Kodak's new film scanner...good move?

[jtk]

Lightroom allows the printing of contact sheets of selected images. But frankly, doing it your way seems easier.

I don't bother with Lightroom. Photoshop itself does the deed.

 

[runswithsizzers]

I have a Nikon Coolscan film scanner which I got many years ago. Eventually, when I upgraded my computers i was left with no way to connect as the firewire interface was dropped and the software discontinued.
I note that Vuescan offers a solution but I'm still stuck with the connection issue. How did you get around that. Apple sell a USB-C to Thunderbolt adapter, which you then connect to a Thunderbolt to Firewire adapter forming a bridge between the firewire device (ie Coolscan) and the computer. It all sounds a bit convoluted and I haven't tried it as I'm a bit reluctant to spend a €100 on adapters with out knowing if this combination with the new software will solve my problem.
I have heard people saying that they retained the old computer with the old operating systems and connections. This is no longer an option for me.
How have you maintained the use of your Coolscan?
David

There may be some advice you can use in this link:
https://emulsive.org/featured/how-t...to-modern-computers#scsi-device-to-usb-c-port

 

[warden]

I still am wondering why people don't make a silver contact print and then scan that.

I tried that as an experiment. Compared a scan from one of my darkroom 8x10s with a Coolscan of the same 35mm negative. There was a size difference in pixels of course (the scanned print was much larger) but the quality was about the same. If you're just sharing on the internet the Coolscan is good enough for me.

 

[mshchem]

I have a Nikon Coolscan film scanner which I got many years ago. Eventually, when I upgraded my computers i was left with no way to connect as the firewire interface was dropped and the software discontinued.
I note that Vuescan offers a solution but I'm still stuck with the connection issue. How did you get around that. Apple sell a USB-C to Thunderbolt adapter, which you then connect to a Thunderbolt to Firewire adapter forming a bridge between the firewire device (ie Coolscan) and the computer. It all sounds a bit convoluted and I haven't tried it as I'm a bit reluctant to spend a €100 on adapters with out knowing if this combination with the new software will solve my problem.
I have heard people saying that they retained the old computer with the old operating systems and connections. This is no longer an option for me.
How have you maintained the use of your Coolscan?
David

Mine has USB connection. I know a professional photographer, he has an amazing setup, he does have some old computers that are dedicated to certain scanners. His studio and work space is huge.

 

[MattKing]

You're forgetting that the "entity" known as "Kodak" is a legal fiction.

As are all corporate entities. Eastman Kodak, of course still has one division that makes wonderful photographic film, highly valued polyester sheet material, circuit board materials and several other special purpose products using a coating line that is arguably the best in the word for what it is used for. That division is only part of the business, but after shrinking precipitously, it is now growing again. Which makes those of us who enjoy film photography happier.

You do value happiness, don't you?

 

[Sirius Glass]

I don't bother with Lightroom. Photoshop itself does the deed.

I do not rent software.

 

[warden]

I don't bother with Lightroom. Photoshop itself does the deed.

I do the same, but keep thinking I need to switch to Lightroom for its other features related to database, lossless editing etc. It would be better to have a little more organization for all these photos. Maybe one day.

 

[jtk]

As are all corporate entities. Eastman Kodak, of course still has one division that makes wonderful photographic film, highly valued polyester sheet material, circuit board materials and several other special purpose products using a coating line that is arguably the best in the word for what it is used for. That division is only part of the business, but after shrinking precipitously, it is now growing again. Which makes those of us who enjoy film photography happier.

You do value happiness, don't you?

If it makes somebody happy to avoid photography and focus instead on darkroom. good for them.

 

[MattKing]

I'll let others respond to jtk's narrow view of what we are entitled to find photographic happiness in.
Or maybe better yet, not respond.

 

[Helge]

You're forgetting that the "entity" known as "Kodak" is a legal fiction.

It’s not. There is a direct line from George Eastman to the Kodak of today. Even many of the locations are the same and much of the “philosophy” is intact.

 

[koraks]

If it makes somebody happy to avoid photography and focus instead on darkroom.

I would consider photographic printing as a part of photography. I also believe that printing is no lesser art than the first half of the image-making process, although in the public eye there has never been the appreciation for printers that (some) photographers have received. If that's justified - I don't think so.
Btw, over the years, many photographers have seen the need to keep both the image-taking and the printing stages under their own control to achieve their vision. Adams is the beaten-to-death example, but also contemporary artists like John Riddy and many others. I think this neatly illustrates that there's a large movement within photography that regards all stages in the process as inseparable.

Or, as I like to say: it ain't over till it's over. There's no photo until the print has been made. But that's of course just as restricted a view as arguing that darkroom work isn't part of photography.

 

[albireo]

I would consider photographic printing as a part of photography. I also believe that printing is no lesser art than the first half of the image-making process, although in the public eye there has never been the appreciation for printers that (some) photographers have received. If that's justified - I don't think so.

I think they were making a more general point. I think they were trying to insinuate that people who waste time with the supposedly dying/dead art of film photography (which they conflate with 'darkroom' stuff, as opposed to digital photography as in modern, 'no darkroom needed' stuff) are 'avoiding' photography.

I'm really sorry for them, and I'd suggest a new hobby (Astronomy? Chess? Collecting post stamps?). Or perhaps a walk in the neighbourhood for some fresh air. Bring a small camera. The little I know of Albuquerque is from 'Breaking Bad' and 'Better Call Saul', looks like a beautiful place, would love to visit. I bet there's tons of photo opportunities. I would die to be able to take a walk there with my Rollei 3.5F and some 10/15 rolls of Foma 200.

 

[JerseyDoug]

On a related note, I was given an Epson V500 and, while I still print what I want in the darkroom, I do scan my negs for no other reason than to have a digital back up. But, one thing I am experimenting with is opening the folder with the images for the roll, viewing them as thumbnails, making a screen shot, and printing that on my laser printer instead of making a traditional contact sheet. It works OK But I am wondering if there’s an app that does that more directly.

On the Mac side there's ContactPage Pro, which I use. I don't know about the Windows side.

 

[VinceInMT]

Q: How to print many images on one page?
A: In the Thumbnails window, use the menu "Create contact sheet from selected thumbs". The result image(s) can be printed or saved.

Thanks. I'd forgotten that IrfanView had that feature.

 

[albada]

There's no photo until the print has been made.

Everyone who uses an enlarger or inkjet printer heartily agrees, never mind what folks who only view photos on computers and cell phones think.

 

[Kilgallb]

There's no photo until the print has been made. But that's of course just as restricted a view as arguing that darkroom work isn't part of photography.


I think that as well as printing, photography is also displays.

 

[grat]

I don't bother with Lightroom. Photoshop itself does the deed.

Heck, Windows 10 does contact sheets from a folder of images.

I do the same, but keep thinking I need to switch to Lightroom for its other features related to database, lossless editing etc. It would be better to have a little more organization for all these photos. Maybe one day.

Try darktable.

 

[Sirius Glass]

There's no photo until the print has been made. But that's of course just as restricted a view as arguing that darkroom work isn't part of photography.


I think that as well as printing, photography is also displays.

There is nothing like holding a print in ones hands. Binary numbers just do not to it for people.

 

[albireo]

Are you sure you do not have the space to store an old Windows 7 or 8 computer that can accept FireWire? You could spend a lot of effort and $$ trying to adapt the Coolscan to a contemporary Mac or WIN.

As stated, there is absolutely 0 effort involved in getting a Coolscan to work to the full extent of its capabilities on a modern Windows machine.

If Vuescan is an option, it will recognise the scanner straight away.

If one prefers using Nikonscan, the procedure for installing it on a Windows 10/11 machine is slightly more convoluted, but perfectly documented by Graheme at Lincolnscan.co.uk amongst others.

So no need for a legacy platform.

 

[BMbikerider]

I have a Nikon Coolscan film scanner which I got many years ago. Eventually, when I upgraded my computers i was left with no way to connect as the firewire interface was dropped and the software discontinued.
I note that Vuescan offers a solution but I'm still stuck with the connection issue. How did you get around that. Apple sell a USB-C to Thunderbolt adapter, which you then connect to a Thunderbolt to Firewire adapter forming a bridge between the firewire device (ie Coolscan) and the computer. It all sounds a bit convoluted and I haven't tried it as I'm a bit reluctant to spend a €100 on adapters with out knowing if this combination with the new software will solve my problem.
I have heard people saying that they retained the old computer with the old operating systems and connections. This is no longer an option for me.
How have you maintained the use of your Coolscan?
David

My main computer system is up to date with Windows 10 but I get around the problem with the lack of interface with my Coolscan 4 by attaching it to a Dell laptop which works well using Windows XP. I stripped out all the 'add on' programmes that I would not use then I 'upped' the RAM which solved the scan speed problem. The scans are all done in RAW which I don't think any scanner apart from Nikon is capable of.

I scan negatives mainly without a problem. (except you cannot use ICE with B&W except films like XP2) but also gradually working my way through a few many boxes of slides. What it does show up is slides that previously you may have thought they were sharp, the Scanner is so good you soon see the ones that are not as sharp as you think they are

 

[etn]

I still am wondering why people don't make a silver contact print and then scan that.

Because Cibachrome is not available anymore? ...

Joking aside, I agree with you, it works well. For "fast scan" I even use my office all-in-one (a laser printer+scanner not intended for photography at all). I press one button and 1 minute later I have the full page on my hard drive at 300ppi. I'm only missing a piece of software to extract individual frames out of the scan!

 

[grat]

Apparently, the Windows 11 firewire driver has the legacy support that was missing in Windows 10: https://www.studio1productions.com/Articles/Firewire-1.htm

Personally, I find the whole argument to be yet more justification for using my Linux system for production work.

 

[mshchem]

Because Cibachrome is not available anymore? ...

Joking aside, I agree with you, it works well. For "fast scan" I even use my office all-in-one (a laser printer+scanner not intended for photography at all). I press one button and 1 minute later I have the full page on my hard drive at 300ppi. I'm only missing a piece of software to extract individual frames out of the scan!

Cibachrome, that's something I really miss. I can live without Kodachrome.

There's a book of John F Kennedy photos, the negatives were lost in the 9/11 attacks on NY. There were contact sheets of the negatives and proved to be more than adequate for the book.

 

[guangong]

I got stung buying a Kodak printer (what an ingenious way to run a company into the ground). I limit myself to buying Kodak film and chemicals.

 

[jtk]

There's no photo until the print has been made. But that's of course just as restricted a view as arguing that darkroom work isn't part of photography.


I think that as well as printing, photography is also displays.

Yes, of course! For example, photography is also Youtube and Flickr and the images on Photrio (all of which are merely digital displays).