Film Photos Online

May 3, 2017 5:21 PM

What is the best current way to get photos from film to a website? I assume I can have them developed at Costco or a drugstore and have the photos posted online or on a CD, but will the resolution be large enough to use in modern web design? Should I use a more professional service like Moon Photo or Dark Room?
posted by kittensofthenight to Technology (5 answers total)

Best answer: I checked out the Darkroom link you posted, and their FAQ lists multiple photo resolutions that you can have them scanned at. So, depending on your end goal, they will be able to accomodate your needs. I'd say the basic or enhanced resolutions should be fine for a typical website. The ultra-high resolution is probably something that would only be used for special situations.
posted by see_change at 5:38 PM on May 3, 2017

Negative scanner?
posted by Violet Hour at 6:26 PM on May 3, 2017

Best answer: I use the Darkroom for this. I also have a film scanner, but if I'm starting from a new roll of film, it's a lot easier to just have them do it all at once. Even when I'm really careful, I find that when I scan them,l myself, I find that I spend a fair amount of time dealing with dust and stuff. As for drug stores, I've found the attention to detail to be highly variable. I personally don't think it's worth the risk/hassle, but that's your call.
posted by primethyme at 6:35 PM on May 3, 2017

I'd use one of those online services that specializes in film, rather than a drug store (I think Costco stopped entirely in the last couple of years). Most of the chains that used to do one-hour photo now mail film out, so they're not really any cheaper or faster, and some of them don't even give you your negatives back.

If you've got a local place that specializes in it, of course, they're worth checking out, too.
posted by Polycarp at 7:07 PM on May 3, 2017

Best answer: I've had a lot of film done by TheDarkroom and have always been happy with both the processing and the scans. The downside is that they're pretty pricey but I haven't found anyone else that does as nice a job. The standard scan looks like this at least for 120 film shot at 6x4.5. 35mm scans might be smaller, not sure.
posted by octothorpe at 7:24 PM on May 3, 2017