Drum Scanning Services

I am now offering drum scanning services for other film photographers so you can have the best quality film scans possible.  Your film will be scanned personally by me with a Heidelberg Tango scanner.  Images will be provided in 16 bit ProPhotoRGB color space. Resolution varies based on the format as the scanner is capable of a maximum of 16000 pixels per rotation, meaning that you can get a higher dpi scan out of smaller formats.  My scanner is properly profiled for accurate color which helps with both slides and negatives, and all software sharpening is turned off so you can see the true film grain. Files can be transferred to you via WeTransfer or you can supply a USB drive.  The goal with this service is to provide a wider base of film users with access to the most incredible drum scans at a reasonable price. Expect files that are much cleaner, sharper, and with better tonality that a flatbed or other standard film scanner.

Please send only the individual frames that you want scanned unless you want the entire film strips scanned. I need to maximize space on the drum so full strips will be charged extra.

  • 35mm at 8k dpi - $30 per image - file size about 600MB - no sprockets

  • 645, 6x6, 6x7, or 6x9 at ~ 6k dpi - $40 per image - file size varies

  • 6x12cm at ~ 5k dpi - $50 per image - file size about 1.5 gigs

  • 6x17cm at ~ 5k dpi - $60 per image - file size about 2.2 gigs

  • 4x5” at 4k dpi - $60 per sheet - About a 1.7 gig file

  • 5x7 at ~ 3kdpi - $90 per sheet - About 1.9 gig file

  • 8x10” at 2k dpi - $120 per sheet - About a 1.7 gig file

  • Return shipping for your film - $10 in the US, actual cost outside the states. (USPS is my preferred carrier)

  • Mounted 35mm slides will be taken apart and discarded, film will be sleeved.

  • Prices do not include dust cleanup - While drum scans are generally quite clean compared to dry scans, film inherently will always have some dust. Cleanup starts at $10 per scan, but excessively dirty film will cost more.

  • A note about people wanting to send just one frame: I won’t run a drum on the scanner until I have at least a $100 order, it’s just too time consuming and the materials are costly. You are welcome to send single frames, but there is no way for me to accurately quote turnaround time as it will be dependent on film arriving from other customers. Your film will be placed onto the next drum that I scan. Let’s just say it could be a few days, or a few weeks. If you need a single frame rush scanned, there will be a minimum $100 charge for your scan.

Turnaround time varies depending on my schedule.  Email me at alex@alexburkephoto.com if you would like to have your film scanned.  I will get back to you as soon as possible to let you know my schedule and give you a shipping address.  In general, I can get the film scanned within a few days when I'm at home or during my slow winter and spring season.  I will do my best to give you an accurate time frame during my busy summer and autumn art show months though I’m usually still able to get you taken care of quickly. 

Shipping Your Film

Please ship your film using any service with a tracking number. My preferred shipper is USPS Priority Mail, as it is the most reliable method and the flat rate envelopes or small boxes are perfect for shipping film. I have a secure mailroom, so please do not ship “signature required” as this can result in delays of several days or weeks as it gets stuck in the shipping system. You are welcome to use UPS or FedEx if you prefer, and I can ship back to you with whichever carrier you specify.

The best way to package film is in sleeves (either pages or individually) sandwiched between two pieces of cardboard, then placed inside of an envelope. Sheet film can also be shipped inside the film boxes quite well.

About Drum Scans

Read my new blog post “Maximum Print Sizes for Film Scans”

A drum scanner produces an image in a fashion completely different to other equipment, working with analog light capture devices that pull out the most detail possible in each color channel before finally converting it to a digital file.  What you get is a huge increase in shadow detail in slide films, significantly increased sharpness in all films along with much smoother gradients and tonality.  The film is also wet mounted which increases fine details and masks some of the imperfections and dust inherent with film photography.  There is no better film scan than a drum scan, period.  See some comparison images below:

A sheet of Velvia 100, scanned on the Tango Drum Scanner (left) and a consumer flatbed on the right. Notice the huge increase in fine detail on the drum scan.

Mouse over to see the difference in sharpness between the drum and flatbed scanner. Film is 4x5" Ektar 100.

A side by side comparison of the same frame scanned on a flatbed and Drum scanner, with no edits whatsoever. Notice the increased shadow detail on the drum scan on the right, the file is much closer to what the film looks like on a light table. Film is 6x6 Fuji Velvia 50.

Mouse over to see the differnce between a drum and flatbed scan. This image shows the smoothness of the tonalities and subtle gradients in the sky. Also note the extra color picked up in the highlights on the drum scan. Film is 6x17cm Provia 100f

What about Color Negatives?

It’s often said that drum scanners really shine when it comes to slide film and not so much with negatives, but I beg to differ. Color negatives have become a huge part of my personal workflow and the drum scanner truly excels at recreating all the color tones of the film as well as every grain of detail. On top of that, it’s required mastering a manual inversion process to convert the raw negative scans to beautiful positives. When you send a negative to me for scanning, I work individually with each image to give you a scan that has great tonality while still having some room left for you to edit as desired.

Mouse or tap over to see the start and finished scan from a color negative. Note the smooth gradiations in the sky and full color palette. Film is Kodak Ektar.

Disclaimer: Your film is precious to you and I know that. I will handle your film as if it were my own and take the best care possible when handling and scanning film. However, just like a lab I (Alex Burke) cannot be held responsible for anything that might happen that damages your film during the shipping, handling, or scanning process. In the event of film damage, Alex Burke will not be held responsible for compensation to the customer for the film, developing, travel, or any other expenses that may have been incurred to create the image. After the files have been transferred and received by the customer, Alex Burke is not responsible for storage of the digital files.

Testimonials about my drum scanning service

“Alex did a fantastic job scanning my 6x17 film! He was very professional, kept me up to date during the process and sent the film back to me here in Australia safely packaged. I will be sending all my film to Alex for future high resolution scanning!” - Thomas Byers

Recently I had a client that requested a large 48”x60” Duratran for their business. The image was to be produced from a 4x5 chrome I shot a few years ago. A seasoned advertising photographer, I had many resources for drum scanning at my hand in New York and San Francisco- I was extremely satisfied to use Alex’s services for this scan. Alex is a very talented photographer and his attention to detail in producing a high quality scan was the perfect choice for this assignment. Not only did he have a fast turnaround, the large scan came was delivered dust free and had perfect level/curve adjustments..best of all the price for this service was very competitive with other scanning houses. All I needed to do was implement my own custom curves and the scan file was off to the printer. Well done Alex…you were a great communicator and I appreciate your work. Looking forward to more scans!! - Tom Sadowski (www.sadowskiphoto.com)

I sent Alex one of my 4x5" negatives to have it drum scanned. From start to finish Alex was amazing - great communication, super quick turnaround, and the quality of the scan is unmatched. I'd recommend anyone who shoots film to try it out. His website is also a treasure trove of information on photography. He is a real asset to the community, let's support him! - Chris Cummins, January 2023

For those who like to see things in video format, here’s a little video about drum scanning: