Want to scan old family photo negatives

[AJDupree]

Hi. I would like to scan old family photo negatives. I have the photos
themselves, but a lot of them are faded, creased, etc. I also have
negatives for a lot of them, too, so was thinking of scanning the film
negatives so I could get a pristine/new electronic file and print. The
thing is, I don't know what sizes the films are. The photos date from
the 1920's, up thru present day. A lot of the scanners I see specify
"35mm", and I'm sure some of the film is not that size, but I don't
know what size they are. I also don't know what product descriptions
mean when they say "medium size" format, etc. Help!

Should I start off by taking a variety of the negs in to a camera shop
and ask them what size the films are? Or are there some affordable
scanners out there that are very flexible as to the size of film you
can scan (i.e. any size)?

 

[Charlie Hoffpauir]

Hi. I would like to scan old family photo negatives. I have the photos
themselves, but a lot of them are faded, creased, etc. I also have
negatives for a lot of them, too, so was thinking of scanning the film
negatives so I could get a pristine/new electronic file and print. The
thing is, I don't know what sizes the films are. The photos date from
the 1920's, up thru present day. A lot of the scanners I see specify
"35mm", and I'm sure some of the film is not that size, but I don't
know what size they are. I also don't know what product descriptions
mean when they say "medium size" format, etc. Help!

Should I start off by taking a variety of the negs in to a camera shop
and ask them what size the films are? Or are there some affordable
scanners out there that are very flexible as to the size of film you
can scan (i.e. any size)?

Many of hte flat bed scanners can handle a variety of sizes, but a few
can only handle 35mm negatives. Be sure to look at those that can
handle "up to" 2 1/4 x 2 1/4 (6 x 6 cm). A lot of old negatives are
basically 2 1/4 or smaller.

I'd look at something like an Epson 3170 Photo, available refurbished
from the Epson on-line store for a reasonable cost. Ordinarily, I'd
recommend a true film scanner for scanning negatives. But for sizes
larger than 35mm, the cost for a true film scanner increases rapidly,
and the Epson does a reasonable job with Black & white negatives. I
haven't used it much for color negatives, but it should do OK.
Charlie Hoffpauir
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~charlieh/

 

[CSM1]

Hi. I would like to scan old family photo negatives. I have the photos
themselves, but a lot of them are faded, creased, etc. I also have
negatives for a lot of them, too, so was thinking of scanning the film
negatives so I could get a pristine/new electronic file and print. The
thing is, I don't know what sizes the films are. The photos date from
the 1920's, up thru present day. A lot of the scanners I see specify
"35mm", and I'm sure some of the film is not that size, but I don't
know what size they are. I also don't know what product descriptions
mean when they say "medium size" format, etc. Help!

You have ruler, do you not. Measure the frame size and look up the film
type.
Film is defined by the frame size.

I have a PDF of the Color Processing services offered by Kodak in the 70's.
It lists some film sizes and the film types.
http://www.carlmcmillan.com/Pdf/KodakTableOfSizes.pdf

This site has some info.
http://photography.about.com/library/weekly/aa082602a.htm

Should I start off by taking a variety of the negs in to a camera shop
and ask them what size the films are? Or are there some affordable
scanners out there that are very flexible as to the size of film you
can scan (i.e. any size)?

Taking a sample of the negative sizes to the camera shop would be a good
idea, but do not be surprised of the young guy behind the counter has never
heard of some of those sizes.

Medium format refers to mostly 120/620, 6 x 6 cm, and 6 x 7 cm size film.
120/620 is 2 1/4 by 2 1/4 inch film.

Some of the older films were 120, 220, 620, 127 size film.

It is very hard to find a consumer film scanner that will have holders for
the older film formats such as 127.

Flatbed scanners can be adapted by cutting your own frame out of black paper
to fit the old sizes.

I know of one flatbed scanner that has the ability to scan odd size film, up
to 2 1/4 inch wide.
The Cannon Canoscan 8400F can scan odd size film in the full manual mode.
There may be other scanners that can. I know that the 8400F can because I
own one.

 

[George E. Cawthon]

You have ruler, do you not. Measure the frame size and look up the film
type.
Film is defined by the frame size.

I have a PDF of the Color Processing services offered by Kodak in the 70's.
It lists some film sizes and the film types.
http://www.carlmcmillan.com/Pdf/KodakTableOfSizes.pdf

This site has some info.
http://photography.about.com/library/weekly/aa082602a.htm




Taking a sample of the negative sizes to the camera shop would be a good
idea, but do not be surprised of the young guy behind the counter has never
heard of some of those sizes.

Medium format refers to mostly 120/620, 6 x 6 cm, and 6 x 7 cm size film.
120/620 is 2 1/4 by 2 1/4 inch film.

Some of the older films were 120, 220, 620, 127 size film.

It is very hard to find a consumer film scanner that will have holders for
the older film formats such as 127.

Flatbed scanners can be adapted by cutting your own frame out of black paper
to fit the old sizes.

I know of one flatbed scanner that has the ability to scan odd size film, up
to 2 1/4 inch wide.
The Cannon Canoscan 8400F can scan odd size film in the full manual mode.
There may be other scanners that can. I know that the 8400F can because I
own one.

I'll add a little and a correction. First, the OP
needs to get a light source that is fairly large;
some scanners come with an optional light source
that is 4x5" or so.
Second, film size is identified by the image size
not the size of the backing. To measure film size
you need to measure just the image (part with some
gray) and not include the clear clear border areas.

Third, negative size varies by camera even if the
film sized used is the same. For example 620
film is not 2-1/4 x 2-1/4. The width is 2-1/4
but the length varies from 1-5/8" to a more
typical 3-1/4"
Medium format typically means up to 2-1/4 x 3-1/4
with larger format starting at about 4x5" but
there are images sizes in between.

I have a useful Kodak publication (an insert to
the Kodak notebook) Kodak Pamphlet No. AF-2 which
provides some information on film size and the
negative size produced by various Kodak cameras.
Since this publication is fairly old (1968) In any
case you might be able to view #AF-2 pamphlet at
the Kodak size. Of course all cameras were not Kodak.

CSM1, I will e-mail a scan to you if you request it.

To the OP. Old cameras often use 116 films e.g.,
No1A Kodak, No.2A Box or folding Brownie, and
produced an image size of 2-1/2 x 4-1/4 inch.
Another is 122 film with an image size of 3-1/4 x
5-1/2". Another film is 616 (up to 4-1/4" long
and the common 620 (see above). Most store
employees will have no clue about the film names
and sizes nor will they know where to find the
information. I will send you a scan of the
pamphlet if you request it by e-mail.

 

[theo]

A lot of the scanners I see specify "35mm", and I'm sure some of the

film is not that size, but I don't
know what size they are. I also don't know what product descriptions
mean when they say "medium size" format, etc.
Help!

My experiences with film and flatbed scanners bring me to concluding that
when the box says "35mm", the secondary light source for the trannys is
just wide enough (<1 1/2") and perhaps long enough (<4 1/2") to iluminate
perhaps 3 frames of 35mm film strip on the flatbed glass (any number of
lower end Umax, Canon, Epson). 126, 127, as noted elsewhere in this
thread, won't have factory-supplied masks for the glass. With meticulous
care you can carve your own mask (been there,done that, still standing),
but the arch of the strip is difficult to control and there will likely be
some cropping edge-to-edge for which you have no control. Waiting on what
flatbed and format will Doug Fisher

are there some affordable scanners out there that are very flexible as
to the size of film you can scan (i.e. any size)?

Flatbed boxes which claim MF take your wallet way beyond the $100 price
point. Some will handle many MF film sizes/ ratios by laying a mask over
the film strip, image centered inside a large frame, for just one image at
a scan (as do any number of film scanners e.g. Konica-Minolta DImage Scan
Multi series). Some flatbeds on the $300-$600 shelf claim a 4x9" - 8x12"
light bed and holders for different sizes of popular films (cf. Microtek
i900, Epson 3200,4870) for multiple previews on a single scan.
Flexibility always has a price... and a trade-away...
Because the pro photo world is abandoning film for digital (cf. Nikon's
anouncement this week), the scanner equipment folks must run after the
"old family photos" hobbyist (yeah, me too) and the enterprises to cater
to same. After you have sat for so many hours feeding the machine, do you
still recall the names of your children's school teachers? There's a
reason why these enterprises keep advertising; family time can be
here-and-now and the opportunity cost of trading away family time is
non-refundable.

Speed,cost, precision: choose 2.
Theo

 

[CSM1]

I consider the frame size to be the image size. Or the image made by the
camera.

CSM1, I will e-mail a scan to you if you request it.

I have a useful Kodak publication (an insert to the Kodak notebook) Kodak
Pamphlet No. AF-2 which provides some information on film size and the
negative size produced by various Kodak cameras. Since this publication is
fairly old (1968) In any case you might be able to view #AF-2 pamphlet at
the Kodak size. Of course all cameras were not Kodak.

Hello, George E. Cawthon.
If you will be so kind to email a scan of your pamphlet, thank you. Please
scan at least 300 DPI in 24 bit color if the pamphlet is in color otherwise
8 bit Grayscale. Please save as a LZW TIFF, if possible.

If it is all right with you I may publish that pamphlet on my web site at
some time.

You will find my email address on the below web site. It is not a click and
send, it is a image of the address.

 

[George E. Cawthon]

I consider the frame size to be the image size. Or the image made by the
camera.





Hello, George E. Cawthon.
If you will be so kind to email a scan of your pamphlet, thank you. Please
scan at least 300 DPI in 24 bit color if the pamphlet is in color otherwise
8 bit Grayscale. Please save as a LZW TIFF, if possible.

If it is all right with you I may publish that pamphlet on my web site at
some time.

You will find my email address on the below web site. It is not a click and
send, it is a image of the address.

The pamphlet is black and white. I'm not sure how
many bit grayscale options I have. My scanner is
an Epson Perfection 1650. Will check tomorrow and
send.

A 300 dpi Tiff will take some time since I use a
telephone modem that usually connects at 46.6Kbps.
Not sure what LZW means. Yes, publish at will.
I've seen some of your site or info before and
thought it might add a small point of interest.

 

[CSM1]

The pamphlet is black and white. I'm not sure how many bit grayscale
options I have. My scanner is an Epson Perfection 1650. Will check
tomorrow and send.

A 300 dpi Tiff will take some time since I use a telephone modem that
usually connects at 46.6Kbps.
Not sure what LZW means. Yes, publish at will. I've seen some of your
site or info before and thought it might add a small point of interest.

8 bit grayscale is the normal grayscale setting for most scanners it means
256 levels of gray.

LZW is the compression algorithm used.
TIFF files can be saved uncompressed or with several favors of compression.
LZW compression is more universal than some of the others.

The free software Irfanview offers LZW compression for saving TIFF, and
Irfanview has a TWAIN interface for your scanner.
http://www.irfanview.com/

Tiff files are huge but they offer lossless images. A tiff image can be
opened edited and resaved many times with no loss of data.

LZW compression will reduce the full size of the image quite a bit. Not near
as much as JPEG.

Since you have dial-up, it is OK for you to save the scan as a high quality
jpg. Use as high quality setting as you can, 75-99 quality if you can.

Text does not do well in JPEG. Jpeg will nearly always cause artifacts in
images with Text when saved as JPEG.

That is why I requested Tiff.

 

[Mike G.]

AJDupree wrote:

The thing is, I don't know what sizes the films are.

<snip>

Try this site. Very complete - maybe more than you wanted to know ;o

Film format - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_format