Scanning Color Negative Film

[Robert Budding]

$400 ? Then it's not the SilverFast Ai version, is it ?
Plus, SilverFast comes with many more usefull features than just a few film type profiles. It's not that cheap like Vuescan, but worth its money.

@ Hugh Sakols:
Have you tried SilverFast ? Perhaps the NegaFix functionality could fix your issues.
http://www.silverfast.com/show/negafix/en.html

The cost for Silverfast Ai for my scanner, a Nikon 9000 ED, is over $400. I've used Silverfast on my flatbed scanner and it was decent. But there is no way that it's worth $400.

I now use NikonScan and scan everything as a positive. I then use ColorNeg, a Photoshop plugin, to invert and color correct negatives. It works great, and it costs $67.

[harrykauf]

I also recommend the Vuescan + colorNeg combination for epson scanners. The
update for silverfast for my v750 would have been over 200euros just to get the
multi exposure feature.
I found the NegaFix useless on most images and very erratic and inconsistent
compared to other solutions. I dont like that they split essential functionality
into modules and give them trademarked fantasy names.
I only use it now to get a basic RAW scan (HDR in fantasy land).
here is a rough comparison why I dont like the negafix profiles:
Top is negafix and bottom is a manual conversion in photoshop using curves on
a raw scan

[Brian_A]

The
update for silverfast for my v750 would have been over 200euros just to get the
multi exposure feature.

Shoulda called LaserSoft. Most people I know with the V750 called them and they upgraded them for free.

[harrykauf]

Shoulda called LaserSoft. Most people I know with the V750 called them and they upgraded them for free.

really? thanks for the tip. would not have guessed that.

[aphexafx]

I want to add that the implications of multi-exposure sampling at the film scanning stage are huge for desktop users. Because film has the ability to record a large DR without noise at either end, in one exposure, this workflow (film->multi-exp scanning) has advantages over the digital camera version (would require multiple captures) beyond just resolution.

SilverFast says up to 2400:1 CR on an Epson v700 from one chrome or negative.

The increase in s/n is brilliant and worth the upgrade, imo.

[Kirk Gittings]

Only trouble is that the step motors of the Epsons are crap and you can't get two passes exactly the same size, so the multipass feature gives you a soft scan. Unless they fixed it recently. SF's registration program for the passes simply did not work. I complained to them for two years to know avail that I know of. Preheating the negative by doing a series of identical MP scans helped, but turned the process into a long Russian Roulette game.

I want to add that the implications of multi-exposure sampling at the film scanning stage are huge for desktop users. Because film has the ability to record a large DR without noise at either end, in one exposure, this workflow (film->multi-exp scanning) has advantages over the digital version beyond just resolution.

SilverFast says up to 2400:1 CR on an Epson v700 from one chrome or negative.

[aphexafx]

Only trouble is that the step motors of the Epsons are crap and you can't get two passes exactly the same size, so the multipass feature gives you a soft scan. Unless they fixed it recently. SF's registration program for the passes simply did not work. I complained to them for two years to know avail that I know of. Preheating the negative by doing a series of identical MP scans helped, but turned the process into a long Russian Roulette game.

Ah! Damn, well there you go - that's theory vs. practice for you! I am working on upgrading my copy so I can test it on my v750, and we'll see how things go! Kirk, how bad did things get and which scanner were you using when you had trouble with registration?

Added: The preliminary try-out that I did on another v750 some time ago was pretty impressive, but of course I was not on the lookout for misalignment artifacts. However, my v750 seems to do pretty well with multi-pass (averaging) scanning and I haven't noticed any added softness or anything that couldn’t be controlled - so I hope the same holds true for multi-exposure passes as well. Then again, I fully admit that I don't have as many hours behind the driver's seat and might just be lacking in criticality.

[Kirk Gittings]

It is a 750. They are better when they are brand new, but maybe SF fixed the problem? I haven't done anything buts casual scanning on mine for some time.

[SharpLiz]

The cost for Silverfast Ai for my scanner, a Nikon 9000 ED, is over $400. I've used Silverfast on my flatbed scanner and it was decent. But there is no way that it's worth $400. ...

I looked up the prices in their online shop. You're right, SilverFast is $400 vor the 9000 ED. But it's the IT8 version. So color management system and IT8 target for calibration are included. $400 is pricey anyhow. And they aren't offering the cheaper normal Ai or the SE versions for the 9000 ED, strange.

... I found the NegaFix useless on most images and very erratic and inconsistent compared to other solutions.
I only use it now to get a basic RAW scan (HDR in fantasy land).
here is a rough comparison why I dont like the negafix profiles:
Top is negafix and bottom is a manual conversion in photoshop using curves on
a raw scan

Hmm, you photoshop editing looks much better on first glance, especially the trees. But if you look closer. Isn't there a red cast ? Compare theese two cutouts from your pictures.

negafix:


photoshop:


Your photoshop image is much brighter, but there is a loss of detail, e.g. on the roof in the bottom left corner.

Ah and HDR (High Dynamic Range) is neither a fantasy name nor is the word invented by LaserSoft Imaging.
Here is a nice work I found on wikipedia.

[Ken Allen]

I process all my color negative scans manually.
I've tried all the automatic tools like negfix etc. I've never been happy with any of them. I found with practice I get much better results just using curves and hue/sat in Photoshop. I wrote down my process and made a pdf... Too big to attach because it has image examples. Look at my website:
http://kenallenstudios.com/newsP.html

It's the "Color Negative Processing" pdf.