 BetterPhoto Member |
Viewing Old Negatives I would like to go through old negatives to determine which ones I want to print. I do have a scanner and tried scanning a sleeve of negatives on my computer but not sure what the next step is. I guess if I could make a CD to view the negatives I would be able to determine which ones I would like to print. The negatives are from 20-30 years ago, and I can't determine what is on them by holding them up to the light. I would appreciate any help you could give me. Thank you.
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Dan Smith |
Joanne, I use a 10x negative/stamp viewer (loupe) and place the negatives on a small battery-powered light table or a sliding glass door. The loupe costs $7.00 and the light table cost $25 at a flea market. Hope this helps.
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Bob Cammarata |
If you have a (dedicated film) scanner, you should be able to see on your monitor what the print would look like. The "next step" would be to use a software program like Photoshop to clean up the image - to overcome any deficiencies incurred during the scanning process and to correct the fading, imbedded dust, scratches, and/or other factors most commonly associated with older negatives.
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Jim Manganella |
An illuminated viewing box made for slides works well. Available at camera stores.
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Christian Harberts |
A neat trick I have used successfully is to use a camcorder or digital camera to "see" the negatives as postives. You will need to have a custom setting called "Negative" which normally is intended to make everything look like a b&w or color negative. Assuming you have a light table, place the negative strip on the light table, then view the frames with the device. Presto - instant true colors (or b&w). This has two *immense* advantages. 1) you can quickly identify your negatives, and 2) you can scan only those you want - you save lots of time either way! Another possibility might be to lay out the whole set of negatives on the light table, and capture everything at once - a camera with even medium resolution (4Mo) will give you ample detail. Bingo - instant contact sheet. See my example image, taken with my Sony TRV900 camcorder several years ago. Hope this helps! Christian
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