flatbed scanning method

[BenJT]

Hello and happy holidays everyone!

I am about to pull the trigger on a V700, because eventually I plan to scan some 4x5 negatives, but also 35mm and medium format. I don't want to spent the money on the betterscanning holders or mounting station, so I plan to buy a sheet of AN glass from focal point and tape the 4x5 negatives to the bottom. My question is, will this method also work with 35mm and medium format? Would it be a good idea to also order a sheet of clear glass to make a scan sandwich? I am sure I will need to make a mask for the different formats out of something like black construction paper, but I am just not sure that the scanner will recognize the film or if this is a practical idea. Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

[Tony Evans]

Before getting a BSH i did exactly this. No clear glass needed. 35mm and MF both O.K. However, the trick is to find the exact height for the negative to get max. sharpness. I used various thin washers. Gave it all up and got the BSH and do both Wet & Dry Scanning.

[Ari]

You can do all that, but buying the BSH is a worthy investment, and takes less time to set up than what you plan to do.
It will also stay pretty stable, and won't mar any surface of your scanner.
And as Tony says, 35mm and MF ok.

[BenJT]

Thanks guys, exactly what I needed to know. I think I will go with my original jimmy rigging plan to start and get the BSH down the road.

[chuck94022]

Hi Ben,

You will need to shim the AN glass to the plane of sharpest focus of your scanner. Doing this with shims is fine, but it is more of a pain to do than using the betterscanning holders, which have turn screws and a process for doing this efficiently.

You will also need to mask the film - simple black posterboard is fine. The film is taped to the bottom of the AN glass, and the black posterboard you use for masking out the rest of the light can sit on the top of the glass.

I would certainly NOT sandwich with another piece of glass. First, it would have to be AN, second, it would add a sheet of glass between the film and the scanner lens. Not a good idea. It isn't necessary when dry mounting, the film stays flat enough just by taping the edges. If you want to sandwich, you want to wet mount. Wet mount if 1) you want the full rebate part of the film, undistorted by tape, or 2) you want the slight optical improvement you get from the film being suspended in fluid (helps remove scratches, helps direct the light through the film better). The improvement is slight on the v700, maybe not noticeable.

If you decide to wet mount, you can get some Kami fluid, mylar, mounting tape, etc. and wet mount to the bottom of your AN glass (You can get everything you need from Aztek, but it isn't cheap). For 4x5, which typically doesn't curl, you can get away without the mylar and tape, the Kami will usually hold the film to the underside of the glass all by itself. But if it doesn't, you'll need to put mylar on top to hold it. You'll definitely need the mylar for curly 35mm film.

If you don't want to buy Kami fluid, you can use a blend of 10% mineral spirits (paint thinner) and 90% lighter fluid. Works almost identically to Kami, but might leave a little bit more residue. Optically you won't tell the difference, but Kami may be slightly easier to clean off the film. Should just take a wipe. Both Kami and the homemade fluid above are HIGHLY flammable - be very careful, use it in a well ventilated place, and don't use it if you are generating sparks from static electricity. You can find other sources for mylar, but be careful with the tape. Get tape that doesn't melt when in contact with the fluid. Scotch tape would be a messy disaster.

Suggest you search the web for info on wet mounting film. You'll find some useful instructional videos on Youtube.

The scanner doesn't "recognize" any film format. It scans what you put on it. Silverfast will sometimes find the frames, sometimes not, regardless of holder. With Vuescan I always manually set the frame.

In summary, you can of course do all this without the betterscanning holder. But the holder solves all the problems you will end up having to solve yourself, and the convenience when adjusting height is highly worth it.

[chuck94022]

By the way, for dry mounting, Scotch Magic Tape is perfect. Leaves nothing behind on film. For wet mounting, it is horrible.

[Gary Tarbert]

Hi , This is just my experience and i might be doing something wrong , But i have found that the scans i got from smaller formats and mainly 35mm to be less than fantastic on the v700 ,So much so i borrowed a friends Nikon coolscan to catalogue my old 35mm work . I don't shoot 35mm anymore so it's not an ongoing problem .Cheers Gary

[BenJT]

Thanks Chuck, all of that was very helpful.

Gary, thanks for the insight, I have come across that in what I have read about the scanner. For the dozen or so rolls of 35mm I have to scan, it isn't crucial that I get the best digital files, otherwise I definitely would be looking at a coolscan. I'm also not planning on shooting much 35mm in the future so it seems like the V700 is my best option going forward.

[Tony Evans]

Ben,

If you want to go ahead with this, I still have the piece of 8x10 ANR I got from BSH. Don't know where you are located but I would be happy to send it to you (gratis) if practical. PM me if interested

[Gary Tarbert]

Thanks Chuck, all of that was very helpful.

Gary, thanks for the insight, I have come across that in what I have read about the scanner. For the dozen or so rolls of 35mm I have to scan, it isn't crucial that I get the best digital files, otherwise I definitely would be looking at a coolscan. I'm also not planning on shooting much 35mm in the future so it seems like the V700 is my best option going forward.Absolutely Ben i think the V700 is a very good option but i just felt i needed to make the point about the smaller formats in case you had a lot of this size to work with , I use my V700 for all my 6x17 and bigger stuff and am very happy with it . Cheers Gary

[Ben Calwell]

I used my brother's V700 for scanning 4x5 b/w negs using the holders that came with the scanner, and the images were tack sharp. So maybe shimming isn't required in all cases.