Negative Scanning Service: Color / B&W Negatives to Digital

Base Pricing*

JPEG + RAW output, per image:

  • 35mm Black & White $1.50
  • 35mm Color $2.50
  • Med/Large format B&W 1.75
  • Med/Large format Color $2.75
  • "Tiny" Negatives $2.75

Before quantity discount. See options below. Flash drive additional (or provide your own). Shipping not included. Minimum order $85.

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Digitizing Color and Black & White Negatives

Color prints may fade, get torn or lost, but if you still have the negatives the images can be digitally restored. Even if you have prints, the negatives will usually yield better results.

  • 35mm black & white and color negatives (3:2 aspect ratio) and Instamatic negatives (1:1 square aspect) are most common.
  • Medium/Large format black & white and color negatives from early snapshot cameras, view cameras and pro gear yield superior results because of the massive amount of information on the negative. These include 116, 120, 127, 620 and 70mm roll film, plus cut sheet film up to 9x12".
  • "Tiny" negatives come frrom Pocket Instamatic, Minox and other shirt-pocket cameras are a little more rare. Note that sharpness is diminished on these formats due to their tiny size.

All negatives are scanned at fixed resolution of 6032x4032 pixels (less if cropped for square or "tiny" negatives). JPG images are same resolution. Lossless or uncompressed formats may be substituted for JPG.

PLEASE NOTE:  If negatives are on strips, DO NOT cut them apart. We will transfer all frames on a strip, provided there is a visible image. If you wish to omit certain negatives, do not send them. 

Options
(Extra cost)

Enhancements:

  • Enhanced Color Correction
  • Colorizing B&W Negatives
  • Digital dust/dirt/scratch removal
  • File renaming/sorting
  • Batch scaling to smaller sizes for email/web

Deliverables:

  • Image files on flash drive (Standard)
  • Image files on CD/DVD (read only)
  • Video Photo Album 

Photo Negative Transfer Process

In the Advent Media production studio, your negatives are scanned to Nikon RAW images with fixed resolution (described above). If mixed in size, negatives of each type are captured together. We group negatives based on the bundle or envelope in which they are packaged, and the files are placed in folders on your release drive corresponding with the bundle. (Because of the way negative strips feed, numerical sequencing for a roll of film may be out of order.) 

The RAW negative images are processed in Adobe Lightroom, where they are flipped to positive and then color corrected with a base profile for the roll of film. They are then exported as JPG, though you may substitute any other image format, including lossless or uncompressed (BMP, PNG, TIF, etc.). These more robust formats will require additional storage space on your release drive.

You may also request "downsampled" copies with smaller dimensions and additional compression for use online.

What You Get

On your flash drive or portable USB hard drive, you will receive your images in folders corresponding to the bundles of negatives you've defined.

The JPG (or other export format you specify) images will be ready for use. The "source" RAW images will be unretouched scans of the negatives, which you may edit and convert in Photoshop or a similar advanced photo editor. The Adobe Lightroom catalog files will also be included. The RAW sources may be omitted if you prefer only the positive output to save storage space.

If you order a Video Photo Album, you'll get an MP4 video file or a PowerPoint Show file containing your images. The MP4 can be played on any computer and most TVs. 

How it works.

2. Drop Off
3. Pick Up

Turnaround Time:1

Typically within 1-2 weeks. Larger orders may take longer. Rush service available (extra cost).

We're located in NW Columbus, Ohio, very near the OSU airport.
(We accept major carrier shipments if you're not in the Columbus area. You provide the box!)

$85 minimum per order.*

Photo Negative Transfer Q&A

  • What do I need to provide for an accurate quote?
    • The TYPE of materials you want to transfer (Video, movie, stills, etc.) Combination orders are welcome and qualify for greater discounts
    • If a tape, the LENGTH of program on the tape. If you don't know how full the tape is, just report the number on the case, e.g. T120.
    • If a tape, the SPEED at which it was recorded, if you know. 
    • If a reel, print or negative, the SIZE of the material (reel diameter or dimensions of photo/film)
    • And the QUANTITY of each type of material
    • If an item is damaged, describe the problem
    • Whether you want your files on a flash drive or optional optical drive (CD/DVD)
  • Why transfer negatives as RAW images?

    All negatives must be digitally processed to make them positive. For color negatives, this involves significant color correction. RAW images are uncompressed and have twice the color data as JPG images, so we start with the highest quality to give you the best JPG reversals you can get.

  • What do you mean by "lossless?"

    Digital photos are very large, in that they can create a lot of data. To make file sizes manageable, computer wizards invented image compression. With JPG (JPEG - Joint Photo Experts Group), the computer throws away data and leaves hints on how the data should be reconstructed. When compressed greatly, the computer has to guess how to reconstruct the image, and that leads to digital artifacts. "Lossless" compression, found in PNG and BMP formats, works by finding redundancies in the code that makes up the picture, and stores those as a formula, rather than throwing them away. When opened, the computer accurately reconstructs the image without digital artifacts, but the files are much larger than JPG.

    We can provide lossless output from flatbed scans or the copystand.

  • How do I prepare negatives for transfer?

    As you are sorting negatives for transfer, USE GLOVES or HANDLE THEM ONLY BY THE EDGES.  

    To view negatives hold them up to a light source. A computer monitor with a blank white screen makes a good backlight. For convenience, use our Backlight Page.

    35mm negatives will be in strips with 3 or 4 images each, usually in see-thru sleeves. Provide only the strips with negatives you want transferred. DO NOT CUT THEM APART.  If you wish to omit one or more images from a strip in a sleeve, cross out the image on the sleeve with a marker or grease pencil. It will not harm the negatives if you mark on the sleeve.

    Larger negatives will be single sheets or perhaps an uncut roll of film. Don't cut negatives out from a roll.

    If possible, group your negatives in boxes, envelopes or bundles, and label the grouping. We'll place your images in similarly named folders on your flash drive. NOTE: Because of the way negatives feed through the machine, the numbering may not match the chronological sequence in which they images were taken. They can be renamed to correct the order.

    If negatives are damaged (water damaged or they stick together), let us know. Separating stuck negatives can damage both. 

    If you observe double exposed negatives and wish to omit those, please let us know so we can skip them.

    Unless notified of omissions, everything we receive will be processed and billed.

  • What is a Video Photo Album (VPA)

    A Video Photo Album is either a video file or a PowerPoint file with your images sequenced to change every few seconds.

    • VPA VIDEO provides a single video file compatible with any modern media player or set-top optical player. If delivered on a flash drive, we can render in full 4K resolution. Blu-Ray can handle HD, and DVD will be in SD widescreen. You can choose whether to "pillarbox" the images, or have us crop to the full 16:9 HD video frame. Music from our royalty free library can be added to a VPA Video at extra cost.
    • VPA PowerPoint provides a PowerPoint Show file that will play on any computer with PowerPoint. PowerPoint is resolution independent, so it will adapt to whatever size screen you play it on. PowerPoint files can be edited, so you can resort, hide or delete images before running it for your event. PowerPoint Show files can run on any PC, even those without PowerPoint installed.

    Images and video from any of our transfer services, plus your own digital images can be merged into a Video Photo Album. They can also play just one time through or loop for kiosk viewing, depending on player.

  • Can you print my transferred negatives?

    Normally we do not offer printing services. You can print your transferred photos just as you would any digital photo using a desktop printer, a photo kiosk, or an online service.

    If you require a specialty layout as a one-off, we may be able to provide a color laser or inkjet print. We may also be able to use your images to create a graphic layout for online or print publication. Include your requirements in your request.

  • What about faded prints?

    Color dyes of some images have faded over time, due to manufacturing defect, processing error or improper storage. All color negatives we process are color balanced to achieve neutral whites or grays, however faded negatives may cause other colors to shift. Those with severe color shift will require optional Enhanced Color Correction to try to dial in more natural colors.

  • What are my delivery options?

    USB Flash Drive:
    Most of our customers choose delivery on a USB flash drive or portable hard drive. With so many sizes available, we can usually fit all your content on one USB drive. Most modern TV sets and all computers (Mac/PC) will play content from a flash drive. We include instructions on how to backup and safeguard your investment

    DVD/Blu-Ray ROM
    Optical discs are an option, but images cannot be renamed or reordered on disc. If copied to a computer, they may be edited after removing the read-only attribute.

    Digital Download
    We do not provide digital upload/download service except if preview or approval is necessary. You can upload to your own cloud file sharing service from the media you receive from us. Because the files we deliver are ultra-high-quality and very large, they may take a long time to upload. If you are interested in sharing, we can also export a "downsampled" smaller file of each item that is more suitable for upload. Mention that when you request a quote.

  • Can I provide my own disk for output?

    Yes, we support BYOD (bring your own disk). While we normally provide output on our media (cost varies with drive size), you can instead provide a new-in-box (sealed) flash drive or portable hard disk/SSD at no extra charge. We can estimate drive size needed with your estimate, and confirm it when transfers are complete.

  • Can I make my own copies?

    Absolutely! We make no copyright claim on your content, so you are free to make copies (provided, of course, the material is not copyrighted by a 3rd party.) If you prefer for us to make your copies, they're available for only the cost of the media.

    Additional copies may be ordered from our master files with or without the source files for up to 3 months following delivery. Our masters are scheduled for deletion after 3 months unless you choose the archive option.

Take the next step.
Let us know what legacy materials you have to see how we can help.
Get a quote