So what the heck happened here?

pbromaghin · Sep 24, 2012

I've been happily scanning all kinds of film for years and suddenly this happens:

I'm using an Epson 4490, set to B&W neg, scanning Tmax 400. I turned the emulsion side up - no difference. Switched setting to Color neg - no difference. The bottom of the neg carrier shows nicely, it's only in the area of the negative that this is happening. Also, I later was able to scan some color positive slides with no problem. I didn't think to try scanning the B&W neg as a color slide. I'll have to try that tonight.

The only thing I know has changed is that I installed a Canon Pixma 9000 printer and software, which included a new RGB color space. I don't why that would cause something like this.

Thanks in advance.

Peter

jd callow · Sep 24, 2012

do all negs scan this way or only that neg?

pbromaghin · Sep 24, 2012

JD, thank you for asking.

I have been using this scanner for maybe 5 years, with several types of color, B&W, neg and positive, including tmax 400, and this is the first time anything like this has happened. There were 2 negs from the same roll mounted at this time (the posted image shows part of both) and the whole area under the top light looked like this. There is nothing recognizable at all in the scan. The negs are real nice under the loupe.

jd callow · Sep 24, 2012

I would scan a neg that you know scans well and see if it doesn't also produce garbage. My personal opinion is that the you have a scanner/connection/software issue. If you can hook the scanner up to a different computer and see if it scans ok. If it does try uninstalling and reinstalling your scanner software. If it doesn't consider shopping for a new scanner.

Doug Fisher · Sep 25, 2012

Did you make sure to remove the insert from the lid of the scanner? Is the holder positioned/oriented correctly on the glass bed so that the calibration gap is in the right spot? Nothing is covering any part of the calibration gap, right?

Doug

pbromaghin · Sep 25, 2012

Doug Fisher said:
Did you make sure to remove the insert from the lid of the scanner? Is the holder positioned/oriented correctly on the glass bed so that the calibration gap is in the right spot? Nothing is covering any part of the calibration gap, right?

Doug

Doug - thanks for the sensible questions. It's good to make sure the basics were done right. The insert hasn't been used in over a year. These are 120 negatives and there is only one way that the 120 holder can be fitted onto the bed. On more than one of the many attempts, I lifted the lid an inch or so to make sure everything was lined up and the top light was moving properly. In the resulting scans it's apparent when the light was pulled away.

pbromaghin · Sep 25, 2012

jd callow said:
I would scan a neg that you know scans well and see if it doesn't also produce garbage. My personal opinion is that the you have a scanner/connection/software issue. If you can hook the scanner up to a different computer and see if it scans ok. If it does try uninstalling and reinstalling your scanner software. If it doesn't consider shopping for a new scanner.

It might be a couple days before I get to try any of these. Along with trying a known neg, I wan to scan this one as a positive color slide, which I know still works. I don't have the software installed on any other computers so the next step probably will be uninstall/re-install on this one.

pbromaghin · Feb 4, 2013

The passage of time and use of the scanner leads me to believe I was scanning it as a document with reflective light instead of as film with top light.

jd callow · Feb 4, 2013

As I was rereading the post, that or a dead lid light came to mind.

So what the heck happened here?

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So what the heck happened here?

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