Convert Old Photos to Digital: 4 Ways on How to Digitize Old Photos

1. Why digitize photos
2. Method 1: Smartphone
3. Method 2: DSLR camera
4. Method 3: Professional Scanner
5. Method 4: Digitization Service
6. Recommendations
7. FAQs

If you have a box of photos sitting in your attic, the chances are that they hold special memories and moments from the past. Whether these pictures contain snapshots of friends or family members who mean so much to us, we likely do not want them thrown away into the garbage can after their use has been exhausted. The best option would be to convert old photos to digital.

If this article piqued your interest in having these items around longer than just for sentimental value, keep reading because there are some options available so you can preserve them much better now than before.

With digitization, your photos are not only backed up to a computer but also stored in another device such as an external hard drive or cloud storage like Dropbox or iCloud. This way, if something happens to the print version of your photographs, you will always have access to them and won’t ever lose them again!

There are four ways to convert old photos to digital formats. One way is scanning them on a smartphone, which makes it easy but might not work for delicate prints or those with complicated framing.

Other options include using an office scanner that can handle different paper types and using a DSLR camera to capture photographs but both of these options could set you up hundreds of dollars.

The last approach would be sending all your pictures off to a professional digitization service like iMemories, and that’s because they already have access to in-house technology set up specifically for photo conversion purposes!

We’ll explore all of those different types in detail to make it easier to decide which option will work best for you.

Reasons Why You Would Want to Digitize Your Photos

There are several reasons why you may want to consider taking the time and turning your treasured physical photographs into digital copies.

For example, even if you love shooting with film or hold memories in your hands, there isn't much use for them when they can easily be misplaced and lost over time.

Those who have experienced this will tell you that it's not as easy as leaving photos in an album where they quickly fade away from exposure to air or sunlight, which causes their colors to change significantly within just months after being printed on paper (which also degrades).

Sharing with friends and family

Everyone in the family can have access to all of our favorite family photos. We won't ever forget about that time grandma took us on a trip, or when we went skiing for dad's birthday!

With digital copies, every family member and a close friend can take a look at them from your phone.

Physical damage

Digital copies of your treasured photos are a great way to keep them safe. So many people worry about accidental tears and water damage but making digital backups ensures that you always have access to those memories if something happens.

This allows you to make as many backups as needed without losing an entire family history in one fell swoop.

Digital edit of images

Digital photos give you the freedom to fix blemishes, adjust white balance or lighting, and crop specific individuals out - without any loss of quality.

That kind of editing just isn't possible with physical pictures as much because there are some edits and enhancements which simply cannot be made once it has been printed or developed in film.

Storage space

Instead of using photo albums, frames, or boxes to store your pictures and memories because they take up so much space in our homes today, you can now use external hard drives, which contain hundreds if not thousands of more photos than any physical storage device ever could!

Here are four different options for how to digitize your photos:

Method 1: Using Your Smartphone's Camera

The first way to digitize your photos is the easiest way and it's done by using the built-in camera on an iPhone or Samsung and taking a picture of each print. This method produces low-quality images; however, it’s easy to do.

Digitizing your photo collection by taking photos with a smartphone camera is not recommended. The picture will be low quality, so you’ll need to find an alternative way of doing this if you want good-quality results.

You can take digital photographs of old photos, but they won’t look great. For example, images will have unsightly backgrounds or scratches and glares on them that you cannot fix on your smartphone.

Not only can taking photos of your print photographs with a smartphone camera yield low-quality digital images but there are other methods you could use to produce higher-quality scans. One way is by using an app that will automatically edit the image and minimize imperfections from the natural limitations of smartphones.

However, while these apps make decent looking copies compared to just snapping pictures with a phone’s built-in camera, they cannot match the quality as much as scanning prints through specialized photo scanners or having a professional service like iMemories do it for you.

Method 2: Using A DSLR Camera

One effective way to digitize old photos is by using a DSLR camera such as Canon EOS Rebel T7 or Nikon D5600. However, for those looking for the highest quality and most advanced features, the Canon EOS R5 may be the most expensive and advanced option.

To convert your old photos using a DSLR camera, you will need the camera itself, a computer for storing and editing your digital copies, photo editing software such as Adobe Photoshop, and a tripod to help keep your camera steady.

When setting up your camera, make sure you choose a well-lit room with natural or artificial light to ensure that your photos are captured clearly and with high quality. Eliminate external light sources or reflections that may affect the image quality. You can then capture high-quality images of your physical prints, being careful to avoid any glare or reflections.

Once you've snapped digital photos of all your physical prints, transfer them to your computer and use photo editing software to adjust and crop your images to your liking. Using a tripod is important to ensure that your photos are captured clearly and without any blurring. While using a DSLR camera can be a great way to digitize your old photos, it may not be the most practical option for those who need to invest in expensive equipment.

Method 3: Professional Scanners

Scanning photos using a professional scanner is another option for converting old photos to digital. Specialty scanners can provide higher quality scans than regular document scanners or even some flatbed scanners. For example, the Epson Perfection V850 Pro is widely considered one of the best scanners for scanning old photos, with its high resolution and dynamic range that can capture a wide range of colors and tones.

However, it's worth noting that professional photo scanners can be quite expensive, and may not be the most practical option for those who are only looking to scan a small number of photos. If you're not willing to invest in a high-quality photo scanner, there are other options available as well.

Flatbed scanners like the Canon CanoScan Lide 300 or the Epson Perfection V600 can also provide high-quality scans of old photos, and are generally more affordable than professional photo scanners.

So if the idea of buying an expensive print scanner seems unreasonable right now, don't worry because there are other options too!

Method 4: Photo Digitization Services (Best Way to Digitize Old Photos)

Many people are not aware of digitization services and often overlook them as an option for photo-to-digital transfers. Digitization is a state-of-the-art process that preserves your old photographs by transferring them into digital files to be used on computers, tablets, phones, etc. Not only does this ensure safety from deterioration, but it also provides you with modern formats in which to view your photos! To preserve these memories, hire a professional company that has trained individuals that will guarantee accuracy throughout the entire transfer process.

Don’t spend hours taking photos with your smartphone or scanning old memories. Digitization services like iMemories make it easy to preserve and store family history while also providing competitive pricing, step-by-step tracking, among other benefits.

There are a few downsides to this service, but they’re relatively minor. First, you’ll have to rely on the postal system with some of your most precious memories. It would be best if you can send these off in bulk so that you don’t miss any deadlines when shipping. Also, there’s always the possibility that someone other than yourself will see every photo sent through this process; I recommend doing an initial sort first and then sending it all at once for ease of mind!

There are a few different companies that offer this service. Some of them include:

iMemories Review

Not only does iMemories offer professional photo digitization, but their trained professionals also convert movie films and videotapes.

The pricing for iMemories is as follows:

• Photos, slides, and negatives: Normally $0.99, but it’s now only $0.49 per photo.
• Videotapes: Normally $29.99, but it’s now only $14.99 per tape.
• Movie films: Normally $29.99, but it’s now only $14.99 per 50ft.

The reduced pricing is thanks to its Limited time offer where you can save 50% on digital conversion.

The way this all works is quite simple. You order a box from them called a SafeShip Kit, and you fill the inside of the box with your old photos, tapes, or film, and then ship it to them for digitization.

The SafeShip box is crush-proof and waterproof, so you don’t need to worry about losing your precious memories.

The SafeShip Kit also comes with a FedEx Prepaid label so you can ship it to them for FREE.

Once the box arrives, they will give you a free quote that you can review and approve before paying.

Legacybox Review

This service also does more than just digitize photos. They also convert VHS tapes, film, and audio.

The pricing for Legacybox is as follows:

• 2 item starter: $35.98 (2 films, or 2 tapes, or 2 sets of 25 pictures to digital)
• 10 item family: $159.99 (10 films, or 10 tapes, or 10 sets of 25 pictures to digital)
• 20 item closet: $319.99 (20 films, or 20 tapes, or 20 sets of 25 pictures to digital)
• 40 item trunk: $629.99 (40 films, or 40 tapes, or 40 sets of 25 pictures to digital)

Legacybox works the same way as iMemories with a couple of slight differences.

All in all, they are both excellent services if you want the conversion to be done by a team of professionals.

Our Recommendation

There are a few different ways you can take your old print photos and transform them into digital copies. However, for high-quality, professional results that will last for years to come, we recommend hiring an outside service like iMemories, but if you’re still not sold on this, you can read our iMemories vs Legacybox comparison guide or Best Photo Scanning Service guide where we list numerous scanning services. With affordable rates and unbeatable quality compared to other digitization methods (like buying a scanner or using the built-in function on printers), there’s no better way to go than this one.

As a result of digitizing photos, you will now have more space in your home and feel less burdened. In addition, you can preserve memories that are safe from harm and create new ones through endless options like printing them out or uploading them to social media sites such as Facebook.

Whether you choose to save them on an external hard drive or upload them to cloud storage is totally up to you!

With today’s technology, you can enjoy your photos in many different ways: send copies to family and friends, create a slideshow for the next event or share any embarrassing photos online.

FAQs