Epson 750 High Contrast Challenge

[pdmoylan]

Well,

After a couple of years of reasonable success with the 750 I am currently challenged with managing Velvia 100 higher contrast images. Even with avoiding clipping and managing sliders, I am still unable to reduce the scan contrast to reasonable levels to capture all of the details in HLs and shadows.

I don't use Epson scan.

Gamma is set to 1.8 and 0-255 range shadows to HL.

Also having difficulty with reducing magenta shift.

All suggestions welcome.

PDM

[Ken Lee]

Gamma controls contrast. Higher gamma means higher contrast. A gamma of 1 means no contrast adjustment. It's not a linear adjustment: it's exponential, so a little goes a long way.

With the Epson scanner software you can specify any gamma you like. See Scanning Tips (with EPSON and Vuescan Software). (It describes workflow for B&W negative, but a color slide is not much different)

If you aren't using Epson scan, then what are you using ?

[photobymike]

I use the "adjusting the curve" option on the magenta.... has not been a problem for me other than the contrast inherent of Velvia film. I make snappy black and white images from these slides.... and usually have to dial back the saturation a little. Dial back the saturation and the try to correct....The only time i have ever had a problem like you describe was with older color negative film not processed well. There is a situation called "color crossover" that can occur on color film.... in this condition you will most likely not be able to color correct that particular roll or set of slides will have a color cast.. Then I have to settle for B&W scans if it is bad....Another option possible that has worked for is to scan with color cast, is to scan best you can, the try and correct post scan. Save in a jpg format and correct after scan. Why jpg? cuz sometimes the cast will just "pop out" ...wasssup with that .......it has worked in the past for me.

[pdmoylan]

Gamma controls contrast. Higher gamma means higher contrast. A gamma of 1 means no contrast adjustment. It's not a linear adjustment: it's exponential, so a little goes a long way.

With the Epson scanner software you can specify any gamma you like. See Scanning Tips (with EPSON and Vuescan Software). (It describes workflow for B&W negative, but a color slide is not much different)

If you aren't using Epson scan, then what are you using ?

Silverfast. Not using Vuescan or Epson Scan.

So you are saying experiment with the gamma below 1.8 and check results. I have made some very nice 30x40 prints from scans from this product.

Thank you Ken.

[pdmoylan]

I use the "adjusting the curve" option on the magenta.... has not been a problem for me other than the contrast inherent of Velvia film. I make snappy black and white images from these slides.... and usually have to dial back the saturation a little. Dial back the saturation and the try to correct....The only time i have ever had a problem like you describe was with older color negative film not processed well. There is a situation called "color crossover" that can occur on color film.... in this condition you will most likely not be able to color correct that particular roll or set of slides will have a color cast.. Then I have to settle for B&W scans if it is bad....Another option possible that has worked for is to scan with color cast, is to scan best you can, the try and correct post scan. Save in a jpg format and correct after scan. Why jpg? cuz sometimes the cast will just "pop out" ...wasssup with that .......it has worked in the past for me.

Mike,

I will try your suggestions. My images are nice and abstract but the magenta and saturation overload along with the contrast makes them unusable.

PDM

[pdmoylan]

Thank you all.

After spending several hours adjusting curves in Silverfast and getting increasingly frustrated, I closed it and opened Epson Scan. It immediately resolved the contrast and magenta bias issues I was experiencing. In fact images I had struggled with previously became miraculously easy to get right on the first scan. More experimentation coming but a solution has been found.

I am grateful for your kind assistance.

PDM

[Jim Cole]

Epson Scan is easier and works better than any other solution that I've tried. Glad it's working for you too.

[mandoman7]

There are programs such as enfuse or photomatix that are good at combining images of the same subject shot at different exposures. They also work with scans of an image, so you can scan a contrasty image in light and dark versions and then combine them with one of those pretty effectively.