PGJR Loc: 33868

I have 3 5x7 glass with negatives. Where can I get them printed or digitized, if possible? Thanks

HawaiianEye Loc: Haleiwa, Hawaii

You can digitise them on a flat-bed scanner. The post experts here- I'm not one, can tell you how to go from there.

PGJR Loc: 33868

I didn't think of doing that. I have an Epson V600. I'll have to try that. Thank you very much for the suggestion!

Timmers Loc: San Antonio Texas.

If you have contact prints made they will never be really sharp. In this modern age scanning the image will deliver results like what was possible using an enlarger in time of the past. So the suggestion for scanning is the correct choice in the digital age.

Detail from the past, when a glass plate negative was broken it was hardly a problem. The negative was aligned to the broken parts and with sun prints the image was spun (literally from small strings) while printing. In a darkroom a turn table (or lazy susan) was used to make contact prints with the break as far to the outside of the lens center during exposure and so a shadow like effect was created that negated the break.

If you have broken glass plates they are best scanned with the the break line positioned at right angles to the direction of the scan, this way the break will be there but minimized so that in post the break line can be blended and so removed.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Your scanner will not accommodate that size transparency or negative. The transparency adapter specifies 35mm slides or strips ir medium format strips, 2 frames at a time.

Workaround: If you have or can improvise a lightbox to transilluminate the negatives- a piece of white Plexiglas will do the trick. Backlight it, darken the rest of the room, and shoot it with your digital camera. Then invert to POSITIVE in editing and print from that file.

I assume you have GLASS PLATES (5x7). I have done this procedure before and worked well. Be careful, some of those old plates are very fragile.

Cany143 Loc: SE Utah

True enough about piecing together a 'broken' glass plate negative, but completely incorrect in the contention that they "will never be really sharp". Nothing --NOTHING, neither a scan nor a camera re-po of a glass plate neg-- will ever be as sharp (or contrasty, or whatever else you might list as any of the other attributes one might seek in a negative, glass plate or otherwise). In effect, NOTHING will ever be as good as the original source, though through modern digital techniques and what-not, it MAY be true that many gains/improvements can subsequently be made.

I don't know how many glass plate negs I've processed. Suffice it to say 'many'. These included --usually-- negs that had been produced (in the 1800's and early 1900's) by some well-known 'names'. But all of that was done ages ago, before hi-res digital cameras and scanners were readily available, and whatever was accomplished was accomplished in the wet. I (still) DO hope to find out some time relatively soon, though, since I'm (still) trying to get access to the glass plate negatives of a photographer/painter I've been interested in for many, many years. The logistics of which doing so, however, may be a little daunting, since doing so will include driving 2,500 miles (one way), packing and carrying a scanner, assorted camera gear, and quite possibly a full-fledged computer, too, then schlepping that (and me) across eleven miles of open water to a place where electricity isn't exactly ubiquitous.

therwol Loc: USA

The higher end Epson Scanners, V7xx and V8xx can accomodate large negatives scanned directly on the scanner's glass. I think that a V850 will run you around $1300 new. By the way, those scanners test much better than the V600 in terms of real world resolution. For small format, you're better off with a dedicated film scanner. That's just FYI.

I agree with photographing the negatives. The setup has to be rock solid for best results.

PGJR Loc: 33868

Thanks E.L. for "a piece of white Plexiglas will do the trick". I'm not very bright at this stage of life but I'll try. I don't recognize the people in the negatives. I think they were my great-great grandparents. I'll try to follow your instructions. It may be a while before I can post the results as we're dealing with stage 4 cancer. I appreciate your post.
Paul

PGJR Loc: 33868

[quote=Cany143] True enough about piecing together a 'broken' glass plate negative... I'm glad that none of the plates are cracked, broken or scratched. I appreciate the informative info. Thank you,
Paul

PGJR Loc: 33868

[quote=therwol]The higher end Epson Scanners, V7xx and V8xx can accommodate large negatives...
Thanks, I can't afford another scanner at this time but thank you for your input, I appreciate it.
Paul

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

I hope your efforts to print from those plates are successful. More importantly, I hope your treatments are going well toward a fast recovery.

PGJR Loc: 33868

thank you very much

Boris77

While the V600 is not set up for transparency scanning at the 5x7 size, why not try it on the regular flat bed just to see what you can see.
I developed a small contact vacuum on a 11x14" base with a point source light for my home wet darkroom many years ago to proof my 35mm negative strips. I proofed a few old 4x5 glass plates for a friend. With the proper paper the results were plenty sharp and contrasty (and boring to me).
The present day dilemma would be the substrate and processing.
Boris

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

They are called "Glass Negatives", just so you know. I have a number of them of old photos I did not shoot. You can scan them yourself with a Flat Bed Scanner. Though if you only have three and no other Film Negatives it would not be worth buying a scanner. You may be able to find a friend or neighbor who has a scanner and can either do it for you or let you do it. I am sure you can find a service to do it for you but I have no idea of a company name or location. I have two scanners and if I lived near you I'd do it for free for fun. Do be careful handling them so you don't get cut or scratch a scanner. Though I have seen glass negatives that are "bonded" with edging. Good luck.

PGJR Loc: 33868

Boris77 - Thanks for the suggestion. That sounds like a good idea.
Paul