Film Scanner

A film scanner is a computing device that allows the user to scan a photographic film and directly transfer it to a computer. As film scanners have been specifically designed for scanning photography films, these offer significant advantages over conventional flatbed scanners vis-à-vis the scanning of a photography film.

For example, a film scanner allows the photographer to scan the film in a print of any size; further, the film scanner also allows the photographer to maintain direct control over several aspects of the print such as cropping and aspect ratio. Moreover, several film scanners also come with specialised software and/or hardware that allow image enhancements like removal of scratches and grains and improvement of colour reproduction from negatives etc.

Note that film scanners can accept both 35 mm and 120 mm films, and can also accept individual slides in both sizes. Most low-end scanners, however, are only compatible with 35 mm films and cannot accept 120 mm films. On the other hand, mid-end and high-end film scanners have interchangeable film loaders. This allows the photographer to use one film scanner for multiple types of films. Some advanced interchangeable film loaders also allow microscopic slides, whereas others feature mechanised slide loaders, which allow many individual slides to be batch scanned.

A major problem faced by film scanners is the presence of dust and scratches. Due to their extremely reduced size, film scanners are capable of resolutions that are much higher than normal flatbed scanners. Typical resolutions of film scanners are between 2000 samples per inch (spi) to 4000 spi and more. At such high resolutions, even small specks of dust, which may also be invisible to the naked eye, are capable of obscuring a cluster of pixels, thereby ruining the image. Hence, film scanners and related software come equipped with special tools and remedies to correct these anomalies from the image.

Nikon, Canon, Kodak, Vého, etc are among the major film scanner manufacturers. Of these, perhaps Vého is the most popular. Currently, among the most popular and best film scanners, available in the market, one product that definitely stands out is the Vého VFS001. This Vého film scanner is very fast and has a scan speed of approximately 0.5 seconds.

The Vého VFS 001 film scanner, in its latest model, also comes equipped with Vého’s "me" store and share software, and as such is also colloquially referred to as the "Vého VFS 001me" film scanner. Note that the Vého VFS 001 film scanner is only compatible with 35 mm films. The Vého VFS 001 negative film and slide scanner is only USB 2.0 compatible and supports both the Windows Vista and Windows XP operating systems.

The term "USB film scanner" is largely colloquial in nature and is used to refer to film scanners that connect to a computer using the USB format.

There are many photography sites, which allow users to virtually compare film scanners from various companies, and offer reviews and buying guides for the same. One can also buy film scanners from such sites and other online trading and shopping sites.