How to Digitize  Classic & Vintage Film

Activate Your Camera's Custom Settings

After you have configured your preferred camera settings for each type of capture session (e.g., negatives, prints, slides) within your camera's custom settings menu, remember to select the corresponding setting using your camera's custom settings dial before you begin capturing. For my workflow, I've saved my negative capture settings to the 'C1' position on the dial. Think of these custom settings as pre-programmed profiles tailored to specific tasks. So, when it's time to digitize negatives, I simply turn the dial to 'C1,' and my camera instantly applies all the necessary adjustments for optimal negative capture. Utilizing these "custom settings" ensures consistency and efficiency, allowing you to quickly switch between different digitization tasks without manually adjusting numerous camera parameters each time. This streamlined approach saves time and minimizes the risk of errors, ensuring that each set of negatives is captured with the same high level of quality. Whether I'm working with black-and-white or color film, these presets make the entire process much more manageable and enjoyable.

My Supercharged Custom Options for Film Scanning

• Exposure Mode: Aperture Priority

• White Balance: Custom-5000-5600 (or matched to lights)

• Aperture: f5.6 to f8 (or the camera's sharpest, as tested)

• Focus: Manual Focus, Peaking On

• Screen Histogram: On

• Self-Timer: On - 2 Seconds

• Stabilizer: OFF (to avoid on-stand distortion)

• Quality: RAW

• ISO: 100—or the camera's lowest (not auto ISO)

• Filters: Remove any filters on your lens (UV, ND, etc.) except a polarizing filter.

Camera Settings for Negative Film Capture

Aperture Priority: You Choose Aperture—The Camera Chooses Shutter Speed

Embark on a photographic odyssey where you wield the power of aperture priority! Imagine yourself as the curator of cherished film memories, commanding the lens with precise control. In this mode, you dictate the aperture, shaping depth of field and light intake, while your camera intelligently selects the corresponding shutter speed. Given the stability of your copy stand and the use of a self-timer or remote shutter release, even slower shutter speeds pose no risk of motion blur, allowing you to focus solely on the creative potential of your chosen aperture.

Manual Focus with 'Peaking'

Trust the ancient art of manual focus on film and let 'focus peaking' guide you through the intricate details. If you're not familiar with focus peaking, it highlights contrasted edges in your image with a selected color that becomes more intense as the area reaches a sharp focus. You should only need to refocus for subsequent frames if the film holder moves during capture.

Self-Timer to Prevent Camera Movement 

Ensure your shots are as steady as a superhero's resolve by unleashing the mighty self-timer, triggering your camera's shutter. It acts as a reliable ally to help you combat camera movement. I normally set it to just 2 seconds. 

Turn Off Camera Body and Lens Stabilization 

Steer clear of the malevolent distortion that lurks in the shadows! Keep camera and lens stabilization off when your camera rests on a copy stand or tripod to avoid distortion caused by sensor movement, especially during high-definition (pixel shift) mode. This technique ensures that your images remain sharp and true to the original subject. Always double-check your settings before capturing the final shot to eliminate any potential issues that may arise from unintended movements.

Use RAW format and a low ISO

In the world of RAW format, consider it to be your superhero cape, offering unparalleled editing possibilities. RAW files capture all the unprocessed data from your camera's sensor, acting like a digital negative. This feature gives you much greater flexibility and control when editing aspects like exposure, white balance, contrast, and color in post-processing software without degrading the image quality. On the other hand, in-camera processing and compression of JPEGs discards much of this information, thereby limiting your editing capabilities. ISO should normally be set to 100 or the camera's native (lowest) ISO for ultimate clarity. Align the aperture, and the camera will set the shutter speed to achieve the perfect exposure, avoiding auto ISO for this meticulous task. Suit up, photographer, and let the digital transformation begin!

Dealing With Very Dense Negatives

Brace yourself, intrepid converter! With your camera stabilized on a copy stand or tripod, you can experiment with slower shutter speeds like a vigilante photographer. If your negatives are very dark and dense, check the histogram on the camera screen. If most of the histogram information is on the left, adjust the aperture dial (as I have recommended using aperture priority mode) so that the image information shifts to the right, but not all the way, as you need to avoid highlight blowout. Aim for a balanced exposure where both shadows and highlights retain detail, allowing your images to convey the full range of tones present in the scene. Once you've adjusted the aperture, take the shot and review the histogram to ensure you're on the right track. 

Do Megapixels Matter When Digitizing Negatives?

Yes, megapixels do matter, but they are not the only factor.  A high-megapixel camera can capture finer detail in the negative, especially with medium- to large-format or fine-grained films. More megapixels allow for larger prints and closer viewing on high-resolution displays without the image appearing pixelated. Higher-resolution images provide more room for cropping while retaining sufficient detail for your intended output. One potential issue is that very high megapixel counts might primarily capture more detail of the film grain itself rather than additional image detail, especially with 35mm film. There's a point where increasing megapixels mainly magnifies the grain. Experienced digitizers agree that a resolution of 20 to 24 megapixels is the ideal range for 35 mm film. 

Invert and Color-Balance Automatically

FilmLab Desktop provides a simpler solution, allowing you to effortlessly invert and color balance an entire roll of negative images. Version 3.1 includes new features and faster processing, reducing the time to complete a roll of film and ready it for archiving. 'FilmLab Desktop' is software that is designed to simplify and improve the process of digitizing, inverting to positive, and color balancing film, providing a vital service that is not included in photo editing applications.

• Film Negative Conversion:

  • It converts the digital captures of film negatives (both color and black-and-white) into positive digital images.

  • It aims to replicate the authentic colors and tones achieved by traditional darkroom processing.

  • It has lots of other features, like cropping, horizontal flipping, and much more.

• Camera Scanning Focus:

  • FilmLab Desktop is specifically built for those who digitize film using digital cameras though it also supports scans from traditional film scanners. It handles raw files from a wide range of cameras. Here's a link. Filmlab Desktop.

Essential Film Holder Features

I use the Essential Film Holder for scanning 35mm negatives and slides for the reasons listed below.

• Offers the best value

• It has a simple and effective design

• Forms a modular system

• Accepts 35 mm and 120 film strips

• Includes an integrated light diffuser panel

• Provides an optional mask for 35-mm slides.

Loading and Using the Essential Film Holder

Precision is paramount when handling film negatives, and using the correct mask for your essential film holder is the first step. A specific mask is required for each film format to hold the negative securely and flat, preventing any distortion or focus issues during digitization. Before loading valuable film, practice loading and sliding test strips through the holder. This exercise familiarizes you with the mechanism and allows you to fine-tune the pressure. You can slightly loosen the wing nuts that secure the mask to facilitate the passage of shorter film strips, a task that can be particularly challenging at times. However, avoid loosening them excessively, as maintaining a flat film plane is crucial for achieving sharp, consistent images. Try adjusting the wing nuts to determine the ideal tension that securely holds the film without causing any damage.

To minimize light contamination, which can degrade image quality, it's essential to control ambient light during the loading and digitizing processes. Turn off all room lights, relying solely on the LED light source positioned beneath the Essential Film Holder for capture; this creates a controlled environment where only the transmitted light from the LED illuminates the film. Additionally, consider using a black shroud or similar light-blocking material around the sides of the film holder. This technique prevents any extraneous light from leaking out and affecting the captured image. A well-constructed shroud can significantly improve contrast and reduce flare, resulting in cleaner, more accurate captures. Careful attention to these details will ultimately translate to higher-quality digital archives of your cherished film memories. 

I also cover several alternative film holders, including fully light-tight and portable models, on my Digitizing Archive Requirements page on this site!

Cleaning Negatives and Slides 

Cleaning vintage film and slides is delicate. Use an air blower and an antistatic brush to remove surface dust and a PEC cleaning solution for more stubborn grime. Avoid repairing severe damage yourself; capture first, then repair digitally during post-editing or consult a professional service. Professional services have the expertise and tools necessary to restore your vintage media without causing further damage. By entrusting your precious memories to experts, you ensure they receive the care and attention they deserve.

Ready to Capture Negatives

Your baseboard should be level and on the same plane as the camera. Ensure the film holder and light beneath it are perfectly level in every direction. Place a small mirror on the holder; activate the grid on your camera screen; and adjust the camera until the reflection is centred and the edges are straight in the viewfinder, as previously described. Secure the Light and Film Carrier Unit (I use BLU-TAC or modelling clay blobs). Use a bulb blower to ensure everything is dust-free, including the front and rear lens elements. Dust off the film with an anti-static film brush. Utilise the camera's auto-sensor cleaning option at the start of each session. Wear cotton gloves at this stage and use the air blower to dust off the negative roll or strip before passing it through the Essential Film Holder.

Which Side Faces The camera?

Dealing with negatives adds a bit of post-editing drama: after capturing the image, it is still negative; you need to invert it and adjust the colour balance using your photo editing software. The film curls towards the emulsion side, and that side has a flatter texture, whereas the back is glossy. Achieving accurate film digitalisation fundamentally depends on understanding the original image capture process. In traditional photography, light projected through the camera lens and interacted directly with the film's light-sensitive emulsion layer. Consequently, for optimal sharpness and the capture of the finest details, the negative should be carefully positioned in your film holder with the emulsion (dull, flat) side facing the camera lens. Orienting the emulsion side towards the camera lens offers significant advantages; it generally yields sharper and more accurate captures because the emulsion, where the image information is recorded, is positioned at the optimal focal plane. Furthermore, this orientation minimises the risk of internal reflections, flares, or distortions that can arise when light passes through the glossy, non-emulsion base of the film before reaching the emulsion layer.

Be aware, however, that the above optimal orientation results in digitised images that are horizontally reversed; text will appear backward, and details, such as watch placement, will be inverted; therefore, performing a horizontal flip during the postprocessing stage is essential to restoring the image to its intended and correct orientation. To visually confirm this 'flipping phenomenon', inspect a negative strip containing text, such as building names or signs, by placing it over a light source and using a loupe. You'll observe that the text is legible only when viewed from the smooth, non-emulsion side. Despite this inconvenience, it is still best to capture film with the emulsion's (dull, grainy) side facing the camera, as the consensus among digitising professionals favours the emulsion-facing method for superior image quality. 

The Vital Step of Flipping the Digital Image

Acknowledging the vital step of flipping the digital image after capturing negatives with the emulsion side facing the camera is imperative. If you don't, the text in the photos will be reversed, or the image will look odd and confuse viewers. Consistency is key; shoot facing the same side of the film in every capture session. Consider that if you have an entire archive of negative captures shot facing the emulsion side of the film, will you, or anyone else, remember in months and years to come that all those images are horizontally reversed? Being consistent will ensure clarity for you and anyone else working on the photos in the future.

Eliminate All Extraneous Light

You should eliminate all extraneous light in the room while photographing; other than that, coming through the negative! When I want to examine small details during a capture, I conveniently switch on one of my print copy lights for extra illumination and turn it off before resuming the capture process. Suppose you choose not to heed the above warning. In that case, your images will invariably suffer from flare patches, presenting in your positive inversions as annoying and difficult-to-remove dark areas.

Lighting - Don't Try to Do It the Easy Way

The above-mentioned flare problem is often an issue when using smartphone solutions for capturing negatives; people want to 'do it the easy way' and use these applications in a partly lit room or even in daylight. This shortcut will reward them with flare-damaged images of inferior quality; I would certainly choose something else for my family archive. I have seen people prop prints up against a wine bottle in a dimly lit restaurant and capture it with their phone; perhaps it serves their momentary purpose but not that of a professional digital archive.

What's the best lighting for film capture?

Here's a breakdown of the key considerations and methods: 

1. The best way to light negatives in a film holder for scanning involves creating a consistent, even, diffused light source that passes through the negative. 

2. The light needs to be uniform across the entire area of the negative to avoid hotspots or dark areas in your scan. 

3. Your LED light must have a diffuser attached; otherwise, direct light from a point source (like individual LEDs) will project the pattern of the light source onto the negative. 

4. A white diffuser softens the light and eliminates these patterns. 

5. Aim for a daylight-balanced light source (around 5000-5500K) with a high Color

6.  Rendering Index (CRI) of 95+ for accurate color reproduction. 

7. Ensure that only the light passing through the negative reaches your camera lens. Any ambient light or light leaking around the film holder will cause unwanted glare and reduce contrast.

Finally: Capture Your First Roll of Film

Use Tethered Shooting—Invert and Rename Files

First, I create a new archive folder for this new capture session on my computer to be ready for the captured and renamed images later (refer to the earlier instructions on my Archive Structure page). Using tethered shooting allows me to verify image sharpness directly on my computer screen. On my tethered laptop, I set up a 'holding folder' to temporarily store the captured images. After each capture, I process all the files in the holding folder through Filmlab Desktop, converting them into positive images and fine-tuning. These are then exported as TIFF files into the newly created archive folder, where I immediately rename the files to align with the archive structure. While this process may extend the overall capture time, it minimizes the risk of losing data or losing track of progress when processing multiple rolls of film.

The above method saves significant time, as you can review your results on the screen in real time. If you've followed my earlier recommendation to create and capture an archive label, you should include the label as the first image on each roll. After I have completed the above steps, I adhere to the physical label to the film container; this reassures me that if the label is attached to the wallet or container, I have completed all the other tasks. Capture, invert, edit, rename, save, and then label the container.

Remove any filters you may have fitted to the front of your lens. It is time to pass the film through the holder and take your first roll. Align your initial negative frame, making sure it's squared within the frame. Adjust your camera accordingly to fill the viewfinder fully. Use the camera's self-timer to trigger the shutter—click!

It is easy to move through subsequent frames efficiently, usually without refocusing. If you're not using FilmLab Desktop or an alternative for processing, consider capturing some of the film base between frames to facilitate white balancing for manual inversion and color balancing in the future. 

What's Different with Slides?

You may ask what the difference is with slides; of course, they are already positive images, and no inversion is necessary. The prerequisite requirements for scanning slides are the same as those we previously discussed for negative images. If you are working with mounted slides, use the single-frame mask for your holder, which you need to order separately. You must place mounted slides one at a time, but it is usually quick. To convert slides to digital format, just follow the same steps as for negatives.

 Methods for Identifying the Emulsion Side of a Slide

As discussed above, the process of determining which side of a slide faces the camera is like that of negatives. However, it can occasionally be more intricate to establish which side you are looking at with mounted slides. Using a loupe, you could look for one slide containing writing, a street or pub sign, or anything containing text; if you can read the text, you are viewing the non-emulsion, shiny side.

There are a few other methods to identify which side of a slide you are viewing, such as angling the slide with a light overhead and seeing that one side is gleaming and acts like a mirror while the opposite side is dull. Whatever it is, you can orient all the other slides the same way, simultaneously, when capturing them. Some mounted slides bear the label 'This Side to Screen', indicating that this is the ' emulsion side'. The emulsion side of a mounted slide has a light-sensitive coating that captures the image. It is usually duller and less shiny than the non-emulsion side.

Markings on Slide Frames Denoting Emulsion Side

Look for any writing or logos printed on the slide frame. Generally, most slide projector instructions advise inserting slides with the emulsion side facing the projection lens. Therefore, I propose the following as the most common markings for the slide frame.

"Lamp Side"-You are looking at the shiny side.

"This Side to Screen"-you are looking at the emulsion side. 

Other Clear Signs That Image Is Reversed or Flipped

There are clear signs that an image is reversed when the subject is characters, text, or people you are familiar with; these giveaway signs are easy to notice. One clue is if it appears that someone's watch is on the wrong wrist or if a married or engaged woman's ring is on a hand that is not customary. In this case, you are looking at the emulsion side. Slides still on the roll are much easier to identify because the film curls toward the emulsion side, and the back is shiny.

Next: How To Digitize Classic  & Vintage Prints