Most family slide collections arrive in shoeboxes, carousels and yellow Kodak boxes, and many hold more than one of the common slide formats. Knowing what you have helps you plan, store and digitise your collection properly. All you need is a ruler, a window or light box, and a few minutes.
The measurements below are approximate. Mount sizes and image windows varied between manufacturers and decades, so use them as a guide rather than a rule.
First: is it a slide or a negative?
- A slide (also called a transparency) is a positive image. Hold it up to the light and the colours and tones look the way the scene did. Slides usually sit in individual square mounts made of card, plastic or glass.
- A negative shows reversed tones: dark skies look light and faces look dark. Colour negatives also have an orange tint. Negatives usually come in strips, in paper or plastic sleeves.
- Prints are on paper, and you look at them by reflected light rather than holding them up to a window.
The common slide formats
35mm slides
By far the most common format in Australian family collections, especially from the 1950s to the 1990s.- Mount: square, about 5 cm (2 inches) across.
- Image window: rectangular, about 24 x 36 mm, in landscape or portrait.
- Look for: Kodachrome, Ektachrome, Agfachrome or Fujichrome printed on the mount.
- Variation: half-frame 35mm slides have a smaller window, about 18 x 24 mm.
126 (Instamatic) slides
Kodak introduced the 126 cartridge with its Instamatic cameras in 1963, and it made photography easy for millions of families.- Mount: the same 5 cm square mount as 35mm.
- Image window: square, about 28 x 28 mm.
- Look for: a square picture with a wide border of mount around it.
127 slides and Superslides
Shot on 127 roll film, these were popular in the 1950s and 1960s. The square image fills most of the mount, which is why they were called Superslides.- Mount: usually the same 5 cm square mount.
- Image window: square, about 38 to 40 mm, leaving only a thin border.
- Look for: a square picture that looks noticeably bigger than a 126 slide.
120 medium format slides
Made with larger roll-film cameras, often by keen amateurs and professionals. The bigger film holds a lot of detail.- Mount: larger than standard, often about 7 cm square, so they will not fit an ordinary 35mm projector.
- Image window: commonly about 6 x 6 cm square, with 6 x 4.5 cm and 6 x 7 cm also used.
110 (Pocket Instamatic) slides
Kodak launched the tiny 110 cartridge in 1972 for its pocket cameras. 110 slides are much less common than 110 prints.- Mount: small, about 3 cm square.
- Image window: about 13 x 17 mm.
- Look for: a slide that looks like a miniature version of a 35mm slide.
Less common formats
- Stereo slides and View-Master reels, which show two images side by side for a 3D effect.
- Glass lantern slides, usually from the early 1900s, which are heavy, fragile and larger than modern slides.
- Glass-mounted slides, where the film is sealed between two thin sheets of glass.
Dating your slides
Many processing labs printed the month and year of processing on the slide mount, and families often wrote names, places and dates on the mount by hand. Both are valuable. Keep slides in their original boxes and order wherever you can, because the order often tells the story of a trip or a year. If the order matters to you, tell us before we digitise them.
Check the condition
- Colour shifts. Some films fade or turn red or magenta over the years, while others, such as Kodachrome, have held their colour well when stored in the dark. Faded colour can often be improved in the optimised digital copy.
- Mould. Fine, web-like patterns or spots on the film mean mould. Store affected slides apart from the rest and mention it when you ask for a quote.
- Dust and scratches. These are common and can be reduced in the digital copy.
- Broken or warped mounts. Some slides may need to be remounted before scanning.
Handling tips
- Hold slides by the mount edges, never by the film.
- Do not clean the film with water, cloths or household cleaners.
- Store slides upright in a cool, dry, dark place, away from garages, sheds and roof spaces.
Ready to digitise?
We accept every slide format, and we handle each slide one at a time. Every slide is scanned at 3200 dpi, and you receive an untouched archival scan plus a colour-optimised copy. See our slide scanning service for pricing and how to send your collection. We also scan negatives and photo prints.
The format illustrations on this page are based on our own family slides, and some are recreations made to show the format.
General information only. Before you try anything on an original, request a free damage assessment.
