getting prints made scanning kind of question

[DeepSpring]

I currently shoot on film and I am really into computers too so I do the whole photoshop thing lin post. I currently am just scanning the 4x6s with my normal scanner. The highest resolution i can get is about 1700x1100. This isn't big enough to really print out crisp 8x10s or anything larger. Without having a negative scanner because i currently dont have the funds to buy one yet, is there any other way to have the pictures bigger? Will labs scan a neg and give it to me in a large size ona disc because i herd those photo cd things are only about 1200 wide

 

[forceflow1049]

I am interested in this as well. I just shot some pictures of the stars and moon (my digital camera is limited to 4 sec exposures) and I want to have them on my computer. I am thinking of ordering a picture cd with my prints, but would appreciate all suggestions.

 

[Torus34]

Specialty Color Services will process film and provide CDs of various pixel counts. You will have to contact them for pricing and options. I have not used their services, so I have no comment on quality, speed, etc. I suspect that the old options of good-fast-cheap apply. Pick any two and you won't get the third one.

 

[niccig]

In my experience, the scans from economy labs (like Wal-Mart, Walgreens, etc) are pretty poor. The exposure and colors are auto-adjusted, which means that the picture doesn't always look like I want it to, and resolution isn't much more than what you're getting with 4x6's. Plus they're usually really noisy, even when there isn't much visible grain in the actual print. Some pro labs I believe will scan for you and give you a high-res file, but I know the local one here is something like $2-3 per frame (not roll).

Even though people usually say nothing good about them, you might consider getting a flatbed scanner. I recently bought a Canon 8600f flatbed scanner with film scanning capability, and it scans at 3200dpi (which I think is something like 10 megapixels). I haven't tested how prints look from those files, but I would think you could print at least fairly large pictures from it. Scans from a Coolscan or some other dedicated film scanner might be better, but those are like $500, where I only paid $80 for the flatbed. So far I've been pleased with the scans. Plus the flatbed is good because I can scan other things if I feel like it, though I haven't scanned anything but negs/slides yet.

 

[Rob]

I've only recently made the switch to digital and I used to work with a high street developer who would scan the negs for an extra £1. These scans produced about a 1.5Mb jpg (if I remember correctly) which was more than adequate for up to A4 sized prints.

Getting the films dev'd and scanned at the same time is probably (IMO) the most cost effective way of getting a bigger than 6x4 sized print. The top end of "acceptable" is a personal thing.

Rob