Well, you will be glad to find out that many 35mm negative viewers are pretty inexpensive. However, the most inexpensive type you can buy is actually a very small monocle with an oversized lens that you put right over the negative. You simply look through it, and see what it looks like.

These are very inexpensive, are easy to find, and can be stored in any bag or in your desk for easy reach. You can even have several of them so that you never have to go without!

The next type is a sort of handheld device. In essence, you slide the negative into it, and the image then comes up on the small screen. These are also pretty inexpensive, but they are also very accurate, and are recommended for higher details. In other words, consult a device like this if you have to make more crucial decisions, rather than a negative view like the plain glass one described above.

Finally, you can get what is a more expensive negative viewer that takes the negatives and actually projects them onto a sort of screen. These are bigger, and are, therefore, more expensive. These are recommended for the most detailed of photo work, and should be used in professional environments, or by photographers who are very serious about their work.

A negative viewer, as well as a negative scanner for that matter, is an essential piece of gear for any real film enthusiast, but how do you know what brand you should get? That is a good question, and here is the answer. Get a name brand if you are willing to spend the money, if it is for very critical work, or if the application is at all professional.

If it is just for amateur use, will not be used all the time, and will not be used for decisions that are incredibly critical, then a cheap version will suffice just fine. It is really like anything else.....the more you spend oftentimes, the better the product. And with name brands, you always know that they are going to last, while sometimes it is hit and miss with generic brands.

Film is a very precise science, and it is all visual....which is why it is nice to have as clear and as real an idea about your film as you can get. It is very nice to know what you are dealing with before you start developing your negatives, which is exactly why a negative viewer is so essential. So get a good one, take some pictures, and start making the most out of your time!