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Easy Negative Proofing with Digicam

djklmnop

Member
Allowing Ads
Joined
Jan 28, 2004
Messages
230
Format
4x5 Format
Just wanted to reveal another simple tip:

If you put your negative on a light table and use your digital camera to photograph it, then invert it in photoshop, this will give you a quick preview of the image. This is especially useful if you shoot portraits and want to quickly review poses.

I use this a lot since my darkroom is not a permanant one so it is way too cumbersome to set up just for contact printing.

Andy
 
Why not just scan the negative? less steps and saves more time.
 
Andy:

good tip. Thanks...i hadn't thought of that.

Aggie said:
Why not just scan the negative? less steps and saves more time.
Click to expand...

Aggie:

Scanning of course is the better option, although it doesn't always work out well if your negative is a bit dense...at least with my current scanner. I have no way yet of scanning a negative in any other way then reflective. This works out rather well if my negative is exposed and developed properly. If its a bit dense, or has more stain than usual, then I run into problems. Granted, you can probably do stuff in the scanning phase or in photoshop that may help...i just don't know how. Any tips would be appreciated. Thanks
 
Not everyone has a 4x5 film scanner..

My coolscan 8000 only scans up 6x9cm, and when you have about 15 4x5negatives, its not fun waiting for the flatbed scanner to go through each of them.

Click Click Click, load up the flash card, open them all up, invert.. done.
 
I figured out how to scan 8x10 negatives on my scanner, which only does up to 4x5. I put the slide thingy back in and laid the negative flat on the bed of the scanner. I added a spare sheet of white mat board on top. In PS I had to invert the image, but I got the scan I needed. I don't know if that will work for color.
 
I often snap them when they are drying, as soon as they're out of the tank
 
Aggie said:
Why not just scan the negative? less steps and saves more time.
Click to expand...

I have scanned some 35 mm negs (6 strips of 6 negs) in my Canon flatbed, and they came out very weird. I will give the digital camera thing a try with the negs on my light table.
Thanks
 
The most elegant (and analog) way is to just look at them. With a few years' practice you get a very good idea of what the print will look like.
 
Ole said:
The most elegant (and analog) way is to just look at them. With a few years' practice you get a very good idea of what the print will look like.
Click to expand...

I am training my viewing of negatives at the moment, but for fast and immediate sharing of the negs it is a good idea to digitize it.
I have several models and customers that need to choose which negs they want to have printed or high-res scanned, so sending then a "contact sheet" by mail is preferable for them and me (saves postage and time).

Morten
 
bjorke said:
I often snap them when they are drying, as soon as they're out of the tank
Click to expand...

How do you manage it without use of a light table?
 
The backdrop is lit and white. These are just quickie snaps of 6x6 negs -- so they are not flat they have crappy tonality, etc. But they are easy to see for a first look (and not just for me, often).
 
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