Seeking advice on selecting device to scan photos and negatives.

[markjwyatt]

Hi,

Thanks for your advice.

All my film are color negatives. I don't have slides.

Regards

Cool.

I think I found an inexpensive software that may allow me to start scanning color negs. I tried it on a few sample images and it actually works pretty well. So I may have a color neg process soon.

https://filmlabapp.com

 

[MattKing]

I think I found an inexpensive software that may allow me to start scanning color negs. I tried it on a few sample images and it actually works pretty well. So I may have a color neg process soon.

https://filmlabapp.com

That looks quite interesting.
For the OP's purposes, it is too bad that they appear to have dropped software development for Linux.

 

[abruzzi]

That looks quite interesting.
For the OP's purposes, it is too bad that they appear to have dropped software development for Linux.

you can run it as a demo, so its probably worth downloading the windows version and seeing if it can run under Wine. I use Wine on Mac all the time, and it tends to work pretty well.

I wish it ran on the command line, something like:

filmlab -backlight 5500k -filmtype C41 -input * -outputformat tiff -output ~/

I'd happily pay for something that takes my raw files, removes the orange mask from my images, offsets the backlght temp, inverts them, and saves them back out as raw files, and can do it in bulk. Then any other correction can be done in the image software.

 

[MattKing]

Every time I read one of these threads, I wonder why I never read about someone reverse-engineering RA-4 paper's colour response. Use the right tungsten/halogen (or emulated) light source, and Bob's Your Uncle.

 

[satimis]

Hi all,

Wonderful !!! I found following accessory to scan old film negatives on a Smart Phone;

DigitaLIZA Max

DigitaLIZA Max

Take full control of scanning your 35 mm, 120, 110 and special format negatives using your smartphone or digital camera and the DigitaLIZA Max Scanning Kit. Now with upgraded CRI 97 backlight panel and 110 Film Mask included!

shop.lomography.com

DigitaLIZA Max
Take full control of scanning your 35 mm, 120 and special format negatives using your smartphone or digital camera and the DigitaLIZA Max Scanning Kit.
$99.00

It is in-expensive. After finishing scanning all my old negatives I just let it to retire on shelves.

The scanning software to be used/installed on Smart Phone - Snapseed, a free software.
It also offers direct post-editing of the photos captured on the Smart Phone;

Pls visit following Youtube video;
Convert color film negatives using your Phone and Snapseed


I'll make further tests on my Samsung Galaxy S9+ Smart Phone first before finalizing my decision.

If the screen of Smart Phone is too small for post-editing, I'll connect the Smart Phone with "remote desktop" to my Linux PC and do post-editing on a 4K 32" display directly.

Regards

Remark: I still need a new digital camera for taking daily life photos. Pls help. Thanks

 

[satimis]

Cool.

I think I found an inexpensive software that may allow me to start scanning color negs. I tried it on a few sample images and it actually works pretty well. So I may have a color neg process soon.

https://filmlabapp.com

Hi,

If you decide going the Smart Phone route, you can take a look on my #55 posting above. "DigitaLIZA Max" doesn't only sell the hardware which is also bundled with the scanning software running Smart Phone. I suppose it is on viewing their video.

Actually there are many scanning software available on Open Source running on Smart Phone for you to use.

Regards

 

[satimis]

you can run it as a demo, so its probably worth downloading the windows version and seeing if it can run under Wine. I use Wine on Mac all the time, and it tends to work pretty well.

I wish it ran on the command line, something like:



I'd happily pay for something that takes my raw files, removes the orange mask from my images, offsets the backlght temp, inverts them, and saves them back out as raw files, and can do it in bulk. Then any other correction can be done in the image software.

You just need a scanning software installed on Smart Phone, not on Windows nor on Linux. You don't need wine simulator.

For photo (graphic) editing, it is better to run graphic interface software. So that you can immediate know the result of your work/settings.

I also like running command lines on Terminal instead of clicking around on screen. But it is for other application, e.g installing software and its setup etc.

Regards

 

[satimis]

Hi all,

For those who are interested to venture the Smart Phone route scanning film negatives:-

1)
5 (Mostly) Free Apps to Scan Negatives With Your Phone

5 (Mostly) Free Apps to Scan Negatives With Your Phone

Do you have old film negatives that you'd like to bring back to life? It's quick, easy, and inexpensive to scan negatives with your phone. Find out how with these 5 (mostly) free apps! #genealogy

www.thefamilyheart.com

2)
How to achieve the best scanning results

Photomyne Help-Center

Photomyne Help-Center

photomyne.com

Tip #1: Use a dark or low-lit room
Tip #2: Set up a backlight source
Tip #3: Start scanning in front of the light
Tip #4: Keep the right distance (negatives from light box)
Tip #5: Keep your device steady
Tip #6: Use Photomyne Accessories - Macro lens

Regards

 

[abruzzi]

You just need a scanning software installed on Smart Phone, not on Windows nor on Linux. You don't need wine simulator.

For photo (graphic) editing, it is better to run graphic interface software. So that you can immediate know the result of your work/settings.

I also like running command lines on Terminal instead of clicking around on screen. But it is for other application, e.g installing software and its setup etc.

Regards

I think the OP was asking for Linux software. My needs are obviously very different than yours as a smartphone would never be useful for my workflow. (My current smartphone is about 10 years old.). In a controlled environment, where I know the color temp of the backlight, the first step is a straightforward inversion, mask removal, and light source offset. Command line apps make that easy to do in batch. It’s how I attach exif data to the image as well. Final editing will be done in a graphic application sure, but if I’ve just scanned 10 rolls of 36 exposures, doing that one at a time in a graphic application is tedious.

 

[satimis]

I think the OP was asking for Linux software. My needs are obviously very different than yours as a smartphone would never be useful for my workflow. (My current smartphone is about 10 years old.). In a controlled environment, where I know the color temp of the backlight, the first step is a straightforward inversion, mask removal, and light source offset. Command line apps make that easy to do in batch. It’s how I attach exif data to the image as well. Final editing will be done in a graphic application sure, but if I’ve just scanned 10 rolls of 36 exposures, doing that one at a time in a graphic application is tedious.

No !

I'm looking for a new technology/way scanning film negatives. I have been scanning photos/documents/films etc. for >10 years on flatbed scanner. Software used are PaperPort (Windows) and SANE (Linux)

I wonder whether there are new technologies developed after 10 years.

I'm running both Linux and Windows PCs here. I have no problem doing post-editing on images running both GIMP (Linux) as well as Adobe PhotoShop (Windows), such as negative converted to positive, RGB and brightness adjusting etc.

It is possible doing them on command lines operation. Below is the Annotate List of Command-line Options of ImageMagick;

ImageMagick – Command-line Options

ImageMagick is a powerful, open-source software suite for creating, editing, converting, and manipulating images in over 200 formats. Ideal for web developers, graphic designers, and researchers, it offers versatile tools for image processing, including batch processing, format conversion, and...

imagemagick.org

But you never get/know the instant result after executing the command lines.

Occasionally I run command-lines on Terminal editing images such as;

Rotate images:
$ convert image.jpg -rotate 90 rotated_image.jpg
(rotate the image 90 deg clockwise)

$ convert image.jpg -rotate -90 rotated_image.jpg
(rotate the image 90 deg counter-clockwise)

Compress all images to a zip file
$ zip archive.zip image1 image2 image3 ...

etc.

They never fail.

Also
It is possible running following command lines on Terminal to adjust "Brightness" and "Contrast";

$ convert -brightness-contrast 10x5 input_image.jpg output_image.jpg

-brightness 10 (above)
Setting Range: -100 to +100.
Positive values increase the brightness
Negative values decrease the brightness
'0': brightness remains unchanged

-contrast 5 (above)
Settings Range: -100 to +100
Positive values increase the contrast
Negative values decrease the contrast
'0': contrast remains unchanged.

But you can't see the change of the image promptly. You need to run graphic interface operation. Actually the front-end operation of all software is graphic interface while the back-end operation, command lines.

Command line to edit all images collectively is possible but you never get a good result. You need to do it individually, one by one. You need to apply different parameter/settings on each image.

Regards

 

[satimis]

Performed further test, scanning film negatives on Smart Phone;
Smart Phone - Samsung Galaxy S9+
Scanning software - Photo Negative Scanner: View & Convert color film

Photo Negative Scanner: View & - Apps on Google Play

Use this scanner to view and convert your old film negatives to digital images

play.google.com

Light Box - Samsung Tablet

Step 1
Start Photo Negative Scanner
Place the film negative strip on the Tablet
Hold the Smart Phone above, parallel to the negative, and take a shot
The captured negative file is directly and automatically converted to positive file after scanning

Step 2
Download the file to Computer

Step 3
Adjust Brightness and Contrast on GIMP

The photo quality is acceptable. Please refer to attached photo.
(Scanning Software:
Free Version - there is a water-mark on the right bottom corner
The pay version is without water mark)

I'll go this route - scanning film negatives on Smart Phone

 

[satimis]

Performed another test, using an old Smart Phone without scanning software installed.

Smart Phone - Samsung Galaxy S6 (a very old smart phone >15 years)
Light Box - 10" Samsung Tablet

Steps:
1. Place film strip on Samsung Tablet
2. Hold the smart phone above and parallel to the Samsung Tablet to capture
3. Import the negative image to Ubuntu 20.04 PC (Linux PC)

After cropping the negative image
4. On Terminal run following commands;
$ convert -negate tower.jpg tower_positive.jpg
(convert negative image to positive)
$ convert -rotate -90 tower_positive.jpg tower_postive90.jpg
(rotate negative image 90deg, counter-clockwise)

Even without post-editing, such as brightness, contrast, Hue, RGB, Sharpness etc. the quality of the scanned image is not bad (pls refer to attached photo).

Actually we can use an old Smart Phone, without scanning software installed to digitize film negatives. The quality of the final photos/images is directly proportional to the knowledge on software, the experience on using the software and the time invested on post-editing.

Regards

 

[satimis]

Further to my post #62 above.

It is possible to run ONE command to do the job instead of TWO;

$ convert -negate -rotate -90 tower.jpg tower_output.jpg

(convert the negative image to positive and rotate the positive image 90 deg counter-clockwise simultaneously)

I did cropping the image running Screenshot.

The scanning software - "Photo Negative Scanner", mentioned on my post #61 above, having a crop function. The photo can be cropped on Smart Phone before saving and the image saved is a positive image.

"convert" is a command of ImageMagick

ImageMagick

ImageMagick – Mastering Digital Image Alchemy

ImageMagick is a powerful, open-source software suite for creating, editing, converting, and manipulating images in over 200 formats. Ideal for web developers, graphic designers, and researchers, it offers versatile tools for image processing, including batch processing, format conversion, and...

imagemagick.org

It is an "Open Source" software and can be download, FREE to use. ImageMagick, a power image editing software with command lines operation, can be installed on Windows. I haven't run this software on Windows before therefore I can't advise how to run its commands on Windows Command Prompt.

Windows folks please share your experience here. Thanks

Furthermore you can purchase a Macro Lens for Smart Phone. (see attached photo) It is NOT expensive costing about $30. Besides some Smart Phone is provided with "Macro Mode' feature.

Regards

 

[satimis]

Scanning film negatives on Smart Phone is a new development, a new technology.

All of us have a Smart Phone, disregarding a new model or an old one. Some Smart Phones even provide with "Macro Mode" feature. We can use a "Tablet" as light box. If without a "Tablet", we can use an old computer display as light box. There are many solutions available on Internet.

Example
LightBox from an old LCD screen JustinLovesTheTech


After scanning all film negatives, we can run command lines converting all negative images to positive images, collectively, and to the right position, collectively as well. It is very easy, even for hundreds/thousands of film negatives.

Step-1
Scan all film negatives on Smart Phone. Download all negative images to a Linux PC.

Step-2
Assort all negative images into 4 folders/categories:-
Folder-1 negative images only needed for converting to positives
Folder-2 negative images needed for converting to positives and rotating 90 deg clockwise
Folder-3 negative images needed for converting to positives and rotating 90 deg counter-clockwise
Folder-4 negative images needed for converting to positives and rotating 180 deg

Step-3
On Terminal of Linux PC run following commands

Folder-1
$ mogrify -negate *.*

Folder-2
$ mogrify -negate -rotate 90 *.*

Folder-3
$ mogrify -negate -rotate -90 *.*

Folder-4
$ mogrify -negate -rotate 180 *.*

All done.

"mogrify" is a command of "ImageMagick". "ImageMagick" is a FREE Open Source software, command line operation, and also works on Windows. Windows folks, preferring command line operation, should be well knowledgeable on their commands.

But up-to-now I haven't found an easy way for post-editing, collectively. For a good quality positive image we have to do the final editing, one by one, on photo editing software such as;
GIMP (Linux)
Adobe PhotoShop (Windows)
DigiKAM (Linux and Windows)
Darktable (Linux and Windows)
etc.

11 BEST OPEN SOURCE PHOTO EDITORS TO USE IN 2022

Top 11 Best Open Source Photo Editors in 2025

Learn about the pros and cons of popular open source photo editors.

fixthephoto.com

Regards

 

[satimis]

Hi all,

The quality of photos scanned on smartphone is not bad.

Step-1
Shoot the photo on Smartphone - Samsung Galaxy S9+
Settings - Macro and optimize, no flash light
No scan software installed
Illumination - only normal room light

Step-2
Download the file on Linux PC and run
$ mogrify -rotate -90 photo.jpeg

Step-3
Open the photo on GIMP and crop it.

The quality of the positive image is quite good. The scanning speed on smartphone is much faster than scanning photos on flatbed/desktop scanner.

Just use the features on smartphone without scan software. Actually those scan software available on Internet just embed the features/functions of photo editing software, such as GIMP, PhotoShop, Darktable, DigiKAM etc. We can do post-editing on the later.

This new discovery changes my way scanning photos. In future I won't scan photos on flatbed/desktop scanner anymore.

Pls refer to attached photos

Regards