Myths About Photo Scanning, Slide Scanning, and Negative Scanning

We have a chance to speak to many people who are interested in transferring their photos, slides and negatives to CD or DVD. We find that there are many points that are confusing or misunderstood. Please follow the links below for more detailed discussion of these issues.

Myth: Higher resolution is always better
We have become accustomed to believing that more is always better. Sometimes this isn't the case.

Myth: Scanning is fast
The manufacturers of scanning and computer hardware would have you believe that scanning slides and negatives is very fast. To get the job done right, it isn't.

Myth: Scanning is easy
The manufacturers of scanning and computer hardware would have you believe that anybody can easily scan photos, slides and negatives. Is this true?

Myth: Scanning myself will be cheaper than using a service
When you do the full evaluation with a realistic view of the costs and time involved, this isn't the case for most people.

Myth: Scanned slides look like high-end digital images from a DSLR
We are spoiled by the quality of even inexpensive digital cameras. Let's look at the differences between scanned images and digital images from modern cameras.

Myth: Cheaper is better
We know that we aren't the only slide and negative scanning service company. Let's look at why cheaper isn't always better.

Myth: If you don't get TIFF files, you are missing out
Photographers and enthusiasts believe that you are losing out if you don't work exclusively with a lossless digital image format. This isn't always true.

Myth: My flatbed scanner does a good job scanning film
Maybe. But the results can often be disappointing. Let's look at some examples and understand why.

Myth: Scanning is the hard part
For small projects, this may be true. For bigger projects like scanning family photo collections most of the work comes before and after the scanning.

Myth: Scanning services are expensive and slow
When compared to doing the work yourself, this isn't true.

Myth: Scans of my slides/negatives will remove all scratches and fading Restoration during and after scanning can be wondrous. But it isn't perfect.