Convert Negatives to Digital: Negative Scanning Service
The photos you never printed are still in your negatives.
35mm and every other size, scanned at about 4300 DPI and color corrected by hand on every frame, in our own studio in Orange, California. Birthdays, weddings, road trips, maybe moments you have never even seen. Your originals always come home.
Trusted by Chapman University Film School, Southern California libraries, and thousands of families.
Negative scanning service, at a glance
- Price from
- $0.91 per 35mm negative
- Resolution
- About 4300 DPI, about 12 MB per image
- Color correction
- By hand, by a technician, on every scan
- Sizes
- 35mm, 126, 120 medium format, 110, sheet film
- Turnaround
- Call (888) 405-2685 for current processing times and priority ordering
- Where
- In-house, in Orange, California
Negative Scanning Service Prices, Per Negative
Every negative gets the same archival scan and the same hand color correction. The only thing that changes the price is the size of the film.
35mm and 126
The standard strips from a film camera, and the square 126 negatives from Instamatic cameras, at the same price.
- About 4300 DPI archival scan, about 12 MB per image
- Converted to positive JPG images
- Manual color correction by a technician, included
- Cleaned before scanning, files you own on your drive
Other sizes
120 medium format, 110, sheet film, other unusual sizes, and positive film.
- The same 4300 DPI archival scan
- Converted to positive JPG images
- Manual color correction included
- Handled to fit the specific format
Not sure what you have? Send them along and we quote them.
How Much Does It Cost to Get Negatives Scanned?
Negatives are priced per image. A standard 35mm roll is 24 or 36 exposures. Send them in their sleeves for an exact, itemized quote.
| You have | About this many images | About this much storage | Approximate cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 rolls of 35mm | 72 | 1 GB | $65.52 |
| 5 rolls of 35mm | 180 | 2 GB | $163.80 |
| 10 rolls of 35mm | 360 | 4 GB | $327.60 |
| 50 medium format frames | 50 | 0.6 GB | $67.50 |
Why Scan Your Negatives, Not Just Your Prints
A negative is the original capture, often better than any print ever made from it, and it may hold frames nobody printed.
Recover unprinted shots
A roll of 36 might have been printed as 12. The other frames are still on the negative, waiting to be seen.
The original, not a copy
Prints fade and yellow. The negative is the source, so scanning it gives you a cleaner start than scanning an old print.
Color correction on every scan
Old color negatives shift with age. Every scan is rebalanced by a technician, by hand, not by an automated filter.
4300 DPI archival detail
Many services scan at 300, 1200, or 2400 DPI. We scan at about 4300, so your images can be enlarged and printed, not just viewed small.
Questions to Ask Before You Ship Your Negatives
Your negatives may be the only copy of those moments. How they are scanned is what you keep forever.
| Question to ask | Legacy Digital | Typical mail-in or big-box service |
|---|---|---|
| What resolution do you scan at? | About 4300 DPI | Often 300 to 2400 DPI |
| Who does the color correction? | A technician, by hand, on every scan | Ask before you ship |
| Are my strips handled on their own? | Yes, frame by frame, in the order you sent them | Mixed into bulk jobs |
| Where is the work done? | In-house, in Orange, CA | Often mailed out of state |
| Lost media? | Never lost an item, across more than a million | Loss reports online |
Which Negative Size Do You Have?
You never have to sort them first. We identify every strip and sheet.
Strips of 35mm color negatives, the most common size we scan.
How to Get Your Negatives Scanned
Gather your negatives
Leave them in their sleeves or strips. Drop them off in Orange, ship them with a prepaid kit, or ask about local pick-up.
We scan them in-house
Each strip is logged and cleaned, every frame is scanned at about 4300 DPI, turned positive, and color corrected by hand.
See them, maybe for the first time
JPG files on a drive, with an optional slideshow, ready to share and print. Your negatives come home with them.
Every shipment is logged the day it arrives at our Orange studio.
The point of it all: seeing them together again.
Negative Scanning Reviews
“Legacy took my old faded 35 mm slides and transformed them into digital flash drive so that I can enjoy my treasured photos through updated technology! I am grateful!!!!”
LindaG · Google review
“I have been using them for many years. All kinds of media, including 8 mm film, 35 mm slides, and regular photographs. Always top quality and good service”
Andy Urtu · Google review
Our Satisfaction Guarantee
We stand behind every transfer we perform. If you're unhappy with the quality of our work, we'll make every reasonable effort to make it right, at no additional charge. And if another professional service can produce a visibly better transfer from the same originals, we'll match their quality or refund what you paid us for the affected transfer.
See Our Full Satisfaction Guarantee →Negative Scanning Service Questions
How do I get my negatives scanned?
Drop them off at our studio in Orange, California, ship them to us yourself, or order a prepaid shipping kit. No sorting or cutting needed. We count and identify everything, send you an itemized quote, and scan them in-house.
What resolution are negatives scanned at?
About 4300 DPI, which works out to about 12 MB per image. You get JPG files on a flash drive or hard drive, large enough to print and enlarge.
How long does negative scanning take?
Processing times depend on our current queue and the size of your order, so call us at (888) 405-2685 for current processing times. Working toward a date? Ask about priority ordering, and we will tell you honestly what we can finish by then.
Do I need to sort or cut my negatives before sending them?
No. Send them in their existing sleeves or strips. We keep your strips and groupings organized the way you sent them, and the files are named and foldered to match, so nothing gets scrambled.
Can you scan color and black-and-white negatives?
Both. Color negatives get manual color correction to rebalance age-related shifts, and black-and-white negatives are scanned and tonally corrected for a clean, true result.
How much does it cost to scan negatives, including medium format?
35mm and 126 negatives are $0.91 each at the current special. Larger 120 medium format, 110, sheet film, and other unusual sizes, including positive film, scan at the other-size rate of $1.35 each. We confirm the exact rate with your quote.
Is color correction included in negative scanning?
Yes. Every negative scan gets manual color correction by a technician in Photoshop, for exposure, color, and saturation. Not AI, and not an automated algorithm.
Can faded, curled, or brittle negatives still be scanned?
Usually, yes. Curled and brittle strips are handled by hand, frame by frame, and old color shifts are rebalanced by hand. Some negatives are physically damaged beyond a perfect image, and when that happens we tell you and deliver the best result the negative can give.
What happens if a negative cannot be scanned?
You are not charged for its conversion, and any amount already paid for it is refunded. We tell you which items could not be converted, and why, before the final invoice, and your originals come back either way.
Can you make a slideshow from my scanned negatives?
Yes. We can turn your scans into a playable slideshow on a drive or DVD, starting at $50 per 200 images. Because you get high-resolution JPG files, you can also take them anywhere to print.
Can negatives, photos, and slides go on the same drive?
Yes. We place every image on the same drive in organized folders, so your whole collection lives in one place.
Other questions? Call us at (888) 405-2685. A real person answers, 7AM to 7PM, 7 days a week.
Have more than negatives?
Photos, slides, film, and video all go on one drive with your scans, in organized folders.
Your negatives have waited long enough.
Get a free, itemized quote. We count every frame, tell you the exact cost, and your originals always come home.
202 W. Lincoln Ave., Suite A, Orange, CA 92865
Walk-ins Mon to Fri, 8AM to 4PM
Evenings and weekends by appointment
Phones answered 7AM to 7PM, 7 days a week
