How to scan 6.5x9?

[Tim Meisburger]

I have an Epson 4870 that I use to scan 4x5, but it does not have a scan holder for 6.5x9. I can cut the sides of the negative off and use the 120 holder, but there is no support on one end of the negative, and its a pain to cut.

Is there a dedicated holder for 6.5x9 available? If not, what other options might there be?

Best, Tim

[Joanna Carter]

Take a look at getting a Better Scanning (http://www.betterscanning.com/scanning/models/4870.html) mounting station at the bottom of the page. You get sheets of masking material which can be cut to any size.

[Gary Beasley]

Film can usually be scanned laying on the glass if put emulsion down to avoid interference fringing. You would have to flip the image then in PS afterwards.
If you still get fringing a sheet of anti newton glass texture side up with tape under the corners to eliminate the glass to glass contact may get you there.

[Tim Meisburger]

Thanks Joanna. That looks like a great solution, but the cost, plus shipping and taxes (I'm in Thailand) might be too much for the limited scanning I do. Gary, thanks for your suggestion. I'll try that.

Best, Tim

[Jim Jones]

Film holders can usually be improvised from mat board. Copy the layout of your 120 holders except for the opening.

[drew.saunders]

Film holders can usually be improvised from mat board. Copy the layout of your 120 holders except for the opening.

At least for my Epson 3200, the film holders all had a notch in the upper right corner that tell the scanner "this is a film holder." You may have to copy that as well or the scanner may not know to "look" for film.

For my 3200 when I was scanning Type 55 and wanted the whole edges, I got a sheet of 5x7" anti-newton glass and just used that to flatten the film directly to the glass. It worked pretty well most of the time.

[Joanna Carter]

At least for my Epson 3200, the film holders all had a notch in the upper right corner that tell the scanner "this is a film holder." You may have to copy that as well or the scanner may not know to "look" for film.
I have had both a 4870 and a V700 and can confirm that there is a "calibration area" in the Epson film holders, usually next to the hinge end of the scanner, and this needs to be mimicked in any holder you create yourself.

[mpirie]

How about getting some stiff card or sheet plastic and cutting a 6.5 x 9 aperture in a sheet of 5 x 4 and placing it in the 5 x 4 negative holder from Epson?

Mike

[Tim Meisburger]

thanks for all these ideas. I like the idea of just laying the negative face down on the glass, as that is simplest, but will that scratch the emulsion? The Efke 25 seems pretty soft.

[Jim Jones]

If you cut a holder from plastic or mat board as suggested above with a window smaller than 4x5", it will hold the film off of the scanner.

[Tim Meisburger]

Is it better to hold the film off the scanner? At what height?

[Leigh]

I would just put it on the scanner glass, do a preview, set the crop lines to the neg, and scan it.

That would result in a much smaller file than scanning a full 8x10 or 8.5x11 and having a useless border area.

- Leigh

[Leigh]

Is it better to hold the film off the scanner? At what height?
Depends on the scanner and the settings.

If you have the software set to scan a negative in a holder, it will assume that the neg is elevated above the glass by whatever holder thickness is standard for that scanner.

If you tell it to scan on the glass it will assume the neg is in contact with the glass.

Putting it on the glass (emulsion down) guarantees that it won't sag, although it could possibly bow, depending on the film.

- Leigh

[Joanna Carter]

Not forgetting that there can be a difference in focus between the glass and where the holder will place the film. Hence why some of us use the Better Scanning holder, because it allows us to adjust the height the film is held at, to account for variations on the manufacturing process of the scanner.

[Leigh]

Not forgetting that there can be a difference in focus between the glass and where the holder will place the film. Hence why some of us use the Better Scanning holder, because it allows us to adjust the height the film is held at, to account for variations on the manufacturing process of the scanner.
The standard holder that comes with the Epson V700/V750 has the same adjustment capability.

Since it was made by the manufacturer they know where the film should be to work properly with the scanner.

- Leigh

[Joanna Carter]

The standard holder that comes with the Epson V700/V750 has the same adjustment capability.

Since it was made by the manufacturer they know where the film should be to work properly with the scanner
They may know where the film should be but that doesn't mean that the manufacturing process actually achieves that.

The Epson holders only have distinct steps in height, whereas the Better Scanning holder has continuous adjustment and can raise the film higher than the Epson holder; something that was necessary to get the sharpest results with my V700.

Other benefits of the Better Scanning holder are that you can dry mount the slide against the ANR glass provided, which keeps the film from drifting when it gets warm as it is scanned; you can even wet mount if you want to.

If you think the Epson holders are sufficient for your needs, then all well and good. For myself, and for many others that I know, they are far from adequate.