Due to the popularity of digital photography, it is becoming a trend to convert film camera to digital photos.
Benefits of Digital Photos
Digital photos are computerized images taken with your camera. The benefits of taking digital photos instead of film photos are countless, include:
- Ease of use: A simple USB cable or SD card can be used to transfer the photos from a digital camera to a computer.
- Price: Recurring costs of developing film negatives are completely cut out.
- Convenience: Digital images can be viewed at any time or location.
- Editing: Digital photos can be edited by using simple photo editing software that usually comes with the digital camera itself.
- Space: Digital photos save space.
- Conversion: It is very easy to convert film photos to digital ones.
About Digital Card Memory
When a photo is taken using a digital camera, the process starts with the image sensor on the camera. The sensor is exposed to light, and signals go through the analog-to-digital converter (ADC). How much information is caught varies depending upon the resolution of the sensor.
The next part of the process involves the data being converted into a digital format. It is then saved in the internal memory buffer within the camera. The final part is where the photo is stored on the memory card. This is a permanent storage chip in the camera.
How to Convert Film Camera to Digital Photos
Once a consumer has made the all important decision of switching to a digital camera, the issue of how to convert film camera to digital images comes into play. Film negatives and print photos can both be converted into digital photos.
The best option would be to convert the original negatives into digitized versions. This is because the negatives are free of wear and tear, faded colors, and other defects. You can hire a company to do the job for you or save money and do it yourself.
A flatbed scanner can be used to convert photos taken with film cameras to digital images. Most scanners come with a film scanner option. This is a little device where you can place a negative strip. The device is then put into the scanner. The negative is treated as a print in the scanner. The only downside of the process is the amount of time it requires. Every single negative must be scanned individually, so depending on how many negatives you plan to scan, you could be looking at several hours of work.
Alternatively, an accessory film scanner can be used. It replaces the scanner's lid and uses the base with the light alone. These devices typically take whole strips of film at a time, rather than just one. In addition, it can deal with different sizes of film negatives. Most film negatives are 35 mm wide. However, larger ones also exist.
Regards of what method you use, it's important to ensure that the negative is free of dust before scanning. A fine hair brush or lint-free cloth can be used for this purpose. Also, the digital files created will be large. Make sure ample space is available for storage.
Pros of Conversion
Converting film photos into digital files is quite simple and easy, though it takes up a lot of time. For many, however, the prospect of storing those precious memories in a convenient and evergreen medium is priceless and definitely worth the effort. If a fast PC is available, along with lots of space on the hard drive, then give it a try. Digital camera photos can even be transferred to a CD or DVD later on. Unlike film photos, they can be viewed whenever and wherever you want.
