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SAS an amateur photographer, there are things you will need to learn and understand for high-quality films and photos. Today, most people are on social media and wish to keep photos and share them with friends and family. Where you got the old negatives and slides, A slide film scanner will bring the best images you can upload on the web.
Scanning of films is becoming more popular as compared to print scanning; hence something you wish to experiment out. For the film scanning, you will realize that the films will perfectly fit in the frame plus film scanning will bring about faster origination of the original points at different resolutions like 2700dpi, which you cannot achieve with print scanning.
What is Film Scanner?
This is a device developed to aid in scanning your films into digital forms without the need for a print-making device or any printer. Besides this, the film scanners are recommended for individual slides and are easily manageable since you can carry them for use whenever needed. Again, the slide film scanners are available in most models and types to choose what will suit your needs. They are designed to take strips of 35mm or 120 films.
Key Features to Consider When Buying a Slide Film Scanner
- Flatbed or Film: You can choose either a flatbed or film scanner depending on the intended purpose. The flatbed scanners are more convenient and versatile since they are compatible with PC and have a larger LCD screen, which suits most users. On the other hand, the films are smaller with impressive image quality meant one or two users.
- Software Features: What is the new software in the film scanner you wish to buy? Consider getting the ideal scanner with the latest software to enhance the performance. For instance, get a scanner with a built-in chip for seamless compatibility. Besides this, you may find a piece that gets rid of dust and scratches on the images without defecting the image quality.
- Resolution: Again, make sure to get the ideal film slide scanner, which has the best resolution for sharper images. The perfect pixel should be about 3200dpi. However, when digitizing very slow film speed, you may get something with a higher resolution.
- Scanning Speed: More interesting, get to know the scanning speed of the film scanner before making the purchase. The speeds are determined by the resolution – scanners with higher resolution tend to scan at slow speeds and vise-verse. For top-notch functionality, consider a unit that can handle scanning in about 2-minutes at a full resolution.
- Screen Size: The screen sizes of the slide film scanners vary depending on the brand. This is why you will get products with bigger screens of up to 5-inches whereas some scanners have smaller screens of about 2.4-inches. When you need a wider crystal clear view, always consider units with bigger LCD screens.
- Storage Capacity: How much space does the film scanner have? The capacity to store vital photos, videos, music, and other files is a key feature when making the purchase. Some of the brands have smaller storage spaces while other units can keep larger files. You may consider products with 128mbs internal memory and a 32GB SD card to ensure the safety of your files.
- Compatibility: To scan all types and sizes of negatives and slides, make sure to go for a widely compatible unit. The scanner should offer excellent scanning for 35mm, 110, and 126 plus 50mm slides among others. That said, you need to get a perfect slide that supports Mac OS and Windows 7,8, and 10/11 for reliable convenient functionality.
- Brand: You may also consider the brand of the product you need to buy. Some of the most popular brands are KODAK, Plustek, DIGITNOW, Wolverine, and ClearClick among others. As a beginner, you may need to experience the best performance; hence go for units from the most reputable brands.
Commonly Used Terms
- Slide Film/Positive Film: Positive films are films that will give the real look they have in real life. You can also refer to them as slide films or color reversal films.
- Negative Films: The negative films bring out a tonally reversed image in either B&W or color. This implies that dark placers will appear bright yet bright points will appear dark.
- PPCM/PPI: Pixels per centimeter or pixel per inch are units to measure the scanning resolution. For better quality and larger digital life, get a film scanner with a higher PPI/PPCM.
What Type of Scanner Do You Need?
Once you are relevant with the terms you might come across, you should now consider the type of scanner to use. There are myriad scanners one may begin with and the brand will depend on what you wish to achieve. Once you settle on a scanner, you should manage the expectations depending on the tool you are using.
1. Scanning Processes
There are two main scanning processes, which are transparency and reflective scanning. You may find scanners that support both whereas some units only support one scanning process.
2. Transparency Scanning
This is a type of scanning where the scan operates by measuring the amount of light that goes through the object. You will realize that scanners that adopt the transparency scanning method have two scanning beds. Most users recommend this method of scanning for scanning the negative films.
3. Reflective Scanning
Reflective scanning is where the scanner produces a bright light on the surface to see the way it gets reflected. It is considered one of the most common types of scanning for photographers and suitable for scanning photos and documents.
Conclusion
Whether you are an amateur or professional photographer, choosing the best slide film scanners is essential. With the ultimate scanner for films, you are guaranteed quality films and photos to suit your demands. From the above guide, you get to know what it takes to pick the best slide scanner. They will deliver variable performance and precision; hence ensure to pick the ideal option for your tasks.
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