Scanning 35mm Panorama at typical commercial lab

So I wonder what type of industry (bulk) film scanner do typical/small commercial lab use.

I intend to shoot some 35mm panorama, and there fore there won't be any frame divider once every normal 35mm frame.

I don't want to spend the extra money to have it flatbed scanned so I wonder if the automated bulk scanner will be able to scan correctly without cutting the frames. Or do they automatically cut off for normal 35mm frames?

I guess it's probably more of the matter of the software that they use with the scanner, if so in that case, could I request the lab to tweak it for me to render a continuous image?

Has anyone done this before?

Presumably this ties in with your question in the Medium Format forum?

'Panorama' is just a long thin crop. So if you shoot 120 film in your 6x7 camera using a wideangle lens, you'll have exactly the same image as on 35mm film, just with a bit more top and bottom to it.

Save yourself the hassle of finding a custom lab with a special scanner and shoot on 120 film. You can then crop the 6x7 scans to whatever long, thin 'panorama' you want.

So I wonder what type of industry (bulk) film scanner do typical/small commercial lab use.

I intend to shoot some 35mm panorama, and there fore there won't be any frame divider once every normal 35mm frame.

 

I don't want to spend the extra money to have it flatbed scanned so I wonder if the automated bulk scanner will be able to scan correctly without cutting the frames. Or do they automatically cut off for normal 35mm frames?

 

I guess it's probably more of the matter of the software that they use with the scanner, if so in that case, could I request the lab to tweak it for me to render a continuous image?

 

Has anyone done this before?

One reason I've seen for people exposing 35mm film in a medium format camera is they want the area around the sprocket holes exposed as well. Is that part of what you're after?

I think most people doing that scan themselves. The typical 35mm film holders won't work.

I don't really understand what you are asking here. What kind of scanner they use? Well, why does it matter to you?

I have a Noblex 135S which produces negatives measuring 24x66 mm - that's 1 mm wider than what the Xpan produces. The lab I use - Peak Imaging in the UK - offers an XPan scanning service, and if I want my Noblex images scanned by them, I just use their Xpan service.

What size are your images? Can you find a (mail order?) lab that handles XPan images? Ultimately you just want to have some panoramic 35mm images processed and scanned, right?

One reason I've seen for people exposing 35mm film in a medium format camera is they want the area around the sprocket holes exposed as well.

An effect easily added in post, and nobody would know the difference.

"Oooh, look at me everybody. I'm putting 35mm film in a camera not designed for it. I also make my coffee in a teapot and sit the wrong way round on the toilet! How hip am I?"

An effect easily added in post, and nobody would know the difference.

"Oooh, look at me everybody. I'm putting 35mm film in a camera not designed for it. I also make my coffee in a teapot and sit the wrong way round on the toilet! How hip am I?"

What an unhelpful reply. On this site, there are many people doing many different things. Photography is art, right? Let's not just dismiss everything as "an effect easily added in post".

Let's not just dismiss everything as "an effect easily added in post".

Good composition, good lighting, an interesting subject and an indefinable 'Wow!' factor certainly can't be added in post or dismissed. But a few superimposed sprocket holes that contribute to none of the above? Yeah, I can easily dismiss those as an affectation, rather than an effect.

If only making 'art' was as simple as sticking 35mm film in a rollfilm camera.:rolleyes:

I don't really understand what you are asking here. What kind of scanner they use? Well, why does it matter to you?

 

I have a Noblex 135S which produces negatives measuring 24x66 mm - that's 1 mm wider than what the Xpan produces. The lab I use - Peak Imaging in the UK - offers an XPan scanning service, and if I want my Noblex images scanned by them, I just use their Xpan service.

 

What size are your images? Can you find a (mail order?) lab that handles XPan images? Ultimately you just want to have some panoramic 35mm images processed and scanned, right?

I'm asking because I'm afraid that industrial/bulk scanners are programed to recognize the frame separator shot on normal 35mm, and then automatically divide full strip of film into 24/36 individual pictures. It matters because I'm shooting a continuous frame of 24x67, as opposed to a conventional 24x36. I don't want the scanner to cut in between.

One reason I've seen for people exposing 35mm film in a medium format camera is they want the area around the sprocket holes exposed as well. Is that part of what you're after?

 

I think most people doing that scan themselves. The typical 35mm film holders won't work.

I realized that. I guess there is no point to ask in here than to inquire at each individual lab.

But as far as I know, industrial scanners doesn't use film holders like the consumer ones, they scan them continuously like a drum. I saw a very old Fuji one (frontier 1000) once in a lab.

I realized that. I guess there is no point to ask in here than to inquire at each individual lab.

But as far as I know, industrial scanners doesn't use film holders like the consumer ones, they scan them continuously like a drum. I saw a very old Fuji one (frontier 1000) once in a lab.

Not all commercial scanners are drum scanners though. And many rely on a gate or something to apply pressure to the edges of the film to keep it flat. I think you're right. Your best bet is to check with the lab.

It may be obvious, but if you don't do the processing yourself, be very sure that you have the film returned to you UNCUT. If you don't say anything. there is a strong likelihood of getting back randomly cut strips.

I, personally, would not trust anyone else, but would do the processing myself. I'd also do my own scanning, and if necessary use one of the panorama routines to re-assemble scans that are not long enough..

The Pakon F135 used to be popular for minilabs, and maybe still is. It scans the whole roll and then finds the frame boundaries.

I believe that there is no problem with panoramic film. There is a way to tell it the frame length to expect.

I have put Mercury II film through one, with its unusual frame length.

Pakon scanners are getting harder to find, and the price goes up. But if you only have one roll,

you might find someone (or some lab) to do it for you.

If you shoot with a 120, you could mark off with a grease pencil the framing for pano aspect on the ground glass. That would help you compose.

Separately, there must be some sort of program that would overlay sprocket holes in post processing so it looks like you exposed to the top and bottom of a 35mm film even though you used 120 film. Although not what you;re looking for, I removed one of my 35mm slide holders from this shot and scanned it on the Epson glass.

Blue Tang