Do you scan your negs ......

[John51]

Flat. I explain why here:

http://crawfordphotoschool.com/digital/film-scanning-intro.php

Thanks for that, it helped.

My menus on Vuescan are laid out a bit different, I have learned to scroll down Found a menu that asked what type of histogram but I found nothing to say 'show histogram'. Then I tried 'graph'

 

[shutterfinger]

My menus on Vuescan are laid out a bit different, I have learned to scroll down Found a menu that asked what type of histogram but I found nothing to say 'show histogram'. Then I tried 'graph'

There's the terminology and adjustments that traditional scan software uses then there's Hamrick's terminology. Don't you just love it? NOT!

 

[Eric Rose]

I tried Vuescan years ago and hated it. I find that the Epson software does a fine job.

 

[Cholentpot]

I DSLR scan in LR and invert and clean in PS then back to LR for post. I can do a roll of 36 b&w B&W start to end in about an hour. C-41 a bit longer.

Just a barebones scan without any levels or post? 10-15 min.

 

[Patrick Robert James]

If you take the time to learn Vuescan it pays off big time. For example, on a flatbed scanner if you do your "preview" at the same resolution you want to scan at then all you have to do is make your crop and hit save instead of scan. Vuescan saves your file from the preview so there is no need for another pass. If you need to do a lot of proof scans that one feature alone is worth buying Viewscan.

 

[chriscrawfordphoto]

Thanks for that, it helped.

My menus on Vuescan are laid out a bit different, I have learned to scroll down Found a menu that asked what type of histogram but I found nothing to say 'show histogram'. Then I tried 'graph'

I'm glad I could help. If you're using a recent version of Vuescan, the controls will be in slightly different places than they are in my tutorial. I made it several years ago and I need to update it. I was severely ill most of last year so I've fallen behind on keeping things updated. Hoping to redo the scanning tutorials soon.

 

[wahiba]

If you take the time to learn Vuescan it pays off big time. For example, on a flatbed scanner if you do your "preview" at the same resolution you want to scan at then all you have to do is make your crop and hit save instead of scan. Vuescan saves your file from the preview so there is no need for another pass. If you need to do a lot of proof scans that one feature alone is worth buying Viewscan.

I thought the idea of the pre-view scan was to eliminate those not worth scanning. Generally out of the siz 35mm my Epson V300 pre-views I rarely fully scan all 6.

 

[wahiba]

I tried Vuescan years ago and hated it. I find that the Epson software does a fine job.

I very recently downloaded Vuescan and it just seems to emulate the Epson software - certainly no improvement. before I completely dump it i will try it with my cheap and cheerful Lidl quick 'scanner' as the software with that is very limited.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

I've gotten by on the Epson software and PS for several years now. Been quite happy.

 

[Paul Verizzo]

Scan "flat." Think of it like a digicam's RAW image.

Then go back and do what you will. The more I scan and understand the opportunities in my Canon Scangear SW, the less I miss the wet darkroom.

I can turn the worst possible negatives into a decent images, especially underexposure. I can reduce grain with a click, I can "print to" a grade 2.68 for a perfect contrast match, I can correct color, I can bring up shadows w/o blowing out highlights. And so forth.

Spiritually, I love the darkroom. In practical terms, good riddance. My goal is to make images, not crawl on my knees across broken glass to get there. And to say nothing of costs.

 

[Adrian Bacon]

I was wondering, for best results do you think a "flat" scan as apposed to a scan that looks closest to what we want as an end result is best?

If using a flatbed, I use Vuescan, scan as raw positive transparency, then do all the post to it later. I never ever use the factory supplied software, and never ever do any post stuff in the scanner or scanner software. The scanner is a digitization device. Give me a good raw digital version and let me do my post on it from there using software better suited for the task.

 

[Dusty Negative]

Spiritually, I love the darkroom. In practical terms, good riddance. My goal is to make images, not crawl on my knees across broken glass to get there. And to say nothing of costs.

I’m just now learning darkroom enlarging, but I sympathize with the pain transmitted through your trenchant remark. The contortions I’ve gone through just to get the contrast right in a single darkroom print is humorous when compared to the mouse tap-and-drag of a tone curve (while holding a cappuccino in the other hand) on a sun-lit porch.

 

[John51]

I'm not convinced that wet printing has to be a painful process. Sure, it needs some skill but I'm starting to think that the creative side of it should stay out of the darkroom as it gets in the way and steals time. Make creative decisions sat on sofa. Enter darkroom and print as per previous decisions. A day or more later, evaluate those prints and decide what to do for the next versions of those prints.

Seeing a print in the fixer, deciding that it needs some dodging and/or burning/whatever and then trying that immediately is where the broken glass comes from imo.

 

[Dusty Negative]

Seeing a print in the fixer, deciding that it needs some dodging and/or burning/whatever and then trying that immediately is where the broken glass comes from imo.

Guilty as charged. If I can ever get into a position where I can have my own darkroom I suspect I’ll approach the process more deliberately. As it is, I’m rushing (and fumbling) under time constraints, and largely producing sub-par final prints.

 

[MattKing]

Guilty as charged. If I can ever get into a position where I can have my own darkroom I suspect I’ll approach the process more deliberately. As it is, I’m rushing (and fumbling) under time constraints, and largely producing sub-par final prints.

That will get better even before you have your own space.
With experience, a lot of what you do will improve. In addition, a lot of your decisions and results will happen quicker.
However if you have your own space, it will accelerate everything.

 

[JWMster]

If eric wouldn't mind my jumping on this post, can I ask a question re: scanning for 4X5 - which will likely be something I'm doing a bit of in a while? When it comes to flatbed scanners... Epson V700, V750, V800 and V850 series, are there any REAL or important differences? These are the scanners that seem to be more current and have Betterscanning mounts - in the event you get finnicky.
I think I've read that the V800 and V850 don't really add anything the V700/V750 weren't already doing, but wonder whether that's right? Finally, I've been very happy with used equipment - cameras and lenses, and even a used Nikon Coolscan (which won't work for 4X5), but the last Epson scanner I bought was a V300 - which was comparatively crude I suppose. I wonder whether there's any risk in an older, used V700 or V750 I should be aware of? I'd love to hear what you guys have found..

 

[jim10219]

If eric wouldn't mind my jumping on this post, can I ask a question re: scanning for 4X5 - which will likely be something I'm doing a bit of in a while? When it comes to flatbed scanners... Epson V700, V750, V800 and V850 series, are there any REAL or important differences? These are the scanners that seem to be more current and have Betterscanning mounts - in the event you get finnicky.
I think I've read that the V800 and V850 don't really add anything the V700/V750 weren't already doing, but wonder whether that's right? Finally, I've been very happy with used equipment - cameras and lenses, and even a used Nikon Coolscan (which won't work for 4X5), but the last Epson scanner I bought was a V300 - which was comparatively crude I suppose. I wonder whether there's any risk in an older, used V700 or V750 I should be aware of? I'd love to hear what you guys have found..

Nah. Scanner technology hasn't changed in the last 10+ years except for the incorporation of LED lights instead of fluorescent tubes. Even that didn't provide much of an advantage other than shorter warmup times. I use an Epson 4990, which was the model prior to the V700. There's nothing the newer V700-V850 offer that makes me want to upgrade.

Getting to know your scanner is what's important. Each scanner is different. For instance, I always hear people say the 4990 scans best a few millimeters above the glass. Though through extensive research with my own scanner, I've found mine actually scans best directly on the glass. I'm not saying other people are wrong. But what worked best for them doesn't work best for me. Hence I've adopted a wet mount scanning technique that gives me the best resolution on my scanner. I've also found that I need to mask off area about and inch around the image to prevent flare. Probably with a film holder this wouldn't be an issue. But with wet scanning directly to the glass, it is. It's an easy problem to fix with a couple of strips of black construction paper placed on top of the mylar (or in my case Dura-Lar, which is cheaper and works just as well).

 

[JWMster]

Jim: Thanks! Having messed even with nanoglass and gotten rings when I shouldn't, I'm very much in favor of wet scans and nothing between or even behind the negative and the scanner.

 

[Helios 1984]

I scan my negs with a Konica-Minolta DiMage IV and I also have the adapter for APS which is a breeze to use (25 shots in one go). I use it with the OEM software which runs through a VMware Win XP virtual machine.

 

[5at19]

Scan "flat." Think of it like a digicam's RAW image.

Then go back and do what you will. The more I scan and understand the opportunities in my Canon Scangear SW, the less I miss the wet darkroom.

How do you scan negatives "flat" in ScanGear? It always converts to positive for me, and there is still some kind of color adjustment going on.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

I was unimpressed by the Epson software, and Vuescan's demo is so restrictive that I cannot determine if it will do what I want/need it to do. When I bought my Epson V750, it came with SilverFast AI 7 (yeah, that long ago). I've kept up to date and with my recent transition to an iMac Pro, bought the SilverFast AI 9 upgrade. Pricey, but worth every penny. It feels like I have an all-new scanner, it made such a difference. That, and now having 64gb of RAM on tap.

But seriously, SilverFast is just SO good as scanning software. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

 

[5at19]

Is there a mac version of Silverfast?

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

I was unimpressed by the Epson software, and Vuescan's demo is so restrictive that I cannot determine if it will do what I want/need it to do. When I bought my Epson V750, it came with SilverFast AI 7 (yeah, that long ago). I've kept up to date and with my recent transition to an iMac Pro, bought the SilverFast AI 9 upgrade. Pricey, but worth every penny. It feels like I have an all-new scanner, it made such a difference. That, and now having 64gb of RAM on tap.

But seriously, SilverFast is just SO good as scanning software. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

The results are limited by the scanner hardware and its dMax. You can't get blood from a turnip.

Epsonscan (that I use), Silverfast and the other scanner software programs are just post-scan editing programs that edit during the scan. Scan "flat" with no adjustments, and do it all afterward in your favorite editing program and you'll get the same results.

 

[DonW]

If eric wouldn't mind my jumping on this post, can I ask a question re: scanning for 4X5 - which will likely be something I'm doing a bit of in a while? When it comes to flatbed scanners... Epson V700, V750, V800 and V850 series, are there any REAL or important differences? These are the scanners that seem to be more current and have Betterscanning mounts - in the event you get finnicky.
I think I've read that the V800 and V850 don't really add anything the V700/V750 weren't already doing, but wonder whether that's right? Finally, I've been very happy with used equipment - cameras and lenses, and even a used Nikon Coolscan (which won't work for 4X5), but the last Epson scanner I bought was a V300 - which was comparatively crude I suppose. I wonder whether there's any risk in an older, used V700 or V750 I should be aware of? I'd love to hear what you guys have found..

Eric hasn't been around for a long time. But I will add my 2 cents.

I use an Epson V700 Pro. My general MO is to set white and black points turn off all wizzy things and let'r rip. The rest is done in PS.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

Eric hasn't been around for a long time. But I will add my 2 cents.

I use an Epson V700 Pro. My general MO is to set white and black points turn off all wizzy things and let'r rip. The rest is done in PS.

That's what I do with my Epsonscan and V850 and Lightroom. Although, I'm not sure if it matters if you scan flat to 0 and 255 and adjust levels in post.