Korean Job Discussion Forums

[TobyWhite]

Hi all,
Back in Canada (and I assume in many other countries) it is possible to develop 35mm film and get a CD of digital images as well - thus saving you the pain of having to scan in all the images yourself. I would very much like to share photos with friends and family back home, but I do not yet have a digital camera. Does anyone have any advice (aside from purchasing a scanner...) on how I can get digital images from my film? Do any developers or mail-away services offer this in Korea?

[Hotuk]

If you live in Seoul and are visiting Yongsan, pop into the mall with the Burger King that's at the south end of Shinyongsan Station on the #4 line. Around the corner from the BK is a Kodak place that specializes in digital prints and may very well do 35mm-to-CD scanning/conversion. It's worth it to ask.

However, I find that scans don't look nearly as good as digital photos, and digicams are coming down in price all the time.

Also in theShinyongsan station is a used notebook store that deals with used digital cameras. Though I personally feel more comfortable buying new stuff, you can pick up really good deals there for under 250,000w. If you're there have a look in the window.

[kimcheeking]

all good photo developing shops will put your film onto CD.

if you head over to Chungmuro and exit 5 (I think) walk aobut 150 meters and go to a shop called timefoto. I get all my prints done there - best color I have found in Korea. a little more expensive than average but worth it. I know that they do scanning or photo CD's

[Derrek]

Buy a Canon digital camera. Nothing else even comes close.

If you plan on printing your photos, buy a 2 or 3 megapixel. If you are just e-mailing, then save yourself some money and buy a 1.3 megapixel or 2. Unless you plan to print 11x17 or Poster-sized photos, there is absolutely NO reason for anything above a 3 megapixel.

Trust me... I've owned five digital cameras by Sony, Ricoh, Canon, Kodak, and Nikon.

If you want a good entry-level camera for nice snapshots and great indoor photos too (many digitals can't get the indoor lighting right), go with the new Canon A100 or the 2 megapixel A200. They have fixed-focus lenses, but there's something to be said about not having to fumble with a zoom and sometimes unreliable autofocus zoom lenses. The fixed-focus lenses are cheaper, and you can fire off a shot right away without having to wait for the camera to focus. The fixed-focus ones also do better in low-light and don't have the "barrel distortion" around the edges caused by the zoom lense (a kind of partial fish-eye effect). I think you can pick up an A200 for somewhere around 250,000 won. Maybe less. Back in the USA, they are like $179.

On another note -- there are some shops in Nandemun that sell digital cameras illegally (bypassing the Korean import fees which make them expensive here). A guy I know paid 430,000 for a camera that costs 530,000 everywhere else -- that's a lot of savings.

Another great camera for the money (with a zoom) is the Canon A10 or the A40.

Good luck. I love my digital...a Canon S30. Wow!

[kimcheeking]

Derrek's right on the money regarding digital and money.

I have the canon a40.

for print camera I have Canon EOS 5 with 2 lenses and will eventually get the EOS digital when I have enough disposable cash or prices come down.

[TobyWhite]

Thanks. I will definitely get a digital camera once I save up enough money, but for now I wanted to digitize the photos from my lowly 35mm. Hopefully I will find a place here in Gumi that can do it.