MF (6x4.5,6x6,6x7,6x9,6x12) B&W film images sharing

[j.e.simmons]

I had the problem with my 750, too. I found a comment online blaming the scanner software. I solved it by using the wet scanning holder, putting a piece of anti-glare picture frame glass on top, and scanning dry.

[paulbarden]

Note that I communicated directly with Epson about the problem and they admitted there was a software issue that caused this effect under specific circumstances. It's not speculation, or rumor - Epson expressed this to me directly. I have the official PDF document Epson sent me that describes the issue, which I have attached a copy of.

[John Olsen]

To Paulbarden, yes mine is an Epson V750 and regardless dry- ore wet scanning, that band, which isn't sowing on the negative, is rather consistent.

Some time a go I had, on many occasions, a very thin black, somewhat ragged, line along the edge of the entire roll.

I thought that the Hasselblad film back was the cause. But after some trying and searching, I realised it didn't match the shape of the film back, as it was a little too far away from the film's edge.
Then I figure out that it must happen somewhere during one or other step of the developing procedure, as that line was showing when using the Horseman 6x9 and the Linhof Rapid Rollex 6x7 film backs too.

So I searched in that direction, and after a lot of trial and error I found that it happend during the loading on the reel.
I was using JOBO 2500 series reels then, and when I switched to the LPL SS reels, that line occurred then too...

When holding the roll of film, stripped off the backing paper, one must be very careful not to scratch the emulsion with the edge of that roll. When unrolling while loading on the reel, the film's edge can 'slide' over the emulsion and 'draw' a line on it...
Here, to my regret, my much limited knowledge of English doesn't allow me to describe this in more detailed and comprehensive wording what I am trying to say (and Google Trans couldn't help), sorry...

Anyway, the culprit is hiding in the handling of the undeveloped film during loading it on the reel, wether it's plastic or SS, and regardless it's Hp5+, Fp4+ or Tri-X...

PS: I'm am talking about 120 roll film, not 35mm nor sheets.

I carefully louped two rolls of TriX 120 from this shoot and I can barely make out slightly lighter bands along the left side of several negatives. In fact, they were done with two different plastic reels, one 30 years old and one only ten or so years old. Thanks for your suggestion about the cause of the artifact. It looks unavoidable, but with some attention in Photoshop I can edit it out.

[Daniel Unkefer]

500 ELM 100mm Planar YG FP4 Plus D23 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Hasselblad 500 EL/M 100mm F3.5 T* Planar YG filter FP4+ D23 Omega DII Omegalite Aristo #2 RC paper Multigrade dev

[Daniel Unkefer]

Makiflex TMX100 Kodak Readyload 545 D23 by Nokton48, on Flickr

TMAX100 4x5 Readyload 545 Back Makiflex D23. Omega DII with Omegalite laser aligned Arista RC #2 paper Multigrade dev. Digital background shot by Tim Layton and enlarged at Cosco. Studio overhead lighting. 150mm f5.6 chrome barrel Schneider Xenar. Great lens I bought for fifty bucks.

[austin granger]

The Ena, South Bend, Washington by Austin Granger, on Flickr

Container, South Bend, Washington by Austin Granger, on Flickr

[phdgent]

phdgent: I have the Epson V750 that's about 10 years old now, and early on I discovered darker bands of density would appear on some negatives when scanned. This band was NOT on the negatives. I contacted Epson to ask about it and they acknowledged that the scanner had "a software fault" that introduced this banding, but they had a modified film holder they could send me that fixed the problem. (They did send me the new film holders and they did mostly fix the issue)
Apparently what happens is that if there is a high density area on the negatives at the beginning of the scan, at either outer edge of the scan bed, it will "compensate" for the density and darken that area, but this creates a visible band. I posted an extreme example on Flickr years ago: https://flic.kr/p/rHRi9S

If you're scanning directly on the glass, you can avoid this problem most of the time by making sure the first edge of the negative the scanner sees does NOT have a lot of density.

Strange!
I mostly scan with the Epson's wet scanning holder, wet ofcourse, and with an acetate foil over the whole lot of two negative strips of three 6x6 negatives, and still see these bands showing up.
But I will try Simmons's method next time.

PS: I wonder why they couldn't solve that "software fault"...

[j.e.simmons]

I use Vuescan and saw the problem, so I don't think its Epson scan that's the problem. Is there software in the scanner itself?

[pacviewcam]

I use Vuescan and saw the problem, so I don't think its Epson scan that's the problem. Is there software in the scanner itself?

One can only imagine what's going on between the scanner and the receiving end (computer). Thinking about it, it's easy to figure that there's probably some programmed chips n the scanner that capture the signal and turn it into something that the computer software can read and interpret. Wouldn't be surprised if this were a practical concern, being as raw luminance signal data could be just too big to send and keep the scanner scanning at the same time.

Meanwhile, it's probably a good idea to have some blank film at the end that starts the scan. Or, try leaving a little space at the end before the start of the image.

I've never used the V750, but plenty of other scanners I have used have a blank calibration area, and they warn you not to let the film intrude into that area.

[j.e.simmons]

I was scanning single sheets of 4x5 so there was no intrusion into the calibration area. The internet post I found said that light bends around the film edge and is picked up by the scanner causing the dark line. Who knows what the truth is?