Photography is turning filmless for a variety of reasons -- No film chemistry required, faster turnaround, improved feedback while taking pictures and easier transmission. But what if you already have 35mm negatives or slides taken years or decades ago?

To turn your 35mm media into a digital format, you will need a 35mm scanner. While some consumer flatbed scanners have attachments that can perform this function, most of these scanners have been created to handle larger documents like letters or faxes. They also tend to have optical resolutions in the 300-600 dpi range, which is generally not high enough to adequately handle the tiny image found on 35mm film (a little over a square inch). 35mm film scanners have resolutions that range from 300 dpi to over 4,000 dpi and include software that can specifically handle negative images and differences in film types.

Here are some models from the following manufacturers:

In a hurry to read or print all the information about these products? View our "link-free" version of this article. that contains all the text from each page linked above. While it's a larger download than this page, all the product information can be completely viewed AT ONE TIME, using only scrolling and can be printed with only a single click.

Copyright © 2006 Reviews OnLine All rights reserved.