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Re: [OM] viewing 35mm negatives on a computer screen

Subject: Re: [OM] viewing 35mm negatives on a computer screen
From: Moose <olymoose@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 2016 13:14:26 -0800
On 1/8/2016 8:36 AM, John Hudson wrote:

In days of old one could feed a roll of 35mm film through an epidiascope and 
project the images onto a wall.

I believe you've got your name and image source mixed up. I had to look up 'epidiascope', which turns out to be a combination opaque projector and overhead projector. I used both back when I was on the Projection Crew in Jr. High, overheads many other times and have a vague memory of a huge, awkward combo unit back in school.

But I find it hard to imagine what use they would be for 35 mm film. The magnification was pretty low, designed for 8.5x11" originals. I suppose one could devise/adapt a holder to project the equivalent of a contact sheet. But I think quality would be worse than the simple, cheap illuminated slide sorter I have with hand magnifier and a small light table and loupe on the side for closer looks at individual frames.

There certainly were slide projectors with adapters for roll film. We used to have those back then. Educational publishers sold instructive roll film slide shows. Mostly B&W, if I recall correctly. Teachers ordered them in the same way as they ordered films to show. I don't recall if there was a special name for those projectors. I seem to remember a lever mechanism to advance one frame at a time.

Is there any comparable device one could hook up to a computer and view the 
images on the computer's screen?

One could use a mirrorless or DSLR camera with Live View connected via its video output to a TV/monitor with video input. Neither my computers nor desktop monitor have direct video input, but it would work fine on the TV. I could pull my 'sticks' of film through the slide/film adapter on my Oly Bellows or get a roll film adapter for rolls, if I had any. For more recent cameras with WiFi, their LV may be viewed using apps on iThingies and Android phones/tablets. So I could view on my iPad as I roll/pull the film through in front of the lens.

Not really comparable, but with advantages of simplicity and permanence, is scanning to digital files to view later. That's what I do; stick the film in a scanner, let it do its thing while I do something else, then view on screen when it is done. If you are talking about negative film, this is far the best for me, as they may be viewed as positives. I was never much good at 'reading' B&W negs, and color is pretty close to impossible for anyone.

Film? Moose

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