Scanning guru tips?

[Dazzer123]

Hi folks,

Because i'm really new to analog photography, i haven't been stressing too much about my crappy scans, but now i'm getting some good pictures, i want to improve the A/D process!

I have an Epson V850 Pro and i'm working with 120 film.

Could someone take me through some tips and tricks from the moment i pull the negatives out of my Paterson tank?

For example, the last roll i developed was really sticky when i got it in the scanner. Should i wash the negatives after the final stabilizer step? (i watched a popular youtube tutorial about developing, and there was no mention of washing after the stabilizer!).

How long should i hang up my negs for? Do i let them dry naturally, or should i actively dry them (i do have the Paterson pair of tongs that pull water off directy after they come out of the tank, it works well, but they're still a little wet).

And what are the tricks to minimizing dust and hair on the negative? I've got best results so far with using the negative holder that comes with the V850, but this includes a plastic cover that i guess is the anti Newton ring feature, but that thing is like a dust and dirt magnet, it almost feels sticky!

Any tips and tricks and even a complete run-down of your workflow would be appreciated!

One last question: will a fluid mount scan get better results with the V850? Or is the different fairly minimal?

I tested a glass scan by placing the negative on the glass, with another piece of glass on top, and it doesn't seem as sharp as using the holder (yes, i did change to "glass" in the Silverfast settings!)

Thanks for your time!

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

I have a V850. Test each of the film holders and adjust their height to the best focus. I marked the setting position for easy reference with a magic marker because the switches tend to slide out of position. The holders have an arrow engraved on them for the factory height setting. But I found in a couple of cases its not the nest position for focus.

Follow the manual for inserting the film. The correct way may not seem to be the best way. The film holder for 120 does not hold three 6x7 pictures. So cut them into strips of two.

I develop my film in an outside lab so I can't help you with the other questions. For dust issues when scanning, I use a bulb type blower and electrostatic type brushes and cloths on the film and scanner glass surfaces. I still get a lot of dust. The glass on the holders that keeps the film flat also adds to the dust problem more so then when I used my earlier V600 without the holder glass. I've never tried wet scans.

I scan at 2400 bit, 48 bit for color. Sometimes I use ICE with the Epsonscan software, often I just spot the dust off in Lightroom.
You can see all sorts of my scans on my Flickr site below in 120, 4x5 and 35mm with both V600 and V850.
Sample 120 on a v850.

 

[koraks]

How long should i hang up my negs for?

Until they are completely dry.

I'd not recommend using your film squeegee as you'll end up damaging your film sooner or later with it.

If you search the forums, you'll find a plethora of threads on dry marks / water spots and how to prevent them. However, on 120 film I've never found them to be an issue to begin with.

Should i wash the negatives after the final stabilizer step?

With color film, the stabilizer bath is the final bath. Don't wash afterwards. Washing before the stabilizer bath is a good idea. I usually do 4 water washes with continuous agitation at C41 processing temperature for color films.

With b&w you typically don't use a stabilizer bath although it doesn't hurt if you do. Washing the film is again a good idea.

I tested a glass scan by placing the negative on the glass, with another piece of glass on top, and it doesn't seem as sharp as using the holder

So use the film holder I'm only familiar with the holders on my old 4990 and they don't have any transparent material overlapping the image area. Perhaps someone can fill you in on the specific v850 traits.

As to scanning workflows - there are so many ways to do this; just experiment and find out what works for you. Personally I've always been happy with Epson Scan. Color correction of color negative film is always a challenge, but there are a couple of software tools/apps to make the process easier. I have little experience with those; I always just color correct manually whatever Epson Scan spits out. Make sure that during scanning, none of the color channels are bing clipped (either on the dark or the low end of the curve). Preferably scan at 16 bit depth (or 48 color, which is 3x16 of course), this will reduce the risk of posterization during post processing. Color corrections I always do using curves, by manipulating the individual R, G and B curves to taste.

 

[_T_]

For dust on the carriers I use an Ilford Antistatic Cloth and a bulb blower. For the film itself I use just the bulb blower. There are products specifically made for cleaning negatives if they have gotten dirty, but with freshly processed or properly stored film they're not usually necessary. If you ever have a negative that does need further cleaning, make sure you have the right stuff or you will certainly damage the negative.

For dust on the bed of the scanner I use PEC-PAD wipes (the larger ones) and a cleaning solution that is specifically designed for cleaning scanners. I always clean the upper portion of the scanner before I clean the lower portion so that if the dust falls from the top part to the bottom while I am cleaning I do not miss it and have it show up on my scans. I also attempt to prevent the ingress of dust by placing a dust cover over the scanner when I'm not using it. Dust on a flatbed scan is inevitable, though. You can never get rid of it 100% so you need to be up on your retouching skills.

I always wear gloves the entire time I am scanning. Cotton gloves are more comfortable but I find them a little restricting, maybe because they don't really fit me. I find that my hands are more capable when I'm wearing vinyl gloves or what have you. But I won't even touch the scanner if I'm not wearing gloves. If you get a fingerprint on the bed of the scanner it's basically going to be there forever.

When mixing the final step of development, usually the stabilizer or photo flo, I always make the solution out of distilled water. I also use distilled water for the final rinse before it goes into the stabilizer. I have lived in places that had tap water that would leave spots on the negatives after drying and now I just make it a habit to use distilled water just in case.

There are steps you can take to minimize the amount of dust in the air while your negatives are drying to keep your drying negatives from accumulating dust, but I have never had a problem with that so I can't relay that information to you. I think you can find them on this forum if you search.

After the negatives are dry I place them in polypropylene fold flap sleeves. I always use side loading sleeves, never end loading sleeves that require you to slide the length of the negative into the sleeve as I have seen scratches with that type of storage. As soon as my negatives are fully dry I place them in the sleeves and they stay in the sleeves until it is time to place them in the holder for scanning. I inspect the sleeved negative for dust before I open it and if it is dusty I use the bulb blower before I open it.

Once the film is in the holder and ready to go in the scanner I hit the holder and the negatives with a bulb blower on both sides one last time and immediately into the scanner and close the lid.

I only open the lid of the scanner when I am inserting the holder and I always open it for the shortest possible amount of time.

 

[Dazzer123]

Thanks guys, some great tips, going to take these forward with my next set of negatives!

 

[Adrian Bacon]

Hang them up and let them air dry completely before doing anything else.

if possible, run a HEPA filter in your film handling area. the bigger the air filtration unit, the better. There is no such thing as air that is too clean. This alone will dramatically cut down how much junk will end up on your film.

for 120 film, your scanner selection is totally fine. I have a v850 Pro that I use for sheet film. I’d use it for 120 if it was faster, but have a very high resolution camera scanning setup that gives good resolution for most use cases.

Don’t wash the negatives after the final stabilizer.

after the film is dry, wear clean gloves to handle the film.