Canned scanner profiles?

Hello everyone,
just signed in although I already was on APUG.

1) Considerations

I recently bought the Epson V750 and started playing around a bit. Following instructions I built a profile for transparencies (color positive) with the enclosed Monaco IT8 target and EZColor software. I really am a first timer at this but the differences between a 'no color management' scan and one using the profile are so evident that I sort of "...can't believe that!". Besides color correction, it seams, at least to me, that the profile also tweaks exposure and does some USM: could that be?

No profile

2) Questions

- Would anyone confirm or deny my assumption that a profile made from one single target cannot account for films as different as, say, Velvia50 and Sensia?

- Does anyone NOT agree with the assertion "color negative film CANNOT be profiled" often found on the web?

- Is it possible to find (canned/standard/approximate/...) profiles for different films for the Epson V750? I'm thinking of something like all the reference files found on the LaserSoft site.

Thanks to anyone who'll take the time to read and maybe answer.

Lino

P.S. The preview showed the images side by side before posting. No ICM on the image above (the darker one) if you see them one on top the other.

Lino

Hi

ggirino said:

Hello everyone,
just signed in although I already was on APUG.

1) Considerations

Click to expand...

profiling colour has issues (such as the lack of identical behavior of negatives from one to another in terms of responce) however I still find the profiles handy, and indeed use the profile in scanning. So I've chosen to accept the profiles that the Epson provides. I have found the best workflow for negative is to scan in positive into photoshop, assign the profile (not convert) and then invert and process levels / curves / hue.

I put up this example here on my blog.

- Would anyone confirm or deny my assumption that a profile made from one single target cannot account for films as different as, say, Velvia50 and Sensia?

- Does anyone NOT agree with the assertion "color negative film CANNOT be profiled" often found on the web?

- Is it possible to find (canned/standard/approximate/...) profiles for different films for the Epson V750? I'm thinking of something like all the reference files found on the LaserSoft site.

Click to expand...

If you use a transparent IT8 target to profile a film scanner, the profile you obtain is a scanner profile that applies to the "family" of films the target was made for. For instance Wolf Faust makes separate targets for Ektachrome, old Astia/Sensia, new Astia/Sensia, and others.

If you take a picture of an opaque IT8 target with a certain film, and under certain light conditions, you can scan the obtained picture to obtain a film profile which is relevant for the film AND the light conditions as far as I understand. You should create a different film profile for each film AND each light condition to benefit from this procedure. I suppose this is mainly useful for product shot in a studio setting.

My understanding is that you should create a scanner profile first and in any case for each "family" of films you use. As far as film profiles are concerned, my understanding is that if you use slides and you don't work under controlled light conditions, you don't really need (or benefit) from a film profile.

If you use negative colour film, from what I read a film profile will help you have your scans "in the ballpark" and save you work. Negative profiles are not as reliable as slide profiles but should have their usefulness. I personally have no experience in film profiling though.

Fabrizio

Personally, I profile scanners only when I'm scanning transparencies and opaque positives, and then, only when I need to accurately reproduce the color being scanned. But if I'm going to manipulate the color anyway in PS., why bother?

One thing to bear in mind with scanner profiles is that, when assigned, the profile will end up clipping the image color gamut to that of the target used to create the profile. So use a profile, only if it's really needed.

On a side note, I've had several occasions to photograph artwork with my digital camera. I tend to use incandescent lighting, because of their warmth and even distribution of color. In these cases, I treat my camera as a scanner, take a photo of my opaque target, and create a scanner profile that I assign as I bring the image into Photoshop.