Q For the scanners
 

Just got into medium format and previously scanned my 35mm negs on my Canon
5000 no problems. This particular scanner however does not hold 6x4.5 negs
so as an experiment I cut a neg down to 35mm size and scanned as usual. This
film was also C41 processed. It a nutshell everything appeared very blue and
only with a lot of correction was it resolved. I used fuji NPH400. Is there
any explanation for this as I am now somewhat reluctant to go and purchase
an epson scanner with medium format facility. Do more sophisticated scanners
identify the type of film used?
regards
Mike de Velta

On Tue, 26 Oct 2004 11:51:19 GMT, "Mike de Velta"
wrote:

Just got into medium format and previously scanned my 35mm negs on my Canon
5000 no problems. This particular scanner however does not hold 6x4.5 negs
so as an experiment I cut a neg down to 35mm size and scanned as usual. This
film was also C41 processed. It a nutshell everything appeared very blue and
only with a lot of correction was it resolved. I used fuji NPH400. Is there
any explanation for this as I am now somewhat reluctant to go and purchase
an epson scanner with medium format facility. Do more sophisticated scanners
identify the type of film used?
regards
Mike de Velta


It takes a little practice and experience
to scan negatives. Quite often the scanner
driver gets in the way. The drivers on the
low end models (eg the Epson flatbed that
you might be thinking of) leave much to be
desired.

One option is to check out VueScan by
Ed Hamrick, which lots of folks swear by.
Another is Silverfast. Both of these
have been adapted to dozens of popular
scanners. VueScan is cheap, klunky, and
very powerful. Silverfast is more
expensive but with a much prettier user-
interface than VueScan.

With a decent scanner driver, one simple
approach is to scan negatives as positives
and invert in the scanner driver. Dane Kosaka
shows how it's done with NikonScan:

http://www.marginalsoftware.com/LS8000Notes/three_easy_ways.htm


Personally, I've been scanning color negative
film for years, and never had any use for
film-specific "profiles".

Specific suggestion with regard to your "blue
scan" problem on your Canon 5000: try turning
off auto exposure and adjusting the histogram
manually.



rafe b
http://www.terrapinphoto.com

"Mike de Velta" wrote in message
...
Just got into medium format and previously scanned my 35mm negs on my
Canon
5000 no problems. This particular scanner however does not hold 6x4.5
negs
so as an experiment I cut a neg down to 35mm size and scanned as usual.
This
film was also C41 processed. It a nutshell everything appeared very blue
and
only with a lot of correction was it resolved. I used fuji NPH400. Is
there
any explanation for this as I am now somewhat reluctant to go and
purchase
an epson scanner with medium format facility. Do more sophisticated
scanners
identify the type of film used?

I've had no trouble with the ultrageneric "slide" and "color negative"
settings on the Nikon 8000. But people who know all sorts of gobs of stuff
have special "profiles" for different films.

Wild guess follows.

Your problem may be that your software may look at the unexposed area
_between_ the frames to figure out the color corrections to apply, and if
you cut down a 645 neg, you wouldn't have those areas.

David J. Littleboy
Tokyo, Japan

In article ,
David J. Littleboy wrote:

Wild guess follows.

Your problem may be that your software may look at the unexposed area
_between_ the frames to figure out the color corrections to apply, and if
you cut down a 645 neg, you wouldn't have those areas.

That would be my theory - either the gaps, or the area around the sprocket
holes.

To the OP - try slide film. Since it has no colour base, if this is the
cause of the problem, it should go away.

Did you make sure to cut a calibration notch/square in the same place in
your holder? If not, the scanner will miscalibrate and produce problems
similar to what you describe. Of course, even if you do get the calibration
right, it can still produce the problem but at least you have helped
eliminate one of the possible causes ;) I know the Canon 9900 series and
all the Epsons require this, so I imagine your scanner does too.

Doug
---
Doug's "MF Film Holder" for batch scanning "strips" of 120/220 medium format
film:
http://home.earthlink.net/~dougfishe...mainintro.html

Woops. I initiially misread your message and now see that you cut down the
negative, not your own holder. Sorry for "the reply that did not apply" ;)

Doug
---
Doug's "MF Film Holder" for batch scanning "strips" of 120/220 medium format
film:
http://home.earthlink.net/~dougfishe...mainintro.html