Digitization of photographic films price. How to digitize old photographic films?

For your information. The process of digitizing photographic film using a digital camera is called reshooting.

The essence of reshooting is to photograph the film on a white background and correct the resulting digital image, using special programs.

For such digitization, many models of photographic equipment today are sold with a special lens attachment, which already has a white background.

If your camera does not have such an attachment, you can make it yourself using available materials. To do this, you will need a cylinder with a cavity inside, which is slightly larger than the diameter of the lens (for example, a cylindrical can of fish food, tea, or another). You need to attach a platform (a piece of thick cardboard or plastic) to the cylinder on one side, having previously cut a hole on it for the frame.

With the other side we put our cylinder on the camera lens.

The camera on a tripod with a homemade attachment must be placed in front of the light source. The best option- This is a liquid crystal monitor of a computer or laptop. White background is created by opening a new document in Adobe Photoshop and expanding it to full screen.

IMPORTANT. It is better to reshoot film in complete darkness, turning off all additional light sources except the main one - the monitor.

The photographic film must be installed at a certain distance from the monitor (up to 15 cm) so that a wave-like glow does not appear from the screen, but at the same time the brightness of the screen does not weaken. Next, turn off the light and re-shoot the film with a digital camera.

Digitizing film without an attachment

Complete digitization of photographic film with your own hands is possible without purchasing a special attachment for the camera lens.

To do this, we will need a camera, tripods and a computer monitor. We fix the camera on one tripod, and on the other - a device with which we fix the film or slide. You can use frames from photo enlargers or projectors for this.

If they are not available, then you can make the following design.

We take two glasses from photo frames and cover their edges with white self-adhesive tape to protect them from sharp corners and thicken the structure. We apply two glasses to each other, and glue them together with tape on top and bottom. We insert the film into the resulting gap between the glasses. Next, we place this structure parallel to the monitor, you can secure it with available materials, for example, stacks of books on both sides, turn off the light and start filming.

The resulting image is processed using inversion (Ctrl + i), adjustment layers, channels (blue, green, red Ctrl + m) and manual correction using Adobe Photoshop or another graphic editor.

As you can see, this method of transferring a film image to a digital one is also quite affordable and doable at home, so it’s up to you to decide how to digitize photographic film. Scanning, camera or darkroom - the choice is yours. The main thing is that the result meets expectations and brings pleasure from the images received and viewed.

Slides that depict various important events in the life of a family and household members are one of the most exciting opportunities to remember many years of joy and pleasant pastime. But viewing black and white footage is not always possible due to the lack of a special projector or if its use is prohibited (for example, a breakdown). That is why we change the format and translate it into more acceptable modern views slides become the most tempting solution.

It is quite expensive to use the services of specialized companies, and therefore it is possible to carry out all the required procedures using practically improvised means. All of them can be borrowed from friends or, in extreme cases, rented. The sequence of work is not so complicated and any owner can complete the task.

First, you should familiarize yourself with the existing processing options. After that, choose the most suitable one and then proceed to the passage of the plan.

Using the Scanning Device

The attractiveness of this work lies in the conditions of using simple instruments. That is, even if the owner of the film does not have a scanner at home, this device can be used at a party, with friends, or at the workplace.

However, its cost is not so high and you can even purchase a device for permanent use for your personal purposes.

But there are also special scanners that ideally meet the requirements. In particular, these are flatbed scanners that are equipped with a single-color lamp and they also have lighting on the lid, which is unusual compared to cheaper ubiquitous analogues.

The only problem is that to purchase such equipment you will need to buy it at a significant cost, but this factor will not solve all possible problems.

First of all, you need to pay attention that when using low-quality equipment, the following unpleasant phenomena may occur:

The size of the captured slides will vary high quality Images. Accordingly, even its subsequent processing will not give a positive result.

When shooting, frames may remain so small that subsequent processing will result in reduced clarity or changes in parameters.

Before purchasing an expensive device, you should also check whether it can truly fully meet the assigned tasks. To do this, you need to familiarize yourself with the parameters of the purchased model.

Most important characteristic the density of translucency will become. If it is possible to adjust a parameter directly in the utility menu of the program that connects the scanner, then you can make the settings in accordance with your wishes. But if this indicator cannot be changed and changing the parameters of the operation will not affect the final result, then you should think about the advisability of purchasing this device.

The scanning process is familiar, but not acceptable in the case where there are too many slides. Firstly, it tires the performer himself and you can end up with a not entirely correct, inconsistent or low-quality shooting. Secondly, the time spent on carrying out such a procedure is many times greater than when using the second digitization method. Don't forget that there is an even simpler and more "pleasant" process for converting outdated slides and films into modern formats.

Using a digital device

There are quite a few options for considering working with a digital device. If desired, you can prepare an entire studio if processing is required for a large number of materials.

First of all, you need to familiarize yourself with the principles of operation of this method and determine by what parameters you should select a camera.

It must be remembered that the shooting will be done macro; accordingly, the device used must not only be equipped with this functional module, but at the same time fulfill all the assigned requests exactly. In particular, this relates rather to the quality of shooting and resolution. Since slides and old films often have very low clarity, you should select a device that can completely copy the image. During subsequent processing, achieve the desired type will not be difficult, but initially necessary, and transfer it to digital world in the required quality.

The brightness of the lighting plays a very important role when using a digital camera. For example, if there is insufficient lighting, the following problems may occur:

Also read:
How to make slides on a computer?

Poor visibility of one of the edges.

This will entail receiving a low-definition picture, which will not only be obtained in full, but only partially. If the light spreads poorly, then the photo itself will be transmitted rather poorly.

Lighting up one of the corners.

Also quite an important problem, which can entail approximately the same picture as described above, but at the same time one of the corners (in a critical case, even several) will be too bright or even just light, translucent. No amount of processing can sufficiently correct the resulting image, and therefore special attention should be paid to this factor initially.

Insufficient lighting.

Will result in poor image quality. With subsequent processing in a specialized program, the problem can only be partially solved. The maximum addition of contrast and color, however, in some special cases can change the fall of shadows and the appearance of the image in general. This should be avoided at the initial stage of preparation for frame-by-frame reshoots.

The whole trick of the digitization method in question lies in the frame-by-frame transfer of the film to a computer and its subsequent compilation in reverse order after processing. This will allow you to get fairly good images.

Choosing the appropriate camera also plays an important role. There is no need to purchase such a device separately. Cheap devices do not produce such indicative clarity of photographs during macro photography, which will only lead to waste Money without obtaining an appropriate quality result.

If you purchase an expensive, high-end device, there are also some problems. First of all, it is worth remembering that if the device is subsequently not used (in particular for professional photography), such a purchase can simply be called unnecessary and irrational. But if the buyer is a professional photographer and in the future this device will become his main working tool, there are no complaints.

Also read:
How to choose a digital camera?

If you don’t have a decent camera available, and you don’t want to take pictures with the first one that comes to hand, it’s best to turn to a rental service or ask for help from loved ones. Thus, the cost of do-it-yourself digitization during rental is much more profitable than turning to specialized companies for similar services. But in in this case It is worth remembering to use the device carefully and to return the device in a timely manner.

Once the camera has been selected, you can proceed to the next stage of work - drawing up the correct layout of the components.

The circuit consists of the following components:

1. Lighting device.

2. Film.

3. Camera.

Before connecting a lighting fixture, you can consider both expensive and budget options. The use of special lamps, of course, will provide the opportunity for correct and uniform lighting. But a budget one will save a sufficient amount of money.

In the form of an economical lighting fixture An LCD monitor from a computer can appear. You need to go to some Text Document or a browser window that will be completely white without inscriptions, patterns or other elements.

The film fixer is also a particularly important consideration because it is what will allow you to get the shots positioned the way you want. For example, it could be some special design that holds the film and allows you to take a good and even photograph. But this option is suitable only when the volume of shooting is small enough and you don’t have to constantly move slides or film. If the work is carried out with a large volume of materials, then it is necessary to use a design that allows you to perform actions more or less automatically. For example, this could be either a film holder from a strictly machine, or a similar component structure.

This will allow you to gradually move frames that have already been filmed, are being filmed and are “waiting” for their turn. This approach is optimal.

You can also purchase a special stand used for old film cameras, but searching for it may take too much precious time. Therefore, it would be best to limit yourself to the materials available and start working immediately.

When arranging lighting fixtures, film, and camera, it is necessary to take into account some simple rules. The first of these is the location of the lighting device at a distance of approximately 20-25 cm from the film. If you increase it, the illumination will be insufficient. When reduced, the clarity decreases and the image may be overexposed.

The second rule is to position the camera at a distance of 2 to 5 cm from the film for high-quality shooting. Since the focusing of different devices is different, you need to rely on samples in your calculations. Unfortunately, the exact distance cannot be calculated immediately, because this parameter There are too many factors involved.

And lastly: when rewinding the film, you must carefully monitor the distance. Otherwise, each frame will have different clarity and size, which will reduce the quality of the final selection.

Once all the film has been shot, you can move on to processing the frames. In particular, special programs for working with images will help you obtain the optimal solution.

It must be remembered that increasing brightness and contrast are the most important processing parameters, since it is thanks to them that clear and beautiful photographs are obtained.

If the photo is slightly skewed, this nuance can be corrected using special tools in the program set. But it is worth remembering: this must be done very carefully, because even a minor change can distort the image.

When enlarging a photo, it is necessary to take into account the proportionality of the change in parameters. They will allow you to get high quality.

The difference between scanning and reshooting digitization capabilities

After both methods have been considered, it is worth paying special attention to their differences and the advantages of both options.

If the owner of the “vintage” film preferred the first option considered, then it is worth noting the following nuances. First of all, this is the duration of the work. As stated earlier, scanning is a monotonous and lengthy process. It is ideal in cases where a small amount of materials needs to be processed. If more than 1 day is spent on processing (with small quantities of processed material), then this method can hardly be called optimal.

The second is the cost and possibility of renting or “temporarily” the main working apparatus. Specialized scanners are quite a rare thing in households. best friend or a friend, finding one is quite difficult. But the problem of finding a high-quality digital camera is solved quickly, and you can get a truly amazing device.

When choosing among the methods described above, it is necessary to take into account all factors. But the most important thing is the ability to process on a computer. In particular, translating an image from a package of documents from a scanner is quite difficult (if you are working with it for the first time). Yes, and it takes too much time. But sending photos from a camera for processing is much easier: you need to create an appropriate folder or copy the one on the memory card. And then, selecting individual pictures from it, process the resulting images frame by frame. In addition, the volume of the map can be so large that work with a large volume of materials, without sending it to a PC, can be completed entirely in one reshoot session.

From the translator: This article continues a series of publications by different authors dedicated to film photography. The previous article was called “Film: Tips, Cameras and First Instructions” and is available at .

This tutorial will show you how to "scan" your film using a Digital SLR. The reason for using a digital camera instead of a slide scanner for this operation is to save money and ensure the safety of the films. A good film scanner is expensive, so you should only buy one if you need to scan a lot of film. Another option would be to scan the films in specialized darkrooms that have professional scanners, but many people are put off by the prospect of sending films by mail.

First of all, it is necessary to recognize that the method proposed in the lesson will not give the same results as a professional scanner. However, this is a fantastic idea and great way digitize your films at home.

Preparing for work

Before you start, make sure you have everything you need:

1. Digital SLR camera.
2. A piece of glass on supports, such as a glass table, picture frame glass, mounted on 2 stacks of books or boxes to create a "table".
3. A piece of glossy photo paper with no writing on the back. Most brands produce this type of paper.
4. Flash with wireless control or a powerful table lamp.
5. Tripod.
6. A macro lens is recommended but not required.
7. Photoshop or other image editing program.

Step 1

First, you will need a glass surface to shoot on. I used a glass table, but a photo frame would work just as well. To use a photo frame, just remove the backdrop and photo from it - what remains is the glass with the frame. Next, you will need to find something to use as a glass coaster. Try using stacks of books or several boxes. A structure height of 30 cm is quite enough.

Step 2

Now that we have our stage, it's time to set up the camera and tripod. The lens you use determines how close to the glass you can shoot. No matter what lens you may be using, try to fill as much of the lens's field of view as possible with the film frame.

The most important thing in setting up a tripod is to set the camera sensor plane parallel to the glass plane. The best way To do this, lengthen the back leg of the tripod more than the two front legs, so that the camera is directly above the glass. Remember that if you overextend the tripod leg, it may become unstable and may eventually fall over!

Step 3

Now you need a piece of clean photo paper without any extraneous writing. A large piece is not needed - 10*15 cm is quite enough. Place photo paper on the glass below the camera.

Then place the film on photo paper. You'll probably need something to hold the film down - two film containers will do. When installing them, be careful, try not to move them along the film to avoid scratches and damage.

Step 4

At this stage, you can use a remote-controlled flash, or a bright table lamp. Be careful when using a lamp with constant light as it creates a large number of heat, which may damage the film. Place the light source under the glass and point it directly at the film. If you're using a flash, you'll have to do some testing to find out correct settings. The purpose of the settings is to produce slightly overexposed photo paper. I used a Canon 430 EX flash at half power at a distance of about 30 cm.