New Flextight Owner

[Prospero]

Hello,

I've been a member of APUG for a couple of years now but have just signed up on this forum. I have a Nikon 9000 which I use with Vuescan and had a Canon FS4000 before that, so I am a reasonably experienced scanner. However as well as MF I take 4x5 and 617 - the Nikon can't do the former at all, and the latter only in sections followed by stitching. So I was on the lookout for something to do LF, and had just about decided to buy the Microtek F1 when I was fortunate enough to acquire a used Imacon Flextight Precision II for what I thought was a good price.

I am starting to learn how to use the Flextight - can anyone direct me to any good tutorials? FAQs? Traps for new players?

 

[jd callow]

That is a big topic. I've used the flextight II for a number of years and found it to be head and shoulders above any flatbed -- so you made a good choice. What I can tell you off the top of my head:

• the film profiles are more hassle than they are worth
• USM is best done after the scan, but to turn it off is counter intuitive (read the manual as I forget how it is done now)
• The scanning sw is excellent, but I found that raw scans fit a faster workflow than tweaking each preview prior to the final scan. I setup a profile that did no optimization leaving that for PS
• The bulbs die slow deaths and can have short or long lifes so there is no rule of thumb about replacement. One issue I ran across was the finish on the tube would flake leaving artifacts in the scan
• If you aren't scanning in max res use the factory recommended res that is just a littel larger than what you need. If you have the time to always scan at max res it is, in the long run, a real time saver.
• Occasionally the wheel would jam when canceling a scan in mid scan and or when scanning to the very edge of the scan area. The scanner would start clunking which was a bit frightening.
• The scanner can be a bit finicky, or at least the one I used was, so be gentel.
• have fun they are great scanners.

Welcome to Hybrid!

 

[Prospero]

Thanks JD. Here's what must be a fairly dumb question for a starter. I've worked out how to turn most things off - USM, cast correction etc. However one thing I have noticed is that when the Flextight software shows a nice balanced histogram, viewing levels on the same file in Photoshop shows quite a gap at the black end - I have to move the black slider to the right. Brightness and contrast are set to 0 in the scanning software, and gamma to the default (2.2 I think).

 

[jd callow]

The disparity between scanning software and PS is one reason I don't use scanning software to make adjustments. I can't tell you why there is the gap, but if your scans are easily corrected in photoshop than I wouldn't worry.

 

[scovell001]

Hi Stewart,

You might find this helpfull
http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/ac/IT_tutorial_web_site/photography/photography_flexcolour.htm