Epson Scanners - emulsion up or down

[Curt]

Epson recommends inserting the film so the emulsion side (dull side) is facing up and thus the manufacturers edge markings on the film appear to read backwards. If your film is relatively flat, orient the film this way first, but dont be afraid to experiment with the orientation of the emulsion because some users claim they get better scans with the emulsion side down (most say they cant tell the difference). I think the real reason Epson tells you to orient your film emulsion side up is so the resulting scans are laterally correct (dont need to be manually flipped). If you scan your film emulsion side down, you may need to reverse or flip your image. This is easily accomplished in Photoshop by using the following menu commands: Image > Rotate Canvas > Flip Horizontal.

A quote from Betterscanning, a company with a very good reputation. I've been scanning with the emulsion down and text in the negatives read backwords. I was doing the rotate and flip in Photoshop but then I looked it up and found this quote which seems to say experiment. Any comments about mounting emulsion up or down. Or just give an up or down vote.
They don't claim any specific scanner in the article.

Curt

 

[pellicle]

Curt

specifications are at best putty to be a starting point. Personally I scan emulsion down as that's where the sensor is

 

[Rudeofus]

Main reason I scan it emulsion side facing down is the film curl I usually get. If I insert it into the betterscanning holder that way, I can press down the curl to make the film straight. Since vuescan already flips my images if I tell it so, there is no need to do this in post processing.

I would be interested if anyone has made a comparison, but the text above indicates that the differences could be minimal.

 

[Loris Medici]

In case of B&W, due the differential sheen of the emulsion, it's best to scan emulsion up. In other words, emulsion facing the lightsource, film back facing the sensor.

Regards,
Loris.

P.S.1. Not that I think it will make a significant difference.

P.S.2. OTOH, AFAIK, flatbed scanners' "depth of focus"(!) is usually enough to manage the thickness of the film base.

 

[sanking]

I had intended to reply earlier to this but it slipped my mind.

The software of most scanners, and all professional scanners that I have used, is designed to give correct orientation of the image file when the emulsion of the film faces the CCD. This makes sense because this is the cleanest look the CCD can have of the image on the negative.

For some reason Epson scanners give the correct orientation when the base side of the film faces the CCD, with the emulsion up. This is ass backward to what one would expect, and of course different from most other scanners. I have never read an explanation for this but it may have something to do with flare that you might be with the base side of the film facing the light source, as was implied in a previous message.

If you use the BetterScanning holder with AN glass my advice is to fluid mount the negative to the smooth side of the glass, with the emulsion facing the CCD and the base of the negative in contact with the glass. The AN glass, which is now facing the light source, will smooth out the light and prevent flare.

Sandy King

 

[Curt]

I had intended to reply earlier to this but it slipped my mind.

The software of most scanners, and all professional scanners that I have used, is designed to give correct orientation of the image file when the emulsion of the film faces the CCD. This makes sense because this is the cleanest look the CCD can have of the image on the negative.

For some reason Epson scanners give the correct orientation when the base side of the film faces the CCD, with the emulsion up. This is ass backward to what one would expect, and of course different from most other scanners. I have never read an explanation for this but it may have something to do with flare that you might be with the base side of the film facing the light source, as was implied in a previous message.

If you use the Betterscanning holder with AN glass my advice is to fluid mount the negative to the smooth side of the glass, with the emulsion facing the CCD and the base of the negative in contact with the glass. The AN glass, which is now facing the light source, will smooth out the light and prevent flare.

Sandy King

As obscure as the subject might be I found it to be an interesting point to consider. My problem with wet mounting is the film size, 5X7, where there isn't a holder from either Epson or Betterscan. What is it about Epson scanners that make them different from the rest of the lineup? Is Epson technology specifically different in one aspect that sets it apart? The answers given here make a lot of sense when considered. I wonder if they would apply to other brands, not that I have any intention of buy, using or owning any. I like the 4990 and will try the up and down again and critically examine the results, time give, to see if there is any perceptible difference.

Curt