How to Scan Film: Flatbed, Dedicated Scanners and Camera Scanning

Most film photographers today scan their negatives to share, edit and print them. You can let a lab scan for you, use a flatbed or dedicated film scanner, or photograph your negatives with a digital camera. Each method has different strengths, and getting good results depends as much on handling and inversion as on the hardware.

Lab scans

Most labs offer scans with developing, at several resolutions. Lab scanners such as the Fuji Frontier and Noritsu are fast and produce pleasing color with little work. The downsides are less control and, at the basic tier, modest resolution. Ask for the largest size you can afford for frames you care about, and keep the negatives so you can rescan later. Find labs in the developing labs directory.

Flatbed scanners

Flatbed scanners with a film adapter in the lid, like the Epson Perfection V600 and V850, scan several strips at once and handle 35mm, 120 and 4x5. They are excellent for medium and large format, where the negative is big enough that the scanner's real resolution, usually well below the advertised figure, is plenty. For 35mm they are adequate for small prints and web use. Setting the film at the correct height above the glass matters for sharpness.

Dedicated film scanners

Dedicated 35mm scanners such as the Plustek OpticFilm series, and older Nikon Coolscan and Minolta models, scan one frame at a time at true high resolution. They give the best 35mm results but are slower. Many have infrared dust removal (Digital ICE or iSRD), which detects dust and scratches on color film and slides. It does not work on traditional black and white film, where silver grain blocks infrared, though it does work on chromogenic film like XP2.

Camera scanning

Camera scanning, sometimes called DSLR scanning, photographs negatives with a digital camera and a macro lens. It is fast, sharp and uses equipment many people already own. You need:

A camera on a copy stand or sturdy tripod, aimed square to the film.
A true macro lens capable of close to 1:1 reproduction.
A high-CRI light source, such as a good LED panel, with even illumination.
A film holder that keeps the negative flat and masks stray light around it.

Shoot raw, set focus manually with live view magnified on the grain, and use a mid aperture such as f/5.6 to f/8. Larger negatives can be shot in sections and stitched.

Inverting color negatives

Color negatives have an orange mask that must be removed and colors inverted. Scanner software does this automatically, with varying success. For camera scans, dedicated conversion tools and plugins analyze the film base and produce a positive; inverting manually by flipping the curve rarely gives good color, because the mask and the three color layers each need separate correction. Black and white negatives simply invert.

Resolution: how much is enough?

Format	Scan resolution	Approx. pixels	Good for
35mm	2,400 dpi	2,300 x 3,400	Web, prints to about 8x10
35mm	4,000 dpi	3,800 x 5,600	Large prints, cropping
6x6	2,400 dpi	5,300 x 5,300	Large prints
4x5	1,200 dpi	4,800 x 6,000	Large prints

Beyond about 4,000 dpi you mostly record grain more precisely rather than more image detail. See film grain for how scanning affects the way grain looks.

Dust and handling

Handle film by the edges, ideally with cotton or nitrile gloves.
Blow dust off with a rubber blower before scanning; avoid canned air propellant.
Keep the scanner glass and film holders clean.
Retouch remaining spots digitally rather than scrubbing the negative.

Once scanned, share your photographs in the FilmPhotography.com gallery, with the camera, lens and film you used, so others can see what each one does.

Terms in this guide

Orange mask