who uses wet scanning?

[stradibarrius]

Thanks for the information, now I have to decide if I want to try the process.

[Jim Andrada]

Another vote for wet - I use the holder that came with the Epson 750 and it works pretty well on my scanner. I got a kit of stuff from Aztek - Kami fluid, wipes, etc (check it on their website and it works very well. Much less time spotting and i feel like the overall result is quite a bit better. 5 x 7 is about the largest you can use with the Epson kit since the higher resolution lens strip is only about 5.5 inches wide. From measuring the wet mount carrier it looks like it's just possible to scan and stitch Whole Plate in two passes. If I ever get around to making up lens boards for my Kodak Whole Plate camera I'll try it instead of just theorizing about it:<))

[paulr]

On a flatbed, I don't know understand the point of the cover sheet. I've tried it, but it just seemed like two more surfaces to attract dust and another layer of fluid to make bubbles. Just wet-mounting to float glass seems like enough. It guarantees a flat neg and eliminates newton's rings. Between this and using shims to find the plane of focus, you can get slightly better scans than without.

It adds an unfortunate amount of time and effort. I only do it for negs that inspire a healthy amount of confidence.

[Jim Andrada]

I think if you scan 120 film you'll find the film will often pop away from the glass if you don't use the cover sheet. Sheet film often seems to be flat enough not to need a cover sheet.

I think the cover sheet also helps prevent the fluid from drying out and separating around the edges even with sheet film

[paulr]

I think if you scan 120 film you'll find the film will often pop away from the glass if you don't use the cover sheet. Sheet film often seems to be flat enough not to need a cover sheet.

I think the cover sheet also helps prevent the fluid from drying out and separating around the edges even with sheet film

Interesting. That's the first explanation I've heard. I haven't tried wet-mounting any roll film. I'm not even sure how to do it.

[sanking]

Interesting. That's the first explanation I've heard. I haven't tried wet-mounting any roll film. I'm not even sure how to do it.

You would fluid mount roll film the same way as sheet film. The only complication is that some roll films have a lot of curl, which can make it difficult to keep flat. It can be a lot easier to mount curled film around a drum than on a the glass of a flatbed. But here is what you do with a flatbed.

1. Put a few drops of the fluid on the mounting glass.
2. Place the negative or transparency on the glass, emulsion side down, in contact with the mounting fluid.
3. Place a few drops of fluid on the top of the film emulsion.
4. Place a sheet of thin polyester on top of the film, and rub out the bubbles with a roller or with a smooth cloth.
5. Tape down down the sides of the polyester.

Once you have done this a few times the process will seem very easy, and using the polyester cover sheet is hardly more trouble than not. There are several reasons for using the cover sheet. One, you roll over the polyester to expel bubbles instead of having to do this on the film itself, which might scratch it. Second, as mentioned earlier, the edges of the film may lift during scanning if not taped down, and it is safer to tape down the mylar rather than the film.
And third, the fluid layer between the base of the film emulsion and the polyester will fill in scratches on the film which might otherwise show on the scan.

If done correctly fluid mounting will nearly always result in a better scan, but you must work clean to avoid bubbles and dust. If you don't do it right the old saying, "the enemy of Good is Better" may apply.


Sandy