Snapping pictures with an analog camera not only has a sentimental value, but it also has a wide range of advantages.
Imagine the element of surprise created by being unable to preview your captures. Or, the unique realistic feeling and appearance you receive from the prints and films. And also the tremendous amount of attention and care you require when developing those photographs.
We are now in an era where darkrooms are rare but film photography is undergoing a re-birth in fame. In such a scenario, a scanner could be the ideal alternative for transforming original films to functional digital copies for future printing, posting, and storage.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a professional or hobbyist film photographer, or simply own a collection of slides and negatives from the good old days. In any case, getting yourself one of the best 35mm film scanners could be the perfect solution to bring your original films to life.
Top Pick
KODAK SCANZA Slide Scanner
- Formats: 35mm, 126, 110, Super 8 & 8mm Negatives
- Resolution: Powerful 14/22MP
- External Storage Support: Up To 128GB
- Connectivity: HDMI, USB, TV, SD Card
List Of Top 35mm Film Scanners
3. Wolverine 8mm & Super 8 Reels to Digital MovieMaker Pro
Comparison Chart For Top Ten 35mm Film Scanners
IMAGE | NAME & Details | DETAILS | |
---|---|---|---|
Epson Perfection V600 |
| Check The Price | |
KODAK SCANZA |
| Check The Price | |
Wolverine 8mm & Super 8 Reels to Digital MovieMaker Pro |
| Check The Price | |
Wolverine Titan 8-in-1 |
| Check The Price | |
Wolverine F2D |
| Check The Price | |
KODAK Slide N SCAN |
| Check The Price | |
KODAK Mobile Film Scanner |
| Check The Price | |
KODAK Mini Digital Film & Slide Scanner |
| Check The Price | |
Magnasonic All-In-One High |
| Check The Price | |
DIGITNOW 22MP All-in-1 |
| Check The Price |
Best 35mm Film Scanners Reviews
1. Epson Perfection V600 | Best Scanner For Slides And Negatives
It’s a surprisingly flexible device that offers high-quality scanning from films, negatives, slides, pictures, and regular documents. A high resolution of 6400 x 9600 DPI provides incredibly accurate and vibrant outputs. It can also offer clear enlargements of a maximum of 17 x 22 inches.
A spectacular 48-bit color depth and Dmax of 3.4 contribute more to the scan performance of this model. An enticing combo of functions makes this device an exceptional instrument for every film photographers- especially those that want to go far beyond solely working with negatives.
The integrated Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software will enable you to effortlessly transform scanned files to fully editable texts. The four adjustable buttons of the device can be used to scan, scan-to-email, copy and produce PDF files instantly.
The device also highlights Epson’s unique ReadyScan LED technology for energy efficiency and maximized productivity. A digital ICE is included by the manufacturer too for films and prints. It’s a dynamic tool that eliminates scratches and dirt from slides, negatives, and films in order to create expert scans.
The ICE technology also prevents the occurrence of wrinkles and tears of aged, distorted photographs. As a result, there are no costs in the needless retouching of old pictures.
Highlighted Features
- Very high resolution of 6400 x 9600 DPI
- 48-bit color depth and Dmax of 3.4
- Can scan to email as well
- Photo restoration abilities
- ReadyScan LED source for enhanced energy-efficiency
2. KODAK SCANZA | Best Slide Scanner
For when you have a versatile array of requirements in scanning negatives and slides, this Kodak Scanza could be one of the finest options. It can handle your slides, films, 35mm, 126, 110, Super 8, and even 8 mm (B/W or color) negatives with its strong 14/22 MP resolutions.
You will be able to preview photos on a 3.5 inches LCD tilting screen.Large One-Touch keys enable you to scan and save in a single step.If the display seems too tiny, you can attach this device to your laptop or TV through HDMI.
You can save your digital photos on SD cards (isn’t included) instantly. It comes with a maximum of 128 GB of storage space to provide more room for storing your photos.The device shuts down automatically after 10 minutes of inactivity.
You can digitize your photos in any corner of the world with the help of 3 adapters that can be plugged into any outlets in Europe, Asia, North America, etc.You can also link the device to your PC; Windows or Mac, for speedy upload, edit, share, and print facilities.
Highlighted Features
- Can support versatile formats
- Automatically turns off after 10 minutes’ inactivity
- 5 inches tilt LCD screen
- 128 GB storage space along with SD card support
3. Wolverine 8mm & Super 8 Reels to Digital MovieMaker Pro Film Digitizer | Best Slide Digitizer
Many people ask, “what is the best scanner for 35mm slides to digital?”
Well, Wolverine Digital MovieMaker Pro Film Digitizer is your answer.
You can turn your declining Super 8 and 8mm films into modernized digital footage with this product from Wolverine. It uses a 3.53 MP sensor to generate precise 1080p full HD videos with a rate of 20 FPS (Frames Per Second) by scanning your films by every frame.
It can deal with a range of reel sizes of up to 9 inches and provides both manual and automatic controls for exposure. This standalone product can store the videos on an SD card of max 32 GB. It can later utilize the TV-Out slot to run them on large screens. It also comes with a USB 2.0 compatibility for transporting files.
It comprises of a color 2.4 inches TFT LCD and supports Linux, Mac and Windows OS. The device can recognize Japanese language along with English.
Even though it does not support 35mm, it can do it all in other formats and can even produce digital MP4 video files. They can be played on any device and you can edit, publish on the internet, or transfer to a DVD as you please.
Highlighted Features
- Generates 1080p full HD videos of photos
- Supports Linux, Windows and Mac OS
- Recognizes Japanese and English languages
- Speed of 20 FPS
4. Wolverine Titan 8-In-1 | Best 35mm Slide Converter
You can quickly digitize your slides, negatives, and 8 mm films with this Titan 8-in-1 High-Definition device.It is capable of working with 35mm, 127, 126, 110, and APS film formats; and also 8mm and Super 8 films. This device can enable you to scan virtually all your treasured memories.
The 20MP sensor can produce high-resolution results of a maximum of 5472 x 3648 pixels in almost 3 seconds. You can preview those photos using a wide 4.3 inches color LCD. The color balance settings and brightness can be modified as well.
For seamless, efficient scanning, this device utilizes speed-load adapters devoted to each negative or slide format. The images are then saved as JPEGs at either its internal storage or an additional SD card.Its internal storage can store a maximum of 40 photos.
You can also link this device or your outputs to your PC through a mini-USB port or straight to your TV using HDMI. It is also conveniently connected via a USB interface and can be wired to an AC power supply with the provided adapters.
This standalone model requires no computers to get started. You can instantly get down to business just by taking it out of the box and plugging to a power outlet or via USB.
Highlighted Features
- Scans slides in 3 seconds
- Color LCD screen of 4.3 inches
- Standalone device requiring no computers for functioning
- Single-pass functioning along with backlight of LED
5. Wolverine F2D Saturn Digital Film | Best Film And Slide Scanner
You can transform your slides and film negatives to JPEG files using this Wolverine F2D model. This simple-to-use scanner is compliant with medium formats of 127, and 35 mm film formats. It is also capable of transforming films to 20MP digital pictures in a matter of seconds.
Photographs can be easily viewed on a big 4.3 inches color LCD. An HDMI port will allow you to see your photos on TVs. Adapters for negatives and slides are provided as well. Photos can be stored easily on your computer or independently bought SD cards with a capacity of a maximum of 128 GB.
No software or computer is needed as it can be used on its own as a standalone device. Its built-in storage can hold up to 80-100 digital photos this and model supportsboth Mac and Windows OS.
Highlighted Features
- Compliant with medium formats of 127 and 35 mm film formats
- HDMI port allows photos to be viewed on TV
- Can be used computer-free
- Built-in storage can hold up to 80-100 digital photos
- Supports both Windows and Mac
35mm Film Scanner Buying Guide
Format
Just like for every home or office device, pick your scanner with your intended purpose. What is the device going to be used for? Definitely for film scanning but of what formats? Film scanners generally only offer a single format, so you have to remain alert.
Typical small format devices are designed to handle 35 mm negative strips.And if you’re searching for a medium-format scanner, you should opt for a device that can handle mm of film at max. The costliest or cheapest ones aren’t necessarily the perfect one. So, choose the format that you are most likely to use.
If the goal is to archive your collection of thousands of slides of 35mm, aim for a design that enables mass scanning of several originals on a single order to save your energy and time.
Depth Of Color
Also recognized as bit depth, this is a key consideration when purchasing your device. It’s the sum of the red,green, and blue channels of color. Also expressed in bits, it defines the potential of the gadget to capture shades of gray or color in negatives precisely.
The larger the number, the stronger the product. Although modern ones are up to an amazing 48 bits in-depth, a 24-bit device is adequate. However, models with lower than 24 bits might be unable to create a flawless color transition.
Resolution
Are you going to use your scanner to produce big outputs? If so, find a model with fairly high resolutions. Usually,the best scanner for 35mm slides would offer two varieties of resolutions- optical; and hardware or interpolated resolution.
Remain more cautious of the optical resolution as the interpolated resolution doesn’t add anything to quality performance.Just like the depth of color, the larger the value, the better. Be careful, however, of the unrealistic resolution values claimed by unethical companies.
Dmax And Dmin
The Dmax of a scanner can narrowly be defined as a measurement of the device’s optical density. It is the level of detail that the product can grab in the darker areas of the film; or the brighter areas of the photo. It means the colors in the positive and the darkness in the negative images.
Dmax reflects how the scanner collects the details in the darkness, while Dmin is an indicator of the strength of the scanner in highlight. Sadly, the majority of producers do not give this key detail. But fear not as almost all of the products included in this article have an impressive image quality.
Conclusion
Scanning films is probably the least appealing stage out of many for old-school photographers who use film-cameras. But this step can’t be abandoned, which is why film scanners are necessary.
They’re going to aid you in digitizing old pictures and share them with the world.These are also handy for talented mediums and professional photographers who desire to produce spectacular prints but don’t have access to darkrooms.
This write-up consists of not only a list ofthe best 35mm film scanners but also a guideline to aid you through the entire purchase process. We now rest with the belief that hopefully, now you can pick the ultimate gear to serve your needs.