Your Scanning Method

[nray]

Please share your method/process for scanning negatives and transparencies.

I am interested to know that if you do pre-adjustments before your scan, what do you do? Is there an advantage to making adjustments before you scan? What dpi? Digital Ice?

I have been doing trial and error and would really like to know what others are doing to get the best out of that process.

Thank you.

[Lenny Eiger]

I have been doing trial and error and would really like to know what others are doing to get the best out of that process.

Thank you.

You might fill in a few more details - as in what scanner are you using, what kind of work are you going for, is it high contrast, low, what format are you working with, what films are you using?

Lenny

[Jeffrey Sipress]

Trial & error is an essential learning method for us all. I use a v700 for my 4x5 films now. I recently got the betterscan film holding frame, and the difference was amazing. I never use ICE or anything automatic. I like to have files from 200-400MB, depending on color bit depth of BW negative. Sometimes I only need 3200 dpi to get that.

[mrladewig]

This will depend quite a bit on your scanning equipment.

For my equipment, I'm scanning large format on an Epson 4990.

I scan color film with EpsonScan in 48-bit color, usually at 2400ppi, occasionally 3200ppi.
I very recently purchased a betterscanning wet/dry holder and have recently been fluid mounting on this holder with some luck. Dry mounting showed significant improvement over the stock holders as well.
I scan color positive and color negative.
I do make a number of adjustments in the scanning software including levels, curve changes to individual channels and a few other items. I need to make far more changes on color negative than positive.

I have found that digital ICE does not work with 4X5 film and my scanner. It just locks up on the larger images whether I've used Silverfast Ai or EpsonScan.

[Ken Lee]

http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/tech/scanning.html

[nray]

You might fill in a few more details - as in what scanner are you using, what kind of work are you going for, is it high contrast, low, what format are you working with, what films are you using?

Lenny

I am using the Epson 4990 and scan 35mm, 120mm and 4x5 negatives and transparencies. B&W and color.


Thanks for the replies. I appreciate it.