Sharpness – film scans vs. digital files

Film, Leica

Forget film if you want ultimate resolution.

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Test target, SOOC. Leica M10, 35mm f/2 Canon LTM at f/8.

Using the very sharp Canon 35mm f/2 LTM lens at f/8 and an iPhone I photographed my local ‘test target’ using four delivery methods:

Here are the results showing 100% enlargements in LRc, which means the equivalent of a 72″x48″ print.

JPG film scan:




TIF film scan:




iPhone:




Leica M10:



Click the image for an even larger version at 200%.

The conclusions are obvious, even using a small display device. Want to waste your money and get the scan fast? Speedy ePhoto is for you. Want the best possible TIF scans but with a gargantuan file size then The Film Developing.Co is good and the turnaround is 24 hours from receipt of your film. Want even better results from a pocket device? The iPhone is splendid and I would bet that current versions are better still. But if you want to blow the doors completely off there’s only once choice. A big digital sensor, be it Leica, Nikon, Canon or Sony.

Want resolution? Forget film.

A note from the owner of The Film Developing Co.:

I had an interesting exchange with Zach who writes:

Film is indeed a fascinating case study in the digital era, but we’re certainly happy for its little resurgence. Practical/commercial film scanning has seen very little progress since the “death” of film in the mid 2000s – the Noritsu HS-1800, which is generally regarded as the best commercial scanner for 35mm and 120 film, was released in 2007. The system is almost 20 years old at this point, so that is the simple explanation for the now comical lack of efficiency in file structure. The machine, however, holds up remarkably well against modern alternatives, which speaks to the incredible strength of the film market up until its collapse. Back then, there was the money and incentive to invest heavily in research and development in the film sector.

DSLR scanning can certainly produce wonderful results, but at the expense of much more labor and subjective color conversions. I am much from the camp that favors film for its distinction from digital photography, and I believe that is its main allure in a world where almost everyone has a digital camera in their pocket. There is romance in the wait and anticipation in seeing the image, the care needed in making exposures, and inherent physical nature of the negative. And you’re right, film is not about resolution or perfect image making; at this point it is about the departure from current photo making norms, and perhaps above all else, nostalgia.