Converting 35 mm negs to iPhoto?

[Mikeo1938]

I have lots of 1960s era 35 mm negatives and would like to easily convert them to digital format (iPhotos). Can someone pse suggest a suitable app? Thanks in advance. M

 

[Raz0rEdge]

It isn't the application you need to worry about but the scanner that can read the negatives. There are special scanners for this purpose, not sure a regular document scanner would do it.

Read more: How to Convert Negatives to Digital Pictures

 

[MacInWin]

not sure a regular document scanner would do it.

They won't. I have a scanner from plustek that works well for me. You might take a look at them. I have no financial interest in the company, just a satisfied customer.

Plustek USA: A world-class solution provider. Best film scanner, mobile scanner, Document Scanners for Medical, Law and Accounting.

Respected as one of the world-class imaging and surveillance solutions providers, Plustek Inc. is dedicated to manufacturing high-quality, professional scanners as well as security devices for businesses, professionals and consumers.

plustek.com

There are others, too, so do some comparisons before settling in.

 

[Randy B. Singer]

I have lots of 1960s era 35 mm negatives and would like to easily convert them to digital format (iPhotos). Can someone pse suggest a suitable app? Thanks in advance. M

Have a look at this scanner. It comes with the software that you need.

Epson Perfection V600 Color Photo, Image, Film, Negative & Document Scanner
$282
https://www.amazon.com/Epson-Perfection-Negative-Document-Scanner/dp/B002OEBMRU/,aps,145&sr=8-6&th=1

 

[Mikeo1938]

Many thanks for the replies.
I was prompted a few weeks ago when I saw a TV ad for an app that works with an iPhone.
In the commercial it looked easy ... you simply put the negative against the iPhone.
At the time, I didn't take note of the details.
Has anyone tried this?
Thanks again ... M

 

[rbpeirce]

Many thanks for the replies.
I was prompted a few weeks ago when I saw a TV ad for an app that works with an iPhone.
In the commercial it looked easy ... you simply put the negative against the iPhone.
At the time, I didn't take note of the details.
Has anyone tried this?
Thanks again ... M

It is pretty low res. A lot depends on what you plan to do with the scans. It might be ok for 4x6 snapshots.

 

[techiesteve]

If you already have a Nikon full frame DSLR and a Nikon 60mm macro lens, the Nikon ES-2 adapter makes excellent copies, especially if shot in RAW. So much better than my Minolta film scanner could ever produce. Your choice of digitising hardware depends upon what the end use of the digitised negs are. The ES-2 holds strips of 6 35mm negs flat, laying negs on a phone, or on a light box doesn't flatten the negative so can be very hit and miss.

 

[Mikeo1938]

Thanks for the info on the Nikon kit ... but I don't have such a camera.
Mine is a fairly basic, old one ... Lumix Panasonic DMC-TZ36
I might try the iPhone app that I saw advertised ... but cannot now remember the name.
I can search the app store ... but does anyone know it, off-hand?
I would like to see my old pix but don't want to splash out on expensive kit.
M

 

[MacInWin]

I have been thinking about how an app might do that and I just don't have any idea how it would work. You said

I was prompted a few weeks ago when I saw a TV ad for an app that works with an iPhone.
In the commercial it looked easy ... you simply put the negative against the iPhone.

but putting a negative, for example, on an iPhone would do what? You would have to put it over one of the camera lenses to take a picture of it, then process it from negative to a positive (not just invert the colors, it's more than that). And any negative or slide would need to be evenly lit from behind or there would be dark areas. And you can't get too close to the camera or it won't focus properly. Even the macro mode needs a few centimeters gap. About all I can think of is maybe a light box, with a stand to hold the iPhone over the slide/negative and then somehow take the picture without disturbing the iPhone, stand, or negative/slide.

Basically, that is what the plustek, and other, scanners do. They hold the image over a scanner that scans at very high resolution with consistent lighting, then the accompanying software does the conversion from negative to positive and cleans up the speckles from dust, light scratches, etc.

Anyway, good luck with it. I tried many things before I went with my dedicated scanner. It paid off in the end in better images and much, much less frustration.

 

[Mikeo1938]

Belated thanks for your help ... I've not progressed any further but have become suspicious of the app that promises to do the business with negative. Will investigate this later ... and refer to helpful notes above.
M