The Best Ways to Digitize Photo Negatives

negative photos

Before the advent of digital photography, every home had several paper photo albums, as well as drawers and cookie boxes filled with photos. That is why there are many people who want to rescue all those images from oblivion and give them another life. A good way to do it is digitize photo negatives using any of the methods that we explain in this post.

The transition between classical and digital photography came with the turn of the century. It is true that digital cameras already existed a few years ago, but their price was exorbitant. When cheap models began to be manufactured, the market turned around and then came the revolution.

The reels, the slides, the developer shops... All of that is now history. But, What to do with all those paper photos that we already had? Undoubtedly, they are worth rescuing, not only to be able to enjoy them again in digital format, but also to keep them in storage while waiting for even better technology to emerge in the future.

How to handle negatives

The success or failure of digitizing photo negatives depends largely on the state in which they are and the way in which we are going to treat them. If we have not taken the precaution of storing them in a dry and dark place. The moisture or the excessive exposure to natural light they can damage them to the point of leaving them unrecoverable.

If we're lucky and those old negatives we kept safe, we're going to have to handle them very carefully to avoid disasters. As a rule, you should use cotton gloves and a air knob to remove accumulated dust. The same ones that are used, for example, to clean the speaker of a mobile phone. It is not a good idea to rub them with a tissue or cloth, much less a damp one.

No less important is the question of lighting. If we do not have a light table at home, a uniform light source with at least one CRI (Color Rendering Index) of 90. Otherwise, we run the risk of colors being damaged.

If we have managed to keep the negatives in good condition, we have two ways to digitize and recover them successfully:

Two Methods for Digitizing Photo Negatives

For the average user who is not an expert in digital photography, there are several practical methods for digitizing photo negatives, some more accurate than others. We will have to choose one or the other depending on what our objectives and needs are. Next, we are going to explain the two most commonly used modes, both of proven effectiveness:

With a mobile phone

negative photos

The method is quite simple. Consists in photograph the negatives of our old photos with the camera of our smartphone. For the result to be good, it is advisable to take the captures in a well-lit place, preferably with natural light.

These captures must be processed through an application specially designed to carry out the task of digitizing images. Among those that work best, two should be highlighted: Photo Negative Scanner y Photomyne Photo Scan. Its operation is very simple: All we have to do is place the negative on a light source and press the calibrate button. Once this is done, we will see the positive image and we will be able to photograph it.

Another highly valued app is KODAK Mobile Film Scanner, although in order to use it you have to purchase a support accessory specially designed to work with the application, the price of which is around 30 euros. An investment that must be valued according to our possibilities.

With a negative scanner

scan digitized negatives

Any scanner, however simple it may be, can be used to digitize photographic negatives. A normal and fast scan. The result may be enough if all we want to do is view the photos on the mobile, although if we want something more professional, we will need to use a scanner specifically made for this type of task.

We refer to a negative scanner, ideal for this task. With it, we will be able to convert the analog negatives into digital files that we can then print, view on any other electronic device or store (in the cloud, on the computer, a hard drive, etc.).

The prices of these devices can range from 150 euros to 1.000 euros and even more. It all depends on the resolution, which is what determines the final quality of the digital file. The simplest models offer around 1800 ppi (pixels per inch), while the most expensive can exceed 9000 ppi.

They will also have their weight in the price other factors: whether it is a potable device or not, the digitization speed or the color depth (also called bit depth), for example.


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