Starting a scan biz - Do you guys use help to scan your films/photos/negative?

[scanfilms]

I just myself a Canon CanoScan LiDE 700F to start my small scanning service, appreciate some feedback to make my service more useful.

Do you guys use help to scan in your films/photos/negative? I bought it since it got one of the highest resolution out there. I reckon higher dpi, clearer picture.

Here's how I think it could work for me. People mail me the stuffs to scan, I scan it in, I upload it online for my customers to download. Or I mail them the DVD of the scanned images.

What do you guys think?

 

[Agetan]

Hi,

I would think, unless you are using scanner like flextight scanner or some sort of drum scanner, you won't be able to compete with photo lab that is offering their scanner service.

The thing is, if someone just shot a film, they will need to run to the lab have it process, then send it to you and max sure the film get to you and you send everything back. They could easily get the lab to process and scan perhaps with much effort.

With flatbed scanner they are good but won't be as good as the above mentioned scanner for professional scanning.

That is discount the scanner operator skills to achieve best result for the clients. Unless you can give you clients more than what the lab can do or they can do, there isn't much of a selling point.

I hope you will take the above and formulate your business strategies again.

Take care and good luck.

Regards,

Hart

 

[scanfilms]

@Hart. Thank a lot for the reply. I will research the flextight/drum scanner. Will post an update again.

How about photos? Will this service come in handy to help photographers, etc. scan photos?

 

[Agetan]

Like any business, you need to analyse the reason behind consumer to purchase your service.

A photographer won't see the real need to scan the print as they could just take a picture of it.

Film is a niche now, so you need to really come out with something so unique in order for people to use your service. It won't work simply making it cheaper.

Film photographer might be scanning their own but if you have set of skill that they desire, they will hopefully use your service.

Good luck.

Hart

 

[foxtwo]

If you provide photo touch ups in addition to scanning then it may be more attractive to the consumer. Digitised results from flatbed scanners will have a difference from the original negative or transparency. I used to scan my own transparencies with my Epson 4990 and I had to do quite some DI as the result is not as brilliant as when I look at them on a lightbox. If you understand individual film characteristics really well and the final product you actually give back to the customer is 85-99% of the potential negative/transparency then maybe you'll have a strong selling point because you not only sell a service but part of your skill as well.

Eh I googled your Canon model. This is what the 1st result from PCMag.com say
"Pros
Reasonably capable for photographic prints. Backlight correction and color restore features in driver.
Cons
Film scan doesn't work for slides. Scans only one frame of film at a time. Film scanning is extremely cumbersome.
Bottom Line
The Canon CanoScan LiDE 700F handles photographic prints and, to a lesser extent, documents reasonably well, but its film scan capability is best ignored."

Maybe you should have did more market research before purchase?

 

[scanfilms]

@Hart, @foxtwo.. appreciate your feedbacks.

Price is definitely not an area I want to compete in. So I guess I need brush up on the trade and skills required in film. Or like @foxtwo said, provide something extra to provide value to the scanned images, etc.

I know the film scan will not be ideal, plus most of the folks here in archives already recommend using flextight.. only issue is the cost. In the initial stage, I am hoping to start with mostly photos, once I gathered enough $$$ I will move in buy the equipment for film scanning.

Looking at similar services in the US like digmypics.com, scanmyphotos.com, scandigital.com , etc.. some do their scanning are done in countries like India, etc. Scanned images burned to CD and sent back to customers. The workflow seems fairly simple, which is why I dun see why it can't be done in Singapore. That's y I just go ahead to do it.

Again, I appreciate your feedback, good or bad.
ps: I think I will post a few pics of my scanned photos.