Does anyone have any suggestions on how I might get high quality transparencies from 35mm negs(colour and b&w). I'm having dust and contrast problems galore. Any suggestions would be most appreciated!. Thanks!

-- michelle reardon-barker (mbarker@york.com), August 07, 1998

Answers

There are a number of techniques for transferring an image from 35mm film to 35mm film. These include contact printing, using an enlarger, using a camera, or re-photographing a print. Probably the simplest is to use a camera. You need a "slide copyer", which holds film or slides in place, in front of a piece of opal glass. A macro lens and bellows, or similar, and an SLR. You can then crop the picture as you go.

The biggest dust problem is liable to be on the original film. I use a camel-hair brush and a loupe. Brush the film, then use the loupe to examine the neg against the light. Also orient the neg to get light bouncing off the surface (so the surface looks white); this will show up other dust. Then brush off each bit of dust. This only take a couple of minutes per negative, but a quick ten-second brush isn't enough.

Each neg must be brushed just before photographing it.

A normally exposed and developed negative of a normal scene will give a density range (on B&W film) of about 2.0, which corresponds to about 7 stops. By a nice coincidence, this is about the same as a "normal" scene, so it should photograph nicely. However, if the original neg has a wider range of tones, you should reduce the contrast of the copying film (basically, over-expose and under-develop). Conversly, a thinner original will need an increased contrast for the copy film (under-expose and over-develop), but this is less likely.

If you were copying colour slide film with colour slide film, you would have to use other tricks to control contrast. But with B&W film, you can readily control it with development.

I've never needed to photograph colour negative film. I suspect this is inherently lower contrast than B&W film, in which case you would have to increase the contrast of the copy film.

-- Alan Gibson (gibson.al@mail.dec.com), August 11, 1998.

Hey Cuz, Your very long lost relative here, maybe. Just wanted to chime in. Where's the dust coming from, your slide duper? did you mount the negs in slide holders? Are you using reversal film? Or copying prints. Give me some specifics and i might be able to help? Where's the rest of the fam? I was born, reared and presently work in Oklahoma, some wrongful genealogy reflects that my family hailed from Monhegan(SP?)Northern Ireland, My grandfather moved to OK from western Canada. What's with the colour spelling are you in york uk? TA gotta go.

-- Blake Barker (jbarker@ptsi.net), December 22, 1998.