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Hen_Der

Joined:

Aug 07

Posts: 460

Hen_Der says:

Re: Converting old 35mm negatives to digital files

> I have a photograph of myself on my flickr site taken > in 1967 and scanned on an Epson Perfection scanner, [b]- when I broke copyright[/b].. > not the latest one by any means. The image as it is > there was made as part of a series of all my old > school photos, and I was concerned about the time > taken to scan, rather than the quality, so the > negative is relatively dirty, and unretouched (they > were made to provide an archive of material for my > old school's web site). If you would like to see it, > let me know, because it's one for "friends and > family" only at the moment. I'm not saying it's > wonderful, but it would give an idea of what can be > achieved with cheaper equipment. > Provided you have no qualms about the Law.. ;)

  • Posted 6 years ago (22 September 2007 12:03)
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