Old, cherished memories can be brought back to life by a 35mm film scanner. It is a gadget that scans 35mm film negatives and slides and converts them into digital images. These can then be stored on your pc or Mac, as well as a host of external storage devices. This is the perfect way to preserve those boxes of photo negatives that allow you glimpses into the glorious years gone by. Although a flat bed scanner might also be used for the purpose, the use of something made specifically for the job makes the whole exercise a lot easier and faster.
Before the advent of 35mm film scanners, to get your photos converted you either had to hire a conversion service or spend some serious money for professional photography equipment. Thankfully, those days are behind us. Today, there is a wide array of such devices available, ranging from the inexpensive to the truly high end. Their prices vary from $100-$150 to as much as $1200, depending on different specifications and features.
When choosing a 35mm film scanner, several factors need to be taken into account. The most important consideration should naturally be your budget. If you are really particular about high image quality and want many editing options, then you need to be willing to set yourself back by a grand at the least. However with limited funds and a willingness to make adjustments to your images using software such as Photoshop, you have options such as the Wolverine F2D and Vupoint FS-C1-VP available for $100-$150. Other points of concern are compatibility with your computer and operating system and the software support provided along with the product. The final decision depends ultimately on your specific needs. For a professional photographer, features like bit depth, resolution, dynamic range and hardware interface determine the choice of 35mm film slide scanner.
The technology the scanners use to interface with computers is also important as that is what establishes ease of use. A USB 35mm film scanner is the epitome of user friendly technology. It requires no external power source to function. A USB port is all that is required to start converting films to images. The USB interface allows you to see the digital images on screen, allowing immediate cropping, resizing and other forms of editing. It also makes the transfer of images from the scanner to the computer, virtually painless. Saving and sharing photos becomes as easy as pie and a pleasure to boot.
The photos you get after scanning will allow you to relive life’s precious moments in all their glory, preserving them for many years to come. The wide variety of scanners available makes it easy to find one suited to your requirements and that is all that really matters.
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