High Street Processors Prints on CD Query.

[JayCee]

Although not strictly "digital" my query does have a "digital" side to it.

Although I have embraced the digital side of photography with the purchase of a Panasonic DMC-FZ20 a couple of months ago I still like using 35mm and last week bought a 25yr old mint condition Olympus XA rangefinder compact on eBay........this is the small black "clamshell" model with Aperture Priority mode and are renowned for their f2.8 35mm Zuiko lens quality and size/design.

I notice most of the high st processors such as Boots/Jessops offer for a couple of quid a CD along with your prints.
Do they take the scans on the CDs from the negatives or the prints?
Are the scans generally of a high standard?.......are they better than say...me buying an average-priced scanner and doing it myself?

 

[dolph]

From what I remember they used to be fairly low res scans (1600x1200 maybe) - quality used to be OK - not sure on the price of negative scanners.....

 

[severnsource]

The first scanning to CD option available was the Kodak Photo CD. Even the standard offering gave very high quality scans.

In my experience, the current cheap offerings are very poor quality, not very high resolution and very poor dynamic range, usually crushed blacks. But at only a couple of quid a go it's worth trying one yourself I would have thought.

Bill

 

[JayCee]

From what I remember they used to be fairly low res scans (1600x1200 maybe) - quality used to be OK - not sure on the price of negative scanners.....

I was hoping replies were going to be along the lines of.... "Top-Notch Quality" so I could have the best of both worlds.........Prints and high quality digital copies on my PC.
What would the best resolution be for optimum quality then?

I was hoping to avoid buying a scanner as to be honest I don't have room for one and wouldn't know what features to go for or what sort of price to pay.
Can anyone recommend a decent scanner?.........or recommend a high st processor who does a good job perhaps for an extra price premium....is that a possibility?
Thanks

 

[Johndm]

Although not strictly "digital" my query does have a "digital" side to it.

Although I have embraced the digital side of photography with the purchase of a Panasonic DMC-FZ20 a couple of months ago I still like using 35mm and last week bought a 25yr old mint condition Olympus XA rangefinder compact on eBay........this is the small black "clamshell" model with Aperture Priority mode and are renowned for their f2.8 35mm Zuiko lens quality and size/design.

I notice most of the high st processors such as Boots/Jessops offer for a couple of quid a CD along with your prints.
Do they take the scans on the CDs from the negatives or the prints?
Are the scans generally of a high standard?.......are they better than say...me buying an average-priced scanner and doing it myself?

Examples for you here....both pics straight from camera...... unprocessed except sized to 800 wide. Both saved in Photoshop at jpeq quality 7 (medium)

2003 Canon film SLR, Tokina lens, Kodak photo CD.

2004 Canon 300D, Kit lens

They don't look bad side by side, but at 1024 wide you can see quite a differance in quality.

 

[BananaTiger]

Thought I'd resurrect this thread. I too have recently got hold of an old rangefinder (yashica electro 35 gsn). I was thinking of getting film and digital files when I get my 35mm film processed. Since it was 2 years since the last reply, have things moved on quality wise on the digital file front?

 

[onefivenine]

I wouldn;t buy a scanner if I were you.. so time consuming. The high street chains are low quality low res scans, often mis-aligned.

Look a little harder and you will find smaller photographic shops that do high res scans. One near the top of Leith Walk in Edinburgh is very good, and I'm sure there's probably one near you. Best to look around really.