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Posted by John Wells
on 10:00 am. Filed under Photo Gallery Category, Scanners.
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Chances are, if you are at least old enough to file your own taxes, you have a lot of photos from before the advent of digital cameras; in which case you might need a negative film scanner. Those old photos are in boxes, envelopes, and random drawers throughout your house. If you took the photos yourself, you probably still have the negatives around (probably in another box). What if you could put all of those photos that are floating around into one place, such as your computer? Better still, you can edit out exes and mother-in-laws from otherwise happy scenes.
“But,” you say, “I already have a scanner. Why do I need a special one for negatives?” The answer is that you probably don’t. If all you want is to digitalize your old negatives AND photos, then the scanner that you already have will suffice. If you are a hardcore photographer who takes pictures on film for their quality and precision, then you might need a film scanner. A quick note: A negative scanner will ONLY scan negatives. You can’t put a photograph in and scan it. The primary difference between a dedicated film scanner and a flatbed scanner (like the one built into your printer), is the direction from which the light comes. If you have ever run your scanner with the lid open, there is a bright light. This is reflected off of the white bottom of the lid to give a white background. This is a reflected light source. If you put a negative on the flatbed, the light will go up through the negative, bounce off the lid, and then come back down. In a negative scanner, light is shone through the negative from behind; that is all. This is a transmissive light source.
The bottom line is, if you describe yourself as a serious photographer, you might need one of these. For most people, just slapping the negative down on the flatbed scanner so you can relive your 1998 summer road trip to Miami should be just fine. Visit slide film scanner or portable printer and scanner for further information.
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