How to digitise 35mm negatives

[backofbeyond]

Originally Posted by Linzi

My main concern is why do banks make it so difficult to rob them these days when you need cash fast? How selfish can you get? Linzi.

I think you're trying to break into a closed shop (in the trade union sense). Most of the banks spend their days trying to rob each other at the moment so you haven't got a hope. Watching them all tumble reminds me of a game of pass the parcel. He who ends up with all the debt when the music stops is out of business.

Yes, apologies to Matt for hijacking his thread.

[Linzi]

Hi Teflon, no need to break a leg. I used caustic soda to clear a blocked drain and . . . seems 3 crystals were left on the carpet. Next day they stuck to my sock. Put on my boots, went out to mate's house to work on the Guzzi. Hm, sore foot? Hm, more sore foot? Hm, very sore foot? Four hours later at home I took off my boot and found I'd burnt a hole in my foot. Why did I not look sooner? Darwin had something to say about that hadn't he? Limp'n Linzi.

[teflon]

I'm assuming you mean about hitting a dinosaur on the tail.

Hope all's well.

[Rebaseonu]

I think National Geographic magazine was using/requesting slide film exclusively on film days.

[Linzi]

Hi teflon, burnt right through the skin. As soon as I washed off the alkali the pain vanished. No nerves left, doctor commented. Next few days it hurt a bit as the surrounding skin healed. I can't help feeling confused: Doctor is concerned, but look at the attitude of bike racers! Hell it's only a tiny wound!

As for film, I bought positive, top quality film, but on asking in a photo shop about all this I was told it's FAR easier to scan negative film. So should I exchange the film tomorrow? I've been told to go to a photo shop and have the pictures put into a Flikr account which I need to open now. The editor can then get the photos from that account. Due to time constraints I'll need to do use a shop in Munich or Basel. I must admit to being nervous at not getting it right in time. Linzi.

[Linzi]

Just read back through the thread and realized my question has already been answered. Odd that the operator in a photo lab advised using negative film for scanning. I'll stick with my Kodak Professional 400NC. Trouble is any faults are down to me! No excuses. Linzi.

[oldbmw]

Originally Posted by Linzi

My main concern is why do banks make it so difficult to rob them these days when you need cash fast? How selfish can you get? Linzi.

It is because they dont want you to know that through bad fiscal mangement they dont have any money.
Buggering about with the interest levels cannot make any difference.
Printing more money to give to the banks will devalue your currency.
In the uk they will devalue until the £ equals the euro, then join the euro, thereby wiping 40% off the assets of the population.

[Linzi]

I read various papers and guess I understand some of it but----I was in Barclays yesterday sorting out a direct debit and on leaving, was handed a business card with the teller's name and informing me of the £6,900 which I am cleared to borrow! My 1st year university economics studied years ago doesn't help me suss out what's going on there. It seems very sinister to me though. What are they up to? They could expect me to fail to meet payments and then get penalty payments to add to the already high interest rate. Hm. Linzi.

[teflon]

Originally Posted by Linzi

Just read back through the thread and realized my question has already been answered. Odd that the operator in a photo lab advised using negative film for scanning. I'll stick with my Kodak Professional 400NC. Trouble is any faults are down to me! No excuses. Linzi.

Long as you're happy with what you've got - and 400 is always a good start. I almost envy you really. There's such a nice 'feel' to it all, when using film.

Glad you're healing up. Made me think of that initiation scene in 'Fight Club'. Either you've got no feeling in your feet, or you're a right hard b*stard.

[Linzi]

OK so it DID make me limp, use a stick and ride the bike for trips over 400 metres for two days but I was always brought up not to complain. The agony of lowering the foot vanished if raised above my head so I stayed at home rather than do Dead Ants! in the street. Haven't seen Fight Club. I remember as a kid of 8 years old I fell out of a bush, running the back of my head down a stone wall till I landed on the ground. Ringing the front doorbell of my own house (didn't want to get blood on the carpet), I said to Mum, " I seem to need an elastoplast", turning round to reveal a red pony tail to my waist. Aren't all boys like that then? It's that damned attitude that led me to have a lot more than a slight skin blemish. I ignored the burning foot for at least 4 hours. Hard, no. Thick headed, yes. Linzi.

[mattpope]

Not really. Hang on a minute. What happened to my digitising 35mm negatives thread?

As far as I can see, a good quality scanned negative should be ok up to A3 enlargement when digitised to a high standard. True or false?

My basic requirement is to bulk scan many years of photos and perhaps look at a professional solution for pictures I want printed. What's the typical scan time for negatives to give a high quality digital file. Everywhere has mentioned time consuming but just how bad does it get?

I do question if the technology is ready yet for what I want to do at the price I want and the time I have. I guess that was the point of the thread.

Anyone else have any answers?

Cheers.

Matt

[AliBaba]

Originally Posted by mattpope

As far as I can see, a good quality scanned negative should be ok up to A3 enlargement when digitised to a high standard. True or false?

True! If your negative is good you can print bigger then A3.

Originally Posted by mattpope

My basic requirement is to bulk scan many years of photos and perhaps look at a professional solution for pictures I want printed. What's the typical scan time for negatives to give a high quality digital file. Everywhere has mentioned time consuming but just how bad does it get?

It depends on the type of scanner and the quality you want. The Nikon scanner is faster then mine (Minolta Dimage Scan Elite 5400).
If I choose to scan at highest resolution and dust-removal and ICE is swithed on it takes around 7 min for every negative.
If you switch of ICE it’s much faster but (normally) you loose quality. You can also lower the resolution and switch of dust-removal to gain time. I always scan at highest quality.

I can insert 4 framed slides or a film-strip with six pictures in one batch. Nikon have a system where you can insert a lot of slides, not sure about film.

Hopefully some Nikon-owners can tell how fast the Nikon-scanner is.

Originally Posted by mattpope

I do question if the technology is ready yet for what I want to do at the price I want and the time I have. I guess that was the point of the thread.

The last years it hasn’t happened a lot, most people are shooting digital and I’m not sure if the technology gets much better.

[Linzi]

Hi Matt, sorry for going off topic. If you have a lot of material to scan how about checking about costs in other countries: maybe Slovenia, Turkey or Morocco to save a lot of money with no loss of quality? Just a thought. Linzi.

[teflon]

Originally Posted by mattpope

... Everywhere has mentioned time consuming but just how bad does it get?...

You'll end up looking like Gollum and your brain will have fallen out.

Getting all your film scanned to something like Kodak Photo CD (reasonably cost effective and saves on sanity) is probably the way to go - then, as you suggested, choosing the images you want blown up and getting those frames done specially. Or, you could always bulk-scan them yourself on a standard flatbed. It all depends on how much time/money you are willing to spend.

I should do the same - just can't get round to it.

[Rebaseonu]

Originally Posted by Linzi

As for film, I bought positive, top quality film, but on asking in a photo shop about all this I was told it's FAR easier to scan negative film. So should I exchange the film tomorrow?

Originally Posted by Linzi

Odd that the operator in a photo lab advised using negative film for scanning. I'll stick with my Kodak Professional 400NC. Trouble is any faults are down to me! No excuses. Linzi.

Kodak 400NC is negative, not positive (slide) film.