Can I scan my 5x7 negative on a flat bed scanner?

[Ironage]

I have an HP all in one printer scanner, and am using a Mac computer. Can I use this to scan my 5x7 negatives? My software is Photos. My hunch is that it might be possible, but I have never tried it.

[Leigh]

To scan a negative (or transparency) "properly" requires a light source above the film, shining through it.
I use an Epson 750 scanner, which has a second light source above the film for such use.

If you use a light source below with a reflector above, you double the density of the film because the light goes through a point once, then is reflected back through the same point. That's likely not desirable.

- Leigh

[jnantz]

hi ironage

how thin is your film ... ?
your results won't be as good
as with a transparency backlight-adapter-lid
but you can put a sheet of paper
ontop of your negative and the film right
against the glass.
go to your printer's driver and
scan the film as if you were scanning a print or
whatever ... your problem might not be so much
you can't scan the image but its a PITA to invert the negative
once you scan it !
if you poke around the internets some sources say to open the "photos" ( or maybe its "preview" ?)
levels dialog box and slide the white and black points
under the curve to opposite sides of the curve .. it really doesn't work well...
what you are going to want to do is get PS lite / or pixelmator so you can invert and fiddle around
with your poorlyscanned negatives :) i only joke when i say poorlyscanned because i sometimes
scan a sheet of film like that and it comes out fine for my tastes ... but if you are
a hard core film user who has to do stuff the way "it should be / has to be done"
you probably will want a scanner that will backlight your negative ...

have fun !

[neil poulsen]

Of course any scanner that can scan 8x10 film can scan 5x7.

But if it's helpful, I have an ancient 4870, and by making my own holder, I've scanned 5x7's. A 4990 is also a good candidate, which is almost as good as the current Epson scanners.

[Ironage]

OK, just brain storming here. I have a old Zone VI 5x7 enlarger cold light. If I were to set it over the negative with the scanner lid open, would that be sufficient, or will the light source from the scanner foul things up?

[tonyowen]

[QUOTE=jnanian;1467726]your problem might not be so much you can't scan the image but its a PITA to invert the negative
once you scan it /QUOTE]

Don't understand the PITA comment - I scan using a flat bed scanner and save to a folder . Opening the image [*.tiff or whatever] - in PS allows me to manipulate the image and invert it without any problems. [albeit I'm working with paper negatives and not film -- however the PITA remark is erroneous]

regards
Tony

[jnantz]

your problem might not be so much you can't scan the image but its a PITA to invert the negative
once you scan it /QUOTE]

Don't understand the PITA comment - I scan using a flat bed scanner and save to a folder . Opening the image [*.tiff or whatever] - in PS allows me to manipulate the image and invert it without any problems. [albeit I'm working with paper negatives and not film -- however the PITA remark is erroneous]

Tony

sorry for the confusion tony,
yes obviously with photoshop ( PS? ) it is a piece of cake, that's photoshop :)
not "freeware" .... "photos" will not allow him to invert, but on a good day
if the planets are aligned ... he can do it it "preview"
as i mentioned and it is a pain because it doesnt' work well... and i have done it and
it didnt' invert the image at all. it was a waste of time.


"Invert in Preview To invert the image, simply move the Black Level slider all the way to the right,
and the White Level slider all the way to the left. You can play with various levels of color inversion, too,
by varying how much you move each slider.

Jul 31, 2009 >> Use Preview in 10.5 to invert colors | Macworld
https://www.macworld.com/article/1142027/software-utilities/previewinvert.html

ironage: some scanning software allows you to invert when you scan it... i can't remember
maybe vuescan lets you do that ? maybe its epsonscan? i can't remember cause i never do it...
maybe your software will let you do it ... if it was me i'd shell out the 30 or 50$ and get a cheep
app that works well and will let you edit your photos hassel free...
have fun!

[tonyowen]

[QUOTE=tonyowen;1467790] .... "photos"

Sorry.my error I did not read the OP's posting fully.
ps - never heard of 'photos'
regards
Tony

[jnantz]

hi tony

no worries .. photos is the in-computer, in-phone image sorting
and bare bones editing software apple uses ... i agree PS makes
everything seem easy :) 40 mins of retouching with lead boiled down to like 3 seconds ..