Transform Your 35mm Slides to Digital in Fairfield County, CT

35mm slides are small transparencies mounted in 2-inch by 2-inch frames, though the actual image area inside is about 24mm x 36mm (roughly 1 inch by 1.5 inches). When you hold one up to the light, you can see the actual photograph captured on the film - that's why they're also called transparencies or positives.

The film format is technically called "135 format," which is the same type of film that was used in regular 35mm cameras. The difference is that slide film produced a positive image you could view directly, while negative film (what most people used for prints) produced an orange negative that had to be printed to see the actual photo.

How to identify 35mm slides:

The mount size is 2 inches square, but that's true for other slide formats too (like 126 and 110). What makes 35mm slides distinctive is the image area inside - it's a rectangle about 24mm x 36mm (roughly 1 inch by 1.5 inches). If you hold the slide up to light, 35mm slides show a horizontal rectangular image that takes up most of the mount space.

In comparison, 126 slides have a square image area (much smaller), and 110 slides have a tiny rectangular image. So if you're looking at a 2x2 mount with a fairly large horizontal rectangle filling most of it, that's a 35mm slide.

The mounts came in different types over the years:

• Cardboard mounts: Most common, especially in the 50s through 70s. Usually white or tan colored.

• Plastic mounts: Became popular in the 70s and 80s. Often have the film brand name printed on them (Kodak, Fuji, etc.).

• Metal mounts: Used for slide projector magazines.

• Glass mounts: Used for slides that needed extra protection. The film is sandwiched between two thin pieces of glass.

Many slides have information printed or written on the mount - dates, location notes, or the film type (like "Kodachrome" or "Ektachrome"). This can help you figure out roughly when they were taken and what kind of film was used.