First scans with Epson V850

[Steven Ruttenberg]

These are wet mounted directly to the scanner glass using view scan. I don't like Silverfast as it only lets me save the files as 8 bit. Strange that it scans at 16 bit a channel (48 bit) but then converts to 8 bits a channel. I haven't really played with the Epson software yet. I also just ordered the dry/wet scan set u from Better Scanning. I am going to try using the ANR glass in place of the optical mylar when mounting directly to the scanner glass. If it works that is one less consumable I might need to buy. I am also going to try using the Better Scanning system and see if focus can be improved, that way less chance of damaging scanner glass if I can achieve better focus, but so far, what I have seen, mounting directly to the scanner glass is the best.

The first shot is from the Painted Desert in AZ. First ever 4x5. Should have been in landscape orientation though. Second is a b/w night shot of a building in Holbrook, AZ from the same trip as Painted Desert. 4-5 minute exposure on iLford D100. Should have been a 1 hour and 5 minute exposure, but this seems to work nicely. The Painted Desert is shot with Extar 100 and a 3 stop grad nd. Probably didn't need the filter though as this was mid-day and the difference between sky and foreground was 0 stops. Chamonix 45H-1. Don't remember lens used or if used any tilt for landscape one. No tilt for b/w.

More practicing to do, which is the best part of photography, the practice.

[IanBarber]

I am going to try using the ANR glass in place of the optical mylar when mounting directly to the scanner glass

How do you plan to make this work. Are you going to place the ANR glass directly onto of the negative smeared with mounting fluid ?

[Steven Ruttenberg]

How do you plan to make this work. Are you going to place the ANR glass directly onto of the negative smeared with mounting fluid ?

That is the plan, to place directly on the negative with fluid. Ie, the glass replaces the mylar. My only concern would be in separating the two since the glass is not flexible like the mylar.

[Pere Casals]

These are wet mounted directly to the scanner glass using view scan.

For 4x5 it would be better using hoders, is you use the the area guide to scan on bed then the Low Res internal lens is used, while with 4x5 holders the High Res internal lens is used.

I don't like Silverfast as it only lets me save the files as 8 bit.

Save it in TIFF format !

if you save it in jpg format only 8 bits per chanel are saved.

[Steven Ruttenberg]

For 4x5 it would be better using hoders, is you use the the area guide to scan on bed then the Low Res internal lens is used, while with 4x5 holders the High Res internal lens is used.

Interesting. Have you seen the video by Aztec for wet scanning? they show where scanning directly on bed gives best results, but the Tim Layton comes up with different results. I will be doing some experimenting to see what works best for my scanner?

I will check out the save options in SF SE 8 that shipped with scanner, but I did not see any option for saving in 48 bit except for HDR and HDRi, only option it afforded was 48 to 24. I will revisit when I am back in town.


Save it in TIFF format !

if you save it in jpg format only 8 bits per chanel are saved.

[IanBarber]

That is the plan, to place directly on the negative with fluid. Ie, the glass replaces the mylar. My only concern would be in separating the two since the glass is not flexible like the mylar.

When placing the ANR glass over the negative, how do you plan to remove any air bubbles since you cannot roll them out with the glass on-top

[IanBarber]

For 4x5 it would be better using hoders, is you use the the area guide to scan on bed then the Low Res internal lens is used, while with 4x5 holders the High Res internal lens is used.

I use the Epson Wet Mount Holder which sits 3mm above the scanner glass. As of late, I have been using this wet mount holder with some ANR glass on-top to scan all negatives sizes

[Pere Casals]

only option it afforded was 48 to 24

48bit is 16bit x 3 channels ; 24bit is 8bit x 3 channels...

IMHO for negative film you can use any software, but with velvia/provia you may want a soft featuring Multi-Exposure in case that you have deep shadows and you want to recover it

For 8x10 you'll have to do it "on bed", no other choice, then wet scanning solves the newton rings, but by placing emulsion side to the glass it also works.

For 4x5 IMHO best way is holders, the wet mounting is good if dust or scracthes are there, but you have to control dust with an HEPA air purifier, and scratches by careful process...

Wet mounting film may be good sometimes, but it's also a pain.

[Steven Ruttenberg]

I found wet scanning not really that difficult once you get rhythm. I will slowly apply pressure similar to mylar use and the bubbles should come out if enough fluid used. I think any way. Have better scanning dry/fluid holder on way. Silverfsst I have always scans in 48 bit but down samples to 24 bit to save. Can save as 48 bit raw but need silerfast program to view. I was told you can save as 48 bit tiff?

[Pere Casals]

I found wet scanning not really that difficult once you get rhythm. I will slowly apply pressure similar to mylar use and the bubbles should come out if enough fluid used. I think any way. Have better scanning dry/fluid holder on way. Silverfsst I have always scans in 48 bit but down samples to 24 bit to save. Can save as 48 bit raw but need silerfast program to view. I was told you can save as 48 bit tiff?

It's great having the skill to wet mounting, now you just need to benchmark wet vs scanning to know when it's worth or not, with different films and image types, how sharp and/or dense has to be the shot to realize an improvement. You may to take wet vs dry side by side in Ps, adjust the wet to its best, then independently adjust the dry image for a best match, with levels, curves, sharpening, saturation...

You can stitch both images one on the other in layers, then substract to realize what's the difference, so you can adjust for a better match, a black result would show a perfect match.