How can I scan film from APS canisters?

Question

You may remember APS film. It came out in the 90s, and was quickly replaced by digital. The film was connected to the cannister in a clever way that allowed you to rewind mid-roll.

Are there any devices for scanning APS film?

Is it safe to break the cannisters open?

can you clarify what you mean by 'safe'? You have to break the canister to develop it. — cmason, Jan 20 '12 at 18:51
No, @dpollitt, but i am posting from my phone - always trying. — AJ Finch, Jan 20 '12 at 18:56
@cmason, no: the film unrolls from the cannister and is rolled back in afterwards. I don't want to accidentally tear the negative by going in heavy-handed. — AJ Finch, Jan 20 '12 at 21:30

score 4 · Accepted Answer · answered Jan 20 '12 at 19:12

Well, sure there are devices for scanning APS film. You can get an APS adapter for a Nikon Coolscan IV. I have a couple old Minolta DiMAGE Scan Dual IIs that accept APS.

You can use a flatbed (V700 is probably the best) with an uncut-120 film holder, secure the film in the holder, then cut the images in Photoshop (scan software, GIMP, whatever) as you scan them.

Breaking the canister is how you get to the film. So once it's developed that's not an issue, as far as i understand your question.

Or you can hire people to do it. Pixmonix, DigMyPics, ScanMyPhotos, etc.

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Jan 20 '12 at 19:12

I have a Nikon Coolscan V ED 35mm film scanner myself, and have noticed that Nikon marketed a separate attachment gizmo for this model that allowed one to scan APS films (out of the box, the V handles 135-format only, either by filmstrip feeder or slide holder). So yes, there are solutions out there. The problem is that the Coolscan V is now out of production and only available second-hand, and that the APS adapter thingy probably costs an arm and a leg.

How can I scan film from APS canisters?

2 Answers2