The Advantages Of A Photo Negative Scanner For Film Negatives

For the traditional photographer who uses film and slide negatives a film scanner is a piece of equipment that can be used to convert any film photos into digital ones. Once the photos are digitalized the photographer can edit and enhance them. In digital form the photos can be sent in emails or published on the internet.

There are dedicated film scanners and flatbed scanners; both are similar and share the characteristics of using a source of light and sensors to scan the transparent negative. A dedicated film scanner does have its advantages compared to a flatbed scanner.

The two main differences between the scanners is that a flatbed scanner operates with a reflective light source while a film scanner uses what is refered to as a transmissive light source. All that this means is that the transmissive light source is is directly reflected through the transparent negative. This makes the digital image that is produced from the dedicated film scanner higher in quality. The picture will be clearer with better colour. The flatbet scanner uses the reflective light source. Light will still reflect through the transparency but it is reflected off of the white surface of the lid.

Although a dedicated film scanner offers higher quality images the technology of flatbed scanners is being improved to offer transparency and negative holders. Another feature on the newer, more high quality flatbed scanners is a added light source built into the lid; This imitates the effect of a transmissive light.

A flatbed scanner really just operates like a photocopy machine. If you want to make digital copies of negatives fast this may be considered advantagous. But for those who need to use different exposures for specific custom work a dedicated film scanner is the only tool for the job. With the dedicated film scanner every single frame can be exposed to exacting standards of corrections and resolutions.

If you still require speed, a film scanner can also scan batch negatives or slides. A scan relies on two features to ensure quality. There is the resolution and dynamic range. The resolution is the amount of pixels the scanner picks up when scanning. Dynamic range is the varying tones that are aquired in the scan.

Dynamic ranges offered by your average dedicated scanner are 3.6 . Pure white is a zero, while four is the darkest black. Now flatbed scanners have become consiterably better lately, and they claim to offer higher resolutions, but you will find that this is not true resolution. No, this is what they call interpolated resolution. Interpolated resolution is a feature where the scanner makes a guess on the amount of pixels and uses that instead of the true optical pickup of pixels.

While it does the job, it does not come through on the quality. Thats why professional photographers prefer to use a dedicated scanner and not the cheap version -- the flat bed scanner. If quality is less of a concern, and you would rather save money then the flat bed scanner may be a suitable alternative for your own needs.