Scanning Technique...

[tonyjuliano]

I have a 3 part series on my photography blog dealing with all things related to scanning film.

Part 1 can be found Dead Link Removed.

 

[EricNelson]

Link is 404

 

[jd callow]

I used to do neg scanning in a production environment and would follow the this process: 1) Calibrate the scanner; 2) scan the neg as a neg (let the software invert it); 3) use a custom profile that basically did nothing (i set it up to not optimize or try to find a nuetral point); 4) correct in photoshop

It would produce a flat, generally light, cyan tinited positive. I would then use the curves tool to adjust the image. After some practice it was very fast and eliminated the scanner from adding bias. I have yet to use a scanner that can successfully apply a film specific profile or one that did a better job then me (or any human) at setting colour, density and contrast.

 

[tonyjuliano]

Link is 404

Corrected link, Dead Link Removed

 

[toyotadesigner]

I tried Silverfast several years ago, but abandoned it. Since then I use VueScan, because it offers tons of great features to turn slides and negatives into perfect image files, particularly if you have dedicated film scanners. More about VueScan and its advantages here:

the art of scanning

Never managed to get similar results with Silverfast (they didn't even come close). Best of all: you can VueScan with any scanner in your office, which means you are working with the same interface and don't have to mess with different GUIs. Currently I've hooked a Nikon LS 5000, LS 9000, a Canon LIDE 40 and a HP Wireless B109 scanner to it.

 

[TareqPhoto]

I prefer Epson Scan to its simplicity over the other two, but i go with VueScan after Epson Scan, SilverFast i always missing around with controls/adjustments,...and so and at the end the results are not better than Epson Scan or VueScan, so i don't want to waste 1 hour or even 30 minute to know the functions to have great scanning results, ES and VS both are doing the job for me, and for me that ES is free and VS i have lifetime updating.

 

[tonyjuliano]

I prefer Epson Scan to its simplicity over the other two, but i go with VueScan after Epson Scan, SilverFast i always missing around with controls/adjustments,...and so and at the end the results are not better than Epson Scan or VueScan, so i don't want to waste 1 hour or even 30 minute to know the functions to have great scanning results, ES and VS both are doing the job for me, and for me that ES is free and VS i have lifetime updating.

Are you using EpsonScan for Color Negs?

 

[TareqPhoto]

Are you using EpsonScan for Color Negs?

I use Epson Scan for all films, B&W, Color Negs, and Slides.

 

[Iridium]

Regarding b&w scanning and processing then in Photoshop, I would like to ask if there is anybody that uses the Duotone (Tritone) mode to adjust the tones of the image.

Moreover, how do you prefer to scan a b&w film? As RGB, as grayscale 16bit or better as positive and why?

 

[cooltouch]

I have a few Epson scanners, and I'm very familiar -- and comfortable wth -- Epson Scan. 've tried the demo versions of both VueScan and Silverfast, and I have issues with both. With Silverfast, the user interface is confusing to me, and I was only able to get scans by apparent accident. With VueScan, some of the menu items were clipped off, so I couldn't read what they said (indicating to me a lack of attention when designing the interface), and I was never able to find a way to do batch scans of slides where I have adjusted exposure to different levels for various members of the batch. It wanted to apply the adjustments to every member of the batch. I dunno if I was doing something wrong, or if VueScan can't handle individual adjustments in batch mode, but in any case, I was dissatisfied with both, didn't really see any difference in scan quality between either one and Epson Scan, so I just decided to save my money and keep using good ol' ES.

To answer Iridium, well for the first question, I gotta say no, I don't use those methods. I typically use "curves" only with my B&W images if I feel the need to adjust tonal ranges. As for the second question, I prefer to scan my B&W film as 24-bit RGB files, and then I'll usually convert them back to grayscale in post. Reason why I do this is because it takes much longer for my Epson 4990 to scan a grayscale image than a color one -- like 3 or 4 times longer. You would think it would be just the opposite. I don't mind though because sometimes I wind up with B&W images with interesting tints to them and I'll end up saving them as color images, just because I like the tints.