By popular demand, we have now added full frame scanning to 35mm film! We already offer this for medium format (limited to 6×4.5, 6×6 and 6×7), so some may be no stranger to this concept, but here’s a little Q&A for you:
Q: Why might I want full frame scans?
A: Some people are not aware that commercial lab scanners crop the frame during the scan process. This is for a number of reasons but essentially it is to overcome the fact that frame sizes vary from one brand of camera to another, and also to deal with the tolerances within the scanner for transporting film frame by frame as the roll is scanned. The mask in commercial lab scanners will crop approximately 7% of the image, meaning that elements of the image close to the edges of the frame may be cropped out during the scan process, and ultimately what you saw through your camera viewfinder won’t be exactly what you see in the scan. Incidentally this is why we have always advised to keep important elements of your image (such as feet, when shooting portraits) a little further away from the bottom of the frame.
Q: So I get an extra 7% of my image when I select full frame scans?
A: Yes! See the scans at the bottom of this page to see what this looks like in practice. The black line is where the image would be cropped by the standard scan. The image outside of the black line is the extra you would receive with a full frame scan. The black borders that you see are actually the blank parts of the film that sit outside of the frame, so these are true “film borders.” If you happen to see a lab delivering only white borders outside of the image, you are not receiving a true full frame scan, and instead you are seeing the mask itself, not the borders of your film.
Q: Does it cost extra to choose full frame scans?
A: We charge just a small supplement of $4 per roll, to reflect that we have invested in custom equipment that enables us to deliver the true full frame. Also, since using this custom equipment means using our scanners in a way that they weren’t designed for, the scan process takes a little longer and may also need some extra adjustments during the scan. We have tried to keep this supplement as low as possible so that everyone can enjoy full frame scans!
Q: Is there anything else I should be aware of?
A: Frame alignment in the scan has always been less accurate when dealing with underexposed negatives, or negatives with low density, or frames where there is flare or other excessive brightness along one edge. After all, we (and the scanner itself) rely on a strong frame edge in order to be able to align the image for scanning. Full frame scanning in some instances may cause some frame alignment issues to be more apparent, and we cannot always guarantee totally even film borders on every edge. As always, we will endeavour to deliver the best scan possible while working within the constraints that are sometimes present.
Q: How do I order full-frame scans?
A: Please check out our updated order forms and you’ll see there is now a tick-box option for this service. We have now retired our previous order forms (cue sad music!), so please use the current versions from our website to ensure we receive complete and correct order details, allowing us to process your film just as you want it!
Q: What about medium format film?
A: We already offer full-frame scanning for medium format film, for a supplement of $2 per roll. You can find more details on our blog.
Here’s another example of a full frame scan:
