Kodak lab scans on CD

[PhilBurton]

i just found about 6 of these Kodak lab scan CDs in a shoebox. (Of course!) No dates, but probably 2006-2008. Kodak C41 film, but I don't remember which kind.

I tried to read the scan files directly from the CD, but that was impossible. ( I really tried, with several different Windows Utilities). My system is Win 10 Pro 64. I was reluctant to install the included Corel software, because it's so old, predating Windows 10, and no doubt 32-bit. Any suggestions?

Does anyone know what format is used for the scanned images?

 

[BrianShaw]

I have a vague recollection that Kodak used a proprietary format. Unfortunately that’s all I recall.

 

[Chan Tran]

If they were *.pcd (photo CD) format then most current image editing software won't open them. I had Photoshop CS2 which can open them but my Photoshop CC doesn't. The scans are several resolution with the best about 6MP. They are quite good but the contrast is low.

 

[MattKing]

Corel PaintShop Pro lists them as Read Only. They are only supported in the 32 bit version of the software.

 

[runswithsizzers]

https://www.mcguffogco.com/pcdmagicwindows (?)

 

[PhilBurton]

Corel PaintShop Pro lists them as Read Only. They are only supported in the 32 bit version of the software.

I guess I will need to install the Corel software in a "scratch" Windows 10 partition. I have two "scratch" Windows partitions for things like experimental installs, trials, etc.

Does anyone know the scan resolution or bit depth?

(For those technically inclined, I use EasyBCD, https://neosmart.net/, which makes mult-booting very easy. No messing around with BIOS boot menus.)

 

[MattKing]

Here is an interesting link: http://tedfelix.com/PhotoCD/PCDSoftware.html

 

[PhilBurton]

Here is an interesting link: http://tedfelix.com/PhotoCD/PCDSoftware.html

Matt,

Thanks. I noted that the Corel software was NOT RECOMMENDED.

 

[shijan]

PhotoLine https://www.pl32.com/index.php can read Kodak Photo CD .pcd and .ph files. It also can convert multiple files with build-in Batch Convertor.

PhotoLine also have some settings specially for PCD format:

 

[shijan]

Seems Photo CD is not that simple. Images in PhotoLine looks more-less OK, but have no any special options to control shadows/highlights clipping. Here is side by side compare. PCD example files downloaded from http://tedfelix.com/PhotoCD/PCDExperiment.html

 

[foc]

IIRC the Kodak Photo CD was promoted as a means to view your photos on your TV. Back in the early 1990s the local Kodak rep showed us the system (in our minilab) and gave us the loan of the player and TV for a month to try and promote it. It got a lot of attention but the price of the system appeared to be too expensive.

At the time it appeared cutting-edge digital photography technology. As far as we were concerned it died a quick death.

I don't remember the idea of using the CD to order prints. That came later with the Fiji Frontier CD and it could also play in the home DVD player.

 

[shijan]

Here is batch convert command for macOS Terminal to convert all folder in single click. Make sure to use proper case .PCD or .pcd according to your source files. Originally posted by slackero here

find . -name '*.PCD' -exec /path/to/pcdtojpeg -D65 -q 100 -r 4 {} \;

find . -name '*.pcd' -exec /path/to/pcdtojpeg -D65 -q 100 -r 4 {} \;

 

[PhilBurton]

PhotoLine https://www.pl32.com/index.php can read Kodak Photo CD .pcd and .ph files. It also can convert multiple files with build-in Batch Convertor.

PhotoLine also have some settings specially for PCD format:

pcdto
Nice, but I have only 5 or 6 Photo CDs, so it's not worth it for me to spend the 79 Euros, unless I absolutely can't work with pcdtojpg. I have "decent" Windows command line batch skills. Lots of other ways to spend $$$ on photo software.

 

[swchris]

find . -iname '*.pcd' -exec pcdtojpeg -q 100 -r 5 {} \;

will find *.pcd and *.PCD

 

[PhilBurton]

find . -iname '*.pcd' -exec pcdtojpeg -q 100 -r 5 {} \;

will find *.pcd and *.PCD

Thanks. Now I have a workable solution at no cost.

 

[shijan]

I find a macOS quicklook plugin here https://github.com/sheepdoll/Quicklook_PCD but is shared 11 years ado as xcode project and should be compiled. Any chance someone use xcode and able to compile it? Wonder if it will work on resent macOS versions.

 

[PhilBurton]

Thanks. Now I have a workable solution at no cost.

find . -iname '*.pcd' -exec pcdtojpeg -q 100 -r 5 {} \;

will find *.pcd and *.PCD

What is the OS for this find command? I just checked with Windows cmd version of find. I didn't see any of the options listed.

 

[shijan]

This is for macOS

 

[Nopo]

What is the OS for this find command? I just checked with Windows cmd version of find. I didn't see any of the options listed.

Are MacOs/unix and Linux commands


Carlos

Shijan was faster!!

 

[brbo]

I find a macOS quicklook plugin here https://github.com/sheepdoll/Quicklook_PCD but is shared 11 years ado as xcode project and should be compiled. Any chance someone use xcode and able to compile it? Wonder if it will work on resent macOS versions.

I tried. It compiled, but didn't work. After a bit of googling it seems that something has changed in how quicklook works in macOS.

 

[MattKing]

Today, a DVD player in a local thrift store on the electronics shelf.

As is the case with a fair number of my cel phone photos, personalized with a finger(print)

 

[Molli]

Hi Phil, probably an idiotic question, but when you say you tried to read the files, does that mean you were able to view the entire folder structure on the disk? I'm running Windows 10 also and I've just checked the Kodak Picture CDs I have from 2001. Trying to run the launcher causes my computer to have conniptions and terminate the programme, but I am able to view the contents of the disk in Windows Explorer and, while there's a folder labelled PCD there, there's another directly beneath labelled Pictures and that has my (crummy!) jpg files.
Given that my disks are older, I'd have thought the proprietary format more likely to have been in use back then and updated later to a more user friendly format. I guess not.

I also have a couple of Agfa CDs from around the same time. Not only are the scans slightly better in quality, their CD Viewer programme still runs perfectly.
Poor Kodak.

 

[Molli]

Today, a DVD player in a local thrift store on the electronics shelf.
View attachment 350969

As is the case with a fair number of my cel phone photos, personalized with a finger(print)

You made me get up and check my VHS/DVD Player in the loungeroom:

I had to tinker with the VHS player a few weeks ago because it was eating my tapes but, apart from the addition of an HDMI converter, it's still in service.

 

[Chan Tran]

Kodak Picture CD (which came out later) is just JPEG files. Photo CD in another format.

 

[Molli]

Kodak Picture CD (which came out later) is just JPEG files. Photo CD in another format.

Ah, yes, thank you. I see now and I also remember that I didn't get the last few rolls of film developed until quite a few years after getting home.
That will teach me to try being helpful on the internet after arriving at 6am from the wrong side.