Category Archives: How To

Traveling photographers always worry about what might happen to their film when it’s time to go through airport security. And with good reason. X-ray scanners can fog film and ruin your hard-won photos. But how real is the danger, and … Continue reading →

Making quality scans of your negatives and slides means hardware. Good hardware. And as with any topic that concerns photography and hardware, opinions span the spectrum and confusion abounds. Here’s my take on the available gear and what works for … Continue reading →

NOTE: This article has been significantly revised to reflect recent changes in airport scanning technology. You can read the revised version here.  This older version is retained only for archival purposes.

So you’ve finally grown tired of the expense, hassle, and so-so results from your local lab, and have decided to take the plunge and get yourself a scanner. As someone who spends a lot of time producing scans of negatives … Continue reading →

Most photographers gravitate towards a one-lens solution, especially for their “walking around” camera.  And more often than not, that one lens is a zoom.  But what if you prefer the crisp images provided by so-called prime lenses? Or, what if your … Continue reading →

One of the most common scanning problems is a defect known as image banding. Sometimes its appearance is subtle, sometimes it’s not. What’s the cause? Consider how a scanner works: a single-line CCD array slowly sweeps across your negative, slide, or … Continue reading →