# Opening APS Film



## Hype (Jan 5, 2005)

Is it possible to Opening APS Film at home?

I have a Film scanner and some photos on APS that i'd like to digitalize them at home.

What size is the film inside, i have never seen it!!

thanks for your help 

H


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## Corry (Jan 5, 2005)

First of all...this is probably a really stupid question, but the film has already been developed, right?  

If so...well, I'm not completely certain how to get it ALL the way out without the special little tool that the labs have.  You can open the little bitty door thingy that covers where the film comes out with your finger usually, then get a screwdriver or something and twist the little wheel thingy on the end of the canister and it should come out, but the very end is hooked onto the canister...that's what you need the special tool for.  It's just a little plastic thingy and you  could probably rig one at home, but unfortunately I can't remember exaclty what it looks like.  Damn I'm bad at explaining things!  (dontcha love my technical terms?)

Oh...and if I'm not mistaken, and I very well could be...I think the film size is...28mm?  

Ok, now I'm just gonna sit here and wait for someone to tell me that everything I just said is wrong! :LOL:


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## Brently (Jan 5, 2005)

use a hammer to open it.


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## ferny (Jan 5, 2005)

http://www.camerahacker.com/extract_APS_film/index.html


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## Corry (Jan 5, 2005)

That's a good link on getting it unrolled, Ferny, but it doesn't say how to detach it from the cartridge.  It's attached inside.


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## Brently (Jan 5, 2005)

core_17 said:
			
		

> First of all...this is probably a really stupid question, but the film has already been developed, right?
> 
> If so...well, I'm not completely certain how to get it ALL the way out without the special little tool that the labs have.  You can open the little bitty door thingy that covers where the film comes out with your finger usually, then get a screwdriver or something and twist the little wheel thingy on the end of the canister and it should come out, but the very end is hooked onto the canister...that's what you need the special tool for.  It's just a little plastic thingy and you  could probably rig one at home, but unfortunately I can't remember exaclty what it looks like.  Damn I'm bad at explaining things!  (dontcha love my technical terms?)
> 
> ...




24mm


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## Tuna (Jan 5, 2005)

core_17 said:
			
		

> That's a good link on getting it unrolled, Ferny, but it doesn't say how to detach it from the cartridge.  It's attached inside.



Yes, if you need to completely remove it for scanning, tearing it loose might damage the magnetic strip that is necessary for minilab printing. 

I would suggest simply going down to your local lab and ask them to remove it for you - I can't imagine they would charge you (it helps to get to know a local minilab clerk...). If they don't have the little plastic tool that has a "V" shape on the end (that core_17 has mentioned), then ask them to use the ADT machine (it is an Auto-Detach unit). This machine is designed for use with unprocessed rolls and will show an error light if an already processed roll is used. If the clerk does not know how to over-ride the error and remove the film - tell them that when the error light goes on, to push the green button on the back of the unit to start and finish the process.

If they should encounter any problems or have any questions, please have them call me.

Tuna


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## Corry (Jan 5, 2005)

Well,I had the 2 right!


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## ferny (Jan 5, 2005)

Would now be a good time to say I've never even help APS? I just remember that link from when I was on the site a while ago. Thoguht I'd shove it in the thread.


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## Hype (Jan 5, 2005)

Thanks everyone for your quick response!!!   

I'll have a play around.

thanks again

H


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## Corry (Jan 5, 2005)

Tuna said:
			
		

> core_17 said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Yup!  That's exactly right!  (it's been a while since I've worked in the photo dept of my store since I'm not a full-time employee anymore, so I couldn't remember!)


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## fadingaway1986 (Jan 5, 2005)

hmmmm... im too late to help...

But to make me feel better... I knew it was 24mm 

lol


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## BernieSC (Jan 6, 2005)

if the film has been processed then you can open the canister by turning the little hole on the side and opening the film gate that releases the roller so you can pull the film out.  It is attached to the roller by a hole at the end of the film and it hooks to the roller.  If you have a scanner that can scan APS.  If you feel daring you can also cut the label at the seam where the cartridge is put together then open the cartridge and take the roll out. 

APS is 24mm film all it is a strip of negatives just like 35mm it is just left uncut and put back in the cartridge.  Just don't cut the negatives because most labs will not be able to print them or at least will not take the time to try to print them.

Most labs use an automatic printing system where the negs have to be in the cartridge but most printers have a manual nag carrier so they can print them just like they print 35mm.

There are some nice APS cameras out there, but personally I think APS is the stupidest thing the film and camera industries ever created.   All in all APS was a failure I think and never really caught on and now that digital has or will take over APS will go down in history with the 110 and disc cameras.


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## will965 (Jan 6, 2005)

How does it work, can APS be processed in the cartrage or how can you remove processed negatives strait from the cartridge as the photos showed on camera hacker?


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## BernieSC (Jan 6, 2005)

When you take the film to the lab to be processed they usually have a detacher that they put the cartridge in and it is motorized and pulls the film out into a cansiter so they can tape off the leader onto a leader card and it is run through the processor then it can be handled just like any other strip of negs.  But for storage purposes they rewind the film back into the cansister. APS film looks like more than it really is.  Its just a smaller format than 35mm and it is suppose to be more user friendly so you store your negs easier and select prints from an index print. 

Like i said if you want to hack into the canister you can cut the seam where the label covers and pull it open like a walnut.  Its just most labs require the negs be in a cansister undamaged because the film printer reads the bar code on the side.  But most printing equiment also has a manual neg carrier so they can feed the negs into it just like a roll of 35mm.


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## BernieSC (Jan 6, 2005)

The film industry spent millions of dollars to create a film that is smaller than 35mm, cost more to process, cost the labs more to upgrade their equipment.  And still all you have is prints if at best are as good as 35mm.


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## Corry (Jan 6, 2005)

APS is also supposed to be more user friendly because it's drop in film loading.   But I pretty much agree with everything that Bernie said.  Oh!  And you can usually choose from 3 print sizes, but I'm sure there are SOME 35mm that do the same thing.


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## BernieSC (Jan 6, 2005)

Yeah, sorry to keep going on and on about APS.  But its all a marketing thing.  You can take any 35mm neg and print it as a 4x6,pano or any other size.  APS just dumb downs the selection and records how it was shot so that the automatic printer can print it that way.  Why they didn't take all that development and put it into digital we could have been a few years ahead more than we are in digital photography.  Now that was money well spent on developement.

Oh well like i said APS had or has some pretty nice cameras. 20 years from now they will make some pretty cool looking paper weights. LOL


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## airgunr (Jan 7, 2005)

Hype said:
			
		

> Is it possible to Opening APS Film at home?
> 
> I have a Film scanner and some photos on APS that i'd like to digitalize them at home.
> 
> ...



How many photos do you want to scan?  If it's not a huge amount I could do it for you.  I've got a APS attachement for my Nikon Coolscan.  I just load the APS canister in and then select the negatives I want scanned from it.  I don't have to remove the film from the canister and you can still send it in for reprints at a later date.  E-mail me if you are interested at: airgunr@genevaonline.com


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