My question is about scanning color 35mm film. I use professional film (Portra 400) and a very good lab. I get consistent results and prints.
This year i have invested in semi-pro or pro scanner Reflecta 10T with expensive SilverFast Ai Studio 8. And I intend to scan 35mm film for printing purposes. My goal is to have very high quality 30 x 40 inch prints.
Scanner is giving me fantastic results: 230 MB, 7052 x 4715 pixels (33,5 MP) TIFFs with great natural/crisp film grain and overall great look.
BUT the colors are off. Always. I use NegaFix (piece of SilverFast) with the correct Portra 400 profile and I try to put accurate WHITE, BLACK and GREY points (where they are in picture) but I never get consistent and real results. Pics are never "right", always off, always to bright or to warm (to cold).
I read all forums about how scanning is difficult and about SilverFast and Scan Vue, Color perfect and Photoshop but everywhere people have problems getting colors right.
My questions are:
1. Should I just continue this guessing game and try to somehow spot the right color everytime?
2. Have you tried putting Grey Card 18% and set this as a correct exposure in scanning soft or Lightroom and color balance from there?
3. Have you tried putting Color Balance Card (White, Black, Grey) to help scanning software determine exposure and color balance and color balance from there?
4. Have you tried X-Rite's Color Checker Passport or other color calibration target to set full color correction this way?
5. If yes, what about film bias. (Portra 160 more pastel, Ektar 100 a lot more vivid) Wouldn't it just get you to the POINT ZERO with film where you have no film specific properties?
The goal is to have as close to 35mm film scanned image as possible, without any interpretation. Just what you get from film processed neutral and printed neutral. To see real film color specific for it's kind. I just want to see good Portra 400 on my screen.
Thanks for your time.
This year i have invested in semi-pro or pro scanner Reflecta 10T with expensive SilverFast Ai Studio 8. And I intend to scan 35mm film for printing purposes. My goal is to have very high quality 30 x 40 inch prints.
Scanner is giving me fantastic results: 230 MB, 7052 x 4715 pixels (33,5 MP) TIFFs with great natural/crisp film grain and overall great look.
BUT the colors are off. Always. I use NegaFix (piece of SilverFast) with the correct Portra 400 profile and I try to put accurate WHITE, BLACK and GREY points (where they are in picture) but I never get consistent and real results. Pics are never "right", always off, always to bright or to warm (to cold).
I read all forums about how scanning is difficult and about SilverFast and Scan Vue, Color perfect and Photoshop but everywhere people have problems getting colors right.
My questions are:
1. Should I just continue this guessing game and try to somehow spot the right color everytime?
2. Have you tried putting Grey Card 18% and set this as a correct exposure in scanning soft or Lightroom and color balance from there?
3. Have you tried putting Color Balance Card (White, Black, Grey) to help scanning software determine exposure and color balance and color balance from there?
4. Have you tried X-Rite's Color Checker Passport or other color calibration target to set full color correction this way?
5. If yes, what about film bias. (Portra 160 more pastel, Ektar 100 a lot more vivid) Wouldn't it just get you to the POINT ZERO with film where you have no film specific properties?
The goal is to have as close to 35mm film scanned image as possible, without any interpretation. Just what you get from film processed neutral and printed neutral. To see real film color specific for it's kind. I just want to see good Portra 400 on my screen.
Thanks for your time.
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