How to scan odd size film in the Canon 8400F scanner.
This page is about scanning an odd size negative or slide in the Canon Canoscan 8400F Scanner. This example is about a 1 1/2" square slide, but the technique will work for any odd size film. 127 film is an example of a old film format from years ago. It has a 1 5/8" X 1 5/8" frame on a 2 1/4" base. Which is the same width as 120 film. You can use the 120 film holder for strips of 127 film and use the 2" X 2" Slide holder for mounted "Super Slides".
If you are using the Simple Mode click the Advanced Mode tab. You cannot scan any odd size film in the simple mode, you must use the Advanced Mode.
ScanGear CS starts in the Thumbnail view by default. Click the icon on the far left of the toolbar above the preview window to turn off the Thumbnail view. Click the Preview button to make the initial preview of the odd size film. (The Thumbnail view will likely say no film found).
The first thing I will tell you, is this not a quality negative. It is a home
made internegative of a 35 mm slide. It is scratched from much bad handling.
I am using this because I did not mind cutting the internegative to fit the modified
slide mount.
The mount is a standard 2 inch by 2 inch slide mount, which I cut a 1.5 inch by 1.5 inch window and stuck a piece of film into it.
This is what the preview looks like when I used the Canon Canoscan 8400F to
scan a 1.5" X 1.5" cutout in a standard 2" x 2" slide mount. Not
a standard film size.
The important thing is to turn off the thumbnail view. The Red marked button is the
button of interest. You will have to manually set the area for scanning. Draw
the selection frame with the left button of the mouse held down. I
am using the 2 X 2 inch slide holder that comes with the scanner. And you can
only select one frame at a time.
Zoom on the selected frame.
The 600 DPI scan.
As you can see, you really can get a square scan from a 2 X 2 inch slide holder if the cutout is square.
Page last edited: May 16, 2009