Video University: Video University Forums: Digital Photography for Videographers: 35mm film conversion for digital editing

VideoUniversity.com
Home	Free Library	Store
Free Catalog Please support VU by making your B&H purchases and links through this B&H ad. Doesn't cost a penny more.

See The New VU Postcard Catalog

To post in the forums see the Forum Guidelines.

Join or Renew Today.
New Benefits for all VU Members

Forum Guidelines and FAQ
Main Index	Search Posts
Who's Online	Log In

Home: Video University Forums: Digital Photography for Videographers:
35mm film conversion for digital editing

Bill Kinkle
Veteran

Dec 28, 2007, 2:43 AM

Post #1 of 6 (629 views)
Shortcut

35mm film conversion for digital editing	Can't Post

I have an odd question I suppose. My dad is a 35mm photographer, he shoots with a Canon AE1 and loves it. However he is really interested in digital prcessing and toying around with Photoshop so I got him Photoshop Elements and Adobe Lightroom for Christmas for him to play with. He is not interested in getting a digital camera however. What he is doing it taking his rolls of 35mm film and having them put onto a CD to then import into LR or open in PS to toy with. He has been asking about saving the images as JPEG's or RAW files (I didn't think you could have photos saved as RAW images from 35mm). So I guess my question is does it matter? Does having the converted pics saved as RAW images offer anything over a JPEG in this situation? How limited is he going to be by having his photos placed on a CD at Target? Does anyone know of any good resources for a beginner that I can send him? I already recommended Fred Miranda's site for inspiration etc.

I am hoping to get a new DSLR body within the next year so I can give him my older 10d bidy to play with, it just seems like he is going to be really limited with the converted film to digital files.

Thanks in advance.

Brackish
Veteran

Dec 28, 2007, 6:31 AM

Post #2 of 6 (623 views)
Shortcut

Re: [Bill Kinkle] 35mm film conversion for digital editing [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hi, Bill.

You can't have them saved as RAW - that's what a camera
shoots.

The biggest issue would be resolution Target gives them at, which
may not really make much difference to your dad.
I'm guessing the quality is medium resolution which
may be just fine. (If your dad's happy with the result
then it's good enough.)

I've seen where you can send negs in to get scanned
at very high resolution but the cost there is about $1 per negative
scanned. I'm guessing Target is much less in cost than
this and the resolution is less.

Your dad should just convert them to highest resolution JPEG (MAXIMUM 12)
and edit them at MAXIMUM. I've tried converting
a JPEG original (as shot in the cam) to uncompressed TIFF
[TIFFs are about the highest quality you can edit at]
and editing that TIFF, with converting to JPEG at the
end. I've found you're actually better off just staying
with JPEG the whole way as I've noticed a loss
in sharpness going from JPEG to TIFF.

MAXIMUM JPEG 12 is almost identical to TIFF. I've zoomed
way in to the pixel level and compared a RAW converted
to both TIFF and JPEG 12 and the difference is essentially
non-existent.

----------------------------------------------
"We'll always show up at the wedding with a gift bag for the bride. Inside we have these incredible fuzzy slippers in the teal of our branding."

rodovideo
Enthusiast

Dec 28, 2007, 9:29 AM

Post #3 of 6 (615 views)
Shortcut

Re: [Bill Kinkle] 35mm film conversion for digital editing [In reply to]	Can't Post

Seems like a lot of work to .... "play". See if you can get a used Rebel XT body and go from there. I would doubt that you could get any GOOD quality from prints to cd @ any consumer store (Target, Walmart, CVS...etc...)

If it's just play, I would scan the negatives with my own scanner and play from there. I am assuming that he wouldn't be scanning every shot just a few to play with. It would be a slow process, but you did say it was just for play. I would even think about getting a little P&S digital camera and let him play with that.

Mike R.

Look toward the Son, and you will not see the shadows

sample images from RODO PHOTO

Rodo Media BLOG

RustyB
Veteran

Dec 29, 2007, 12:47 AM

Post #4 of 6 (600 views)
Shortcut

Re: [Bill Kinkle] 35mm film conversion for digital editing [In reply to]	Can't Post

I'd tell him to send a roll off to mpix.com and see how well they scan them. I'd be worried about the file size they provide to be not of sufficient quality for lots of editing and/or enlargement.

I scan my 35mm and medium format on an Epson 4490 scanner, but even the cheapest flatbeds come with 35mm adapters that will scan at resolutions high enough to smoke your computer. Go get a $99 Epson flatbed, and he's good to go.

A DSLR is definitely easier and more practical than shooting 35mm when shooting in "quantity" and professional stuff. But, if he's shooting for style, for fun, and for pictures that have character that wasn't given to them by computer software, then I wouldn't be in a hurry to get rid of that AE-1. I've been trying to get a hold of my Dad's AE-1 for years. Cool

I shot 3 rolls of 35mm in my Olympus OMG this past weekend, and can't wait to get them developed. I might have screwed up 99% of them, but if I get one good shot, I know it will be awesome. And my pics will be processed in one hour by some nimrod down at the drug store, versus by me spending days in front of the computer using PhotoShop trying to make them look like they were shot on film.

the People's Video Collective blog
wedding video and the means of production

Bill Kinkle
Veteran

Dec 29, 2007, 9:28 PM

Post #5 of 6 (557 views)
Shortcut

Re: [RustyB] 35mm film conversion for digital editing [In reply to]	Can't Post

Thanks Rusty, and everyone else for the advice.

Yea, my dad is a hardcore film user. He doesn't want a digital camera, he has 2 AE-1 bodies and has been shooting with the one for about 25 years I am guessing. He is just fascinated by what you can to to photos with PS and wants to give it a whirl without converting to digital. One reason is the cost, he has so much invested and none of his glass will work on a DSLR body, its all manual focus etc. And the main reason is that he is a purist...loves film, its what he knows and he ain't changin. Can't say I blame him or don't understand. Wink

WLR
User

Jan 6, 2008, 12:36 PM

Post #6 of 6 (481 views)
Shortcut

Re: [Bill Kinkle] 35mm film conversion for digital editing [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hi, and Happy New year.
What I do is scan the slide, neg or print myself as a tiff image and then open it in CS2 to do all the adjustments and dust/flaw touchups.
I then store them on 2 separate hard drives, or if I want prints, take them down to the local Costco.

Friends don't let friends shoot jpeg.