I guess scans don't work too good!

[Dubie]

I got all excited and wanted to scan some of my first photos for critique but this scanning thing sucks! I got a HP photosmart C5180 and it doesn't do my B&W's justice.

So I guess most places that develop film can put the negatives on CD I hear. Does it matter where or can your local drug store do that while developing?

 

[Big Mike]

Some scanners are better than others. The best ones scan the actual film, not the prints. It still takes a good technique and probably some post processing to get a scanned image to look right.

Just about all photo labs are digital now. This means that the machine scans the film and makes the prints from digital files. If you want a CD, they just burn those digital files onto a disc for you....it's very easy.

 

[Dubie]

Thanks Mike. That's what I'll do so I can post photos.

 

[Garbz]

Do you have the option of film scanning at home? We have a reasonably new Canon scanner and comparing scanning a print to a negative the negative scan is insanely better.

 

[usayit]

Local photo labs that perform scans to CD do so at different "qualities". If you don't explicitely ask for high professional quality, you will get scans that are relatively low in resolution. This service was geared to get people digital copies for personal distro to friends/families via internet. Of course the professional scans will cost quite a bit more.

I'd submit samples before dumping a large important order...just to see their final quality. I scan at home and produce results that beat most local photo labs in my area.