Free · Browser-based · No upload
Online film negative viewer that turns negatives into positives in real time
Hold a film negative in front of your phone or laptop camera. Negative Viewer inverts the colors live, so you can preview 35mm, 120, and 4×5 negatives instantly — no scanner, no app to install, and no images uploaded anywhere.
New here? Read the 30-second how-to guide or jump to the FAQ.
What this tool does
A film negative stores an image with all its colors inverted — bright skin tones look dark, blue skies look orange, and shadows are transparent. To see the actual photograph, every pixel needs to be flipped: red becomes cyan, green becomes magenta, blue becomes yellow. That is exactly what a film scanner does, and it is what this web app does in real time using your camera.
You do not need a scanner. You only need a backlight (a phone screen showing a white image works), a roll or strip of negatives, and a device with a camera and a modern browser. Press Start camera, point it at the negative, and see the photo as it was meant to be seen.
Why people use Negative Viewer
Privacy by design
Camera frames are inverted on your device with the Canvas API. No video, photo, or pixel ever leaves your browser.
Free, forever
No sign-up, no trial, no usage cap. The site is supported by lightweight ads, not your data.
Works on any device
Phone, tablet, laptop, Chromebook, iPad — anywhere a modern browser can request camera permission.
Instant preview
See the positive image at the same frame rate as your camera. Pan across a strip of 36 frames in seconds.
Capture, save, share
Press Capture to collect frames in a gallery, then save them as PNGs or share them. Where the browser allows it, captures use the camera's full resolution.
Orange mask removed automatically
The viewer finds a clear film edge, estimates the orange base and removes the cast. Color negative, B&W negative, and slide modes are built in.
Use it in three steps
Set up a backlight
Open a blank white image on a second phone, a tablet, or a computer screen at full brightness. A daylight window or a tracing-paper lightbox also works. Even illumination is the key.
Hold the negative against the light
Place the negative with its shiny base side facing the camera and the duller emulsion side toward the light, as close to the light source as practical to eliminate reflections.
Press Start camera and aim
Allow camera access when prompted. Move closer or farther until a single frame fills the viewport. Press Capture to keep a frame, then save it as a PNG.
For a deeper walkthrough — including focus tips, color cast cleanup, and how to handle whole rolls — read the full how-to-use guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is this online film negative viewer free?
Yes. Negative Viewer is free to use, requires no account, and runs entirely in your browser. The image processing happens on your device — your camera feed is never uploaded.
What kinds of film negatives does it work with?
Color and black-and-white negatives in 35mm, 120/medium format, 4×5 large format, APS, and old roll film, plus slides in Positive (slide) mode. Hold the film against a bright, even light source like a phone screen showing a blank white image, a lightbox, or an overcast sky.
Do I need to install anything?
No. The viewer is a web app. It runs in any modern browser (Chrome, Edge, Safari, Firefox) on phones, tablets, and laptops. The first time you press Start, your browser will ask permission to use the camera.
Does it correct the orange mask on color negatives?
Yes. When the camera starts, the viewer finds a clear film edge, estimates the orange base and removes the cast automatically. You can also sample the base by hand with Calibrate. For photographed or scanned files, use Negative Converter.
Can I process negatives I already photographed or scanned?
Yes. Negative Viewer is best for live camera preview. If you already have image files, open Negative Converter to convert saved negatives and export finished positives.
More questions answered on the full FAQ page.
Read next
Film negatives, explained
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A practical, side-by-side comparison of film and digital across cost, resolution, dynamic range, and the look.
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Why color negatives turn blue after inversion and how to fix it.
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