Patent ID: 7242503

Claim:
An image reading method in which a film having images recorded in a plurality of frames in a longitudinal direction is transported to read the images in said plurality of frames photoelectrically at an image reading position by an image reading device, comprising the steps of: transporting said film in a first direction along a read and transport path including said image reading position to perform a first image reading for reading the images in said plurality of frames by said image reading device; returning a forward end of said film to said read and transport path on an entry or exit side of said read and transport path after said first image reading has been finished; and transporting said film along said read and transport path in said first direction or in a second direction opposite to said first direction to perform a second image reading in which the images in said plurality of frames are read by said image reading device at said image reading position in a sequence of frames that was applied to said first image reading, wherein returning the forward end of said film comprises transporting the forward end through a path not containing the image reading position.