Newton's Rings

At times I have Newton’s rings in my scanned image. I’m using an Epson 2450 to scan TMax 100 4X5 negatives into PhotoShop. I’ve been told wet scanning using scanning oil will eliminate the rings. Any suggestions would be appreciated

You might try reversing the film so it bows up and not down.

I have a 2450, same problem. Turning the film over gets rid of the Newton's rings, and focus still seems OK.

It appears that the best focus for the Epson scanners is when the film is about 1 mm above the glass. If your film is making contact because of sagging, it would make sense to follow the recommenda tion to put the base side up.

Leonard is correct. Allowing for some variations from unit to unit, the ideal plane of focus for the 2450 is 1 to 2 mm above the glass platen (this info derived from tests performed by Norman Koren, or a link from his site, if I am not mistaken). The 2450 holder is poorly designed if ultimate film flatness is your goal. I just use an Omega D-5 enlarger film holder and tape the neg/transparency on all four sides, and place it (carefully!) dead center on the flatbed. The film is positioned a little higher than 2mm, but film flatness is perfect. No sagging, no Newton Rings. BTW, I checked out the latest Epson (9400?). Build quality of the 2450 is waaay better.

I want to ensure I’m doing this correctly. I’ve been placing the film emulsion side down. Would that be the preferred orientation? And thanks for the advice.....

The "correct" way, according to Epson, is to scan with the emulsion side up. I've taken to flipping the film over when scanning 120/220 on my 4990, as I have regular problems with the bow of the film putting the base against the glass otherwise. Newton rings piss me off aplenty when I've been waiting 10 min for a scan to finish! Flipping the film over has had no discernable effect on the quality of the scans.

as far as I'm aware, the primary cause of newtons rings is the humidity level. It could also be caused by negatives not being fully dry. i.e. water between neg and glass. Darkrooms with trays of chemicals will have relatively high humidity. So will a house or appartment with washing machine, dishwasher, shower or any other water appliance in use or recent use. Then there's atmospheric humidty when its raining or hot after a downpour. Warm both your scanner glass and the negative for a few minutes before scanning to evaporate off the water molecules and minimise the possibilty. Its not fullproof but it will often eliminate the rings. Probably best to use scanner in a room with a dehumidifier if you have one.

Newton rings SUCK!!! The ONLY way to get rid of them is to make sure your neg is 100000000000% flat when being scanned. There are several different ways to achieve this. One is the wet mounting technique. Super effective, but alays makes me nervous - liquid in the scanner, etc. Another effective method is the one Duane is describing. Go to the flea market or check e-bay and find a negative holder. Buy a Scotch Magic Tape and tape down all 4 sides of the neg. Just wear Lab gloves when handling the neg. I personally prefer this method. I have a Nikon Cool Scan 9000ED and had problems with Newton Rings as well. Flipping the neg will do nothing other than letting you scan the neg WRONG and also endanger the neg! DO NOT DO THAT!!!! Good luck!