Newton rings on scanned 8x10" negatives

[pkr1979]

Hi all,

I'm getting pretty desperate here... I've got an Epson V700 I'm scanning 8x10" negatives on. And whatever I do I get newton rings. I'm doing emulsion side both up and down... I've tried 2 different ANR-glass in all sorts of directions... But I'm ending up with newton rings either way. And, the wetscan tray from Epson is too small for 8x10". Did anyone succeed in getting rid of these rings with this kind of scanner? Or do I have to save up for a drum scanner? Considering the price on those that might take a while.

Cheers
Peter

[Ari]

Is it colour negative film? The Epsons have always been problematic with colour films, but I would also get Newton rings with the occasional B&W neg.
The film is never flat on Epsons and the shinier colour films add to the problem.
Have you tried wet mounting directly to the scanner bed? I never tried it, but know of some here who do that successfully.

[djdister]

Make an 8x10 negative holder out of plastic or mat board, and tape the neg to the improvised neg holder. Use the "film area guide" setting and your neg holder should fit neatly within that frame.

[Drew Wiley]

You can also try anti-Newton sprays marketed by the same outfit that make scanning fluid. Don't spray directly on the film. You spray a mist into the air beneath
a fume hood and swipe the film through the mist. It can be cleaned off afterwards (yeah, another headache).

[Alan9940]

I wet mount my 8x10 B&W negs directly on to the glass bed of my Epson 1680 Pro and I've never seen any Newton Rings after hundreds of scans. I suppose the only other way to eliminate them is to build a custom film holders as djdister suggests. A couple of possible issues I see what that idea is proper focus by the scanner and sag of the negative in the holder due to the large film area.

[mitrajoon]

I have 4x5 but simply taping negs to the glass (Epson 750) eliminated the problem for me.

[Jim Andrada]

If you use the Film Area Guide setting, they expect that the film is directly on the scanner glass.

[djdister]

If you use the Film Area Guide setting, they expect that the film is directly on the scanner glass.

That may be the expectation, however I have gotten sharp results with the Film Area Guide setting and a 5x7 negative sitting in a home made mat board neg carrier, sitting inside the film area guide.

[pkr1979]

Hi all, and thanks for the response,

My worst problems are with Portra 160, but I also get them with Ektar. I use the Film Area Guide setting and put the film directly on the scanner glass. I have considered but not yet tried wet mounting directly on the scanner bed... I worry about leaks and damaging the scanner. I might give it ago though. Alan9940, do you do any adjustments on the scanner to make sure its sealed... or anything similar... or do you just fill up the scanner bed with fluid... so to speak?

If taping the negs to the glass works with 4x5 it should also work with 8x10 I suppose... And this sounds like the least headache... I assume wetscanning also implies cleaning the negative afterwards just like when using a spray (I've never tried either)... I suppose wet scanning is convenient when it comes to dealing with dust.

Did any of you try any drum scanning? I suppose this is the only other sort of scanner that can scan 8x10"? I know its a different price range but maybe they are (I hope) about to become cheaper... I'm not so keen to spend more money on a scanner than what my camera cost.

Cheers
Peter

[Alan9940]

I have considered but not yet tried wet mounting directly on the scanner bed... I worry about leaks and damaging the scanner. I might give it ago though. Alan9940, do you do any adjustments on the scanner to make sure its sealed... or anything similar... or do you just fill up the scanner bed with fluid... so to speak?
Peter

Peter,

Definitely DO NOT simply fill the scanner bed with fluid! You will have leaking into the scanner hardware under the glass. Since an 8x10 negative fills so much area of the bed glass, what I do is tape around the bed glass with drum mounting tape to ensure a tight seal along the edges. Then, I use only enough mounting fluid to cover the film area; practice will show you how much fluid, but it's less than you think. If you use Kami fluid, then there is no need to clean the negative after the scan; you simply remove it from the bed glass and whatever remaining fluid will evaporate very quickly.

So, to sum up the steps here is my procedure:

1. Clean negative as required. Generally, this requires only a wipe with an anti-static brush and a quick once-over with something like Dust Off. If necessary, I use PEC cleaning fluid but this is rare.

2. Dispense the correct amount of scanner fluid on to the bed glass (remember, you've got it all taped up, right?)

3. Lay negative down into the fluid. I bow it slightly and start at one end to help eliminate trapped air.

4. Dispense the correct amount of scanner fluid on to the negative.

5. Lay a sheet of Graphics Arts Film (crystal clear mylar) on to the negative using the same technique as with the negative.

6. Use a scanner wipe, swiping across the mylar, to remove air bells, ensure full coverage of fluid over the entire negative surface, and to remove excess fluid as it seeps out from under this "sandwich."

7. Scan away and enjoy no Newton Rings, minimized look of grain, and, typically, sharper scans.

I have always bought all my scanner supplies from aztek.com.

Have fun!