V700 - not sharp?

[jack_hui]

Hi all,

some questions regarding the V700 output.

I mainly use the V700 to scan my 8x10 B&W negative. To make sure the negative is
flat, I purchased a ANR glass from Doug, which I simply put it on top of my negative.

When I scan, the emulsion side is down, facing the scanner's glass. Epson Scan software setting -> by "Film Area Guide", 16bit greyscale, 800-1200 dpi, Best quality.

The output is quite soft (or not sharp??). I dont understand, as the plane of focus (Film Area Guide) shouldn't it be at the glass surface?? Same problem happened to my 120, which produces a much sharper output by using Doug's mount.

Anyone got similar result? Is it "Normal" to have a Softer image by scanning the negative on the glass? or anyone tried to "step up" the negative a bit to achieve a better result (I mean using "Film Area Guide" fuction)

BTW, I have talked to several V700 scanner owner, we all have this kind of "haze"
under our scanner's glass (the picture is not from me). Anyone tried to "clean" up the glass??



Thanks,
Jack

[Walter Calahan]

I scan my 8x10 negs emulsion side up when using anti-newton glass. Always get a sharp scan on my V750.

I scan with Silverfast software. Add 6% unsharp mask with a threshold setting of 0.8.

I also scan my B&W as a color negative, and then remove the color cast in Photoshop.

[Brian Ellis]

If the 8x10 film area guide is the same as on my 4990 it doesn't have anything to do with focus. On the 4990 at least, its only function is to show where to place the negative on the glass. Since that's easy to see even without the guide (at least on the 4990) I just quit using the film area guide. I always got sharp scans placing 8x10 negatives directly on the glass.

[jim kitchen]

Dear Jack,

The Epson V700 scanner may have a focal plane just above the glass surface. I would like to suggest that you experiment to find that better focal plane. For example, my 750 happens to be focused above the scanner's glass surface, and it took me a while to locate it using 1mm shims. I decided that I would wet mount the negative to the scanner's glass surface and live with the softer image for proofing... :)

jim k

[jack_hui]

Thanks all.

I didn't try the emulsion side up. Will try it tonight when I got back home.

Jim,
If that 1mm really matter, would placing emulsion side up/down got a big different? since the negative itself has already got a thickness of ... say .. 0.Xmm ????

[Ash]

I noticed that hazy layer under my V700, however once I got to grips with the software it's not affected performance. I do feel that everything out of the scanner is softer than it should be, so I am forced to sharpen the image somewhat in photoshop.

However, I don't scan directly on the glass, I can't help on that. I was under the impression that this model doesn't have the capability to change its focus distance, which means there's an optimum height for your negative for the best sharpness - but this only comes from experimentation.

[jim kitchen]

Dear Jack,

Yes it does, especially if the focal plane happens to be 2 or 3mm above the surface, or 2 or 3mm above the surface of your film. I discovered that my instrument's focal plane approached 3mm. That is why I suggest you try this approach, to find where your scanner's focal plane may be, then find a solution, if you so desire...

We discussed this issue a few months ago, and the information happens to be in the forum's archives. The Epson scanners, although decent instruments but not superlative, are not exacting with their focal plane, and there are devices out there that will assist you with placing the negative at the correct height above the scanner's glass surface.

My scanned negatives clearly showed that with each successive 1mm shim above the scanner's glass surface produced a scan that was clearly sharper than the previous scan, passing through an optimal point. This happened to be an exercise that satisfied my own curiosity, and to assist my decision with a solution. The softness, or the non sharp focus issue can be resolved to a certain level with a sharpening procedure in Photoshop. One must discover the effort and procedural time to place the negative in its optimal focal plane, compared to wet mounting the negative on the scanner's glass surface, and adjusting the image in Photoshop as Ash suggests. As a side note I do not sharpen any image until I am ready to print it, even when the image is drum scanned...

I believe the only Epson scanner with an auto focusing device may be the 10000XL. I remember looking at that instrument to see whether the image was sharper than the 750, but I have forgotten the result. I believe a few folks may even discover that the focal plane is below the glass surface.

As I mentioned earlier, you should experiment with the 700, and you should discover the limits of your instrument, therefore causing you to discover a solution.

jim k

[sanking]

I believe a few folks may even discover that the focal plane is below the glass surface.

As I mentioned earlier, you should experiment with the 700, and you should discover the limits of your instrument, therefore causing you to discover a solution.

jim k

I sure would hate to find that the best plane of focus was below the glass surface. All of the Epson scanners I have tested had the plane of best focus well above the surface of the glass, ranging from 1mm above the glass to 3mm above.

It is for sure best to locate the plane of best focus. However, the other side of the coin is that the Epson consumer scanners are not critically sharp even when you find the plane of best focus so it is always necessary to add quite a bit of recovery sharpening.

Sandy

[jim kitchen]

Dear Sandy,

I should have placed a "smiley" after that comment... :)

jim k

[Paul Kierstead]

I sure would hate to find that the best plane of focus was below the glass surface.

A friend of mine played with his 3200 (well, sold to him by me for pretty durned cheap) and noticed it got a lot sharper on the glass, but could still use some improvement. He dissassembled the scanner and modified it a little to move the focus up. It significantly improved the result. This entailed some other mods to allow the mechanism to move correctly, so sure isn't a *good* idea, but the point being that on this particular scanner the best plane was, indeed, below the surface.

[Brian Vuillemenot]

The best plane of focus on my 4990 corresponds to the height of the 4X5 film carrier supplied with it.

[Athiril]

I recommend scanning at 3200 dpi some high radius sharpening (perhaps 1.8-2.5 pixel (maybe more depending on the image), 30-70% on smart sharpen or unsharp mask) then pulling it down to your desired output resolution (800-1200 dpi) using bicubic sharper filter (there are -much- better filters/methods available, but not without a plugin or external program).