Film Photography Intro Pt.3: Scanning
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 พ.ย. 2017
- In parts 1 and 2 we were shooting and developing, now it's time to scan! Here I cover the basics of your options on hardware, and my preferred choice; an Epson V700 flatbed scanner.
I've experimented a lot and learned that with a little research and work, you really can get great results with 35mm and exceptional images from any larger film
SHOW NOTES
Using your DSLR
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F-Stoppers Article
fstoppers.com/education/how-u...
B&H Photo Article
www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/...
...there are lots, check out digital rev also for a video on this.
FURTHER READING - Max out your flat bed quality!
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Colten Allen Epson Settings:
www.coltonallen.com/getting-th...
Kenneth Lee Advanced scanner tips
www.kennethleegallery.com/html...
Thanks! I am into archiving almost 100 years of family history photos/negatives. This is the first time I have seen one of your videos. I bought an "Epson Perfection V600 Photo" a week ago with the same software you used in this video. I have watched several tutorials, but you are the first one that discussed adjusting color value, etc, and the potential to lose data that can never be recovered with future software edits. No one wants to discover these features halfway through scanning a couple thousand photos.
Finally after watching many many videos I have found the information I've been looking for. Thank you very much now allowing to take my scanning to the next level. I look forward to more videos, cheers
Glad to hear these videos are still useful! Appreciate your comment Steve, happy scanning!
Dear James,
Thank you. You make things clear and understandable.
Best wishes, Luke
Very well done, compared to many vids I've now watched. I have thousands of family negs. and photos that i need to scan, and this video is a great guide to approaching the project. Thanks for making it.
I’ve just viewed this as it was recommended by TH-cam,having not long got an OM1n I am thinking of buying a scanner rather than sending my film to a lab to be developed and scanned your narrative was clear and concise,thank you
I just found your channel and I'm really enjoying your videos. I like that you go into detail without being overly long winded. And you're just fun to watch! Keep it up!
LambentTyto Thanks for the kind words! I’m pleased to hear I’m hitting that sweet spot, it takes a fair bit of editing to try and get all the important info in without rambling so that’s good to hear! Lots more coming, stay tuned!
Great video; MASSIVELY improved the scans from my V600! Thank you.
i guess it is pretty randomly asking but do anybody know of a good website to watch newly released series online?
Probably the most informative vid I've seen on the subject👍brilliant!
Thanks very much Ian!
Hello James--Thank you for these film tutorials. They are very well done and extremely helpful! I have an Epson v700 and a Nikon Coolscan 4000ED as well as EpsonScan, Vuescan, and Silverfast software. They all have software interfaces that are not in the least intuitive. Terrible GUIs. I have struggled with learning to scan and correct post-scan images in PS for several years. Your tutorials have given me a solid foundation and good workflows. I am very appreciative! Cheers! Steve Rosenblum
what a great video! I was searching infos about flatbed scanner and your video is the best explaining the process
Simply Great Video. Thanks James. I just jumped into shooting a film camera, as a hobby. I am learning a lot from you.
Love your videos, so clear and concise...thanks for covering this subject
Thank you Mark!
I've just purchased all the gear to develop my first roll of B&W 120 film, and waiting for delivery...thanks for inspiring me :)
You do a killer job of presenting and delivering info.
Thank you
Thank you! Nice to know this is still of value - been a long time since I've posted anything but it'd be fun to get back to it!
Great stuff. Clear and helpful.🙏
I could watch your videos for hours!
I just got my V600 and have been very disappointed. Turns out I was scanning the dull/emulsion side! Now I am getting very good results, thanks to your video!
James, Don't often comment on TH-cam videos, but have to say this is one of the best tutorials I have viewed on this subject, its was with out bias and informational, production quality of the video is top notch and a pleasure to view, keep up the excellent work! "Film is not dead"
Thanks for the kind words Paul, each time I hear from someone who has found this series helpful or read constructive feedback it's really encouraging me to make more and to cover subjects that are suggested, appreciate you taking the time to comment!
Great channel.. Very clear and informative.. 👍🏽
Really appreciate you clarity.
This video is one of the main videos that gives me more confidence in getting an Epson V800 flatbed, as I have be told that flatbed scanners are no good, but they seem perfectly fine to me.
Good morning James. I am responding here; but, this applies to all four videos in your four part series. Thank you very much for spending your time and lending your experience and knowledge about these subjects. Although I'll never be a professional photographer, your information helps TREMENDOUSLY in my genealogy efforts (including scanning in photographs for family members) and also in the processing of scanning in all my personal photographs. (Oh how I wish I still had those negatives, darn it!) I have an Epson V550 and I purchased Lightroom 6 (for no monthly fees). I never would have even tried Lightroom had it not been for your brief tutorial. I do hope you do another one. I bought a DSLR camera recently for my personal/family use, and to use for my construction/woodworking work. Your personality and the way you present the information makes all the difference. Thank you again for your time, effort, and sharing of information.
Jim Barnes thanks very much for the kind and thoughtful comment Jim, in really happy this was helpful for you! I’m in the process of making more now, including one on scanning colour and one covering a trip to the Yukon in Canada shooting some film - where I am right now! Really appreciate you (and everyone else) who takes the time to write, as it’s nice to know these videos are helping people.
Thank you very much for this usefull video! I use the same scanner (almosts v800). And I am a little bit lost with all the possible adjustments and the default settings and autoadjustments.
Can’t wait to test your advices!
my pleaseure Etienne - found anything helpful?
I'm majorly on the fence about getting a v700-800 or a pac image negative scanner... Nice to see some local shots. Siwash and Granville :) thanks for the great overview of the process.
Thanks for this very informative video!
Most welcome! Happy to hear it's useful!
Very insightful video, thank you kindly
really well explained , thank you .
That's quite helpful seems I was missing some steps. Would you use these same settings for scanning colour negatives? I'm I also seeing wright are you bring in part of the emulsion when scanning?
Hi James. Great video, mate. I learned a lot about how to get the best "flat" scan out of my scanner. My plan is to use the autoexposure features of my Pakon F135 (35mm) and Epson V600 (120) for quick, low-res preview/reference scans. Once I want to work on a particular image or set of images for a project, I'll re-scan it the way you describe. Excited to see your tips on post-processing, as that's an area I have little experience with. Cheers!
Andre Thanks for the kind comments and sorry for my slow reply, holidays are to blame!! Man I'd love a Pakon, but the prices are eye-watering now. I'm secretly hoping Kodak send me one I can try out some day as I'd really like to try one out! Hope you got yours at a good price.
Look out for future videos where i'll be talking about using VueScan, Color Perfect and other techniques and sharing those. Happy New Year!
I love your film videos.
Emily Gallagher thanks :)
Great channel, so happy to find it and very good information. I have a V600, alas not to happy with it and hoping to upgrade to the 800, I only use Epson for 120 film, for 135 I have a Plustek 8100 scanner. I also use Vuescan and Colorperfect and do linear scans for coloured film. I am interested in your workflow as I have only just started shooting with film seriously (as an adult).
Amazing, thank you!
Great. You’re a good tutor.
James: I just wanted to say your presentations are the best I have seen on working with film. I never usually made any correction on my scanned images with the software, I always thought that's what I have Photoshop for. I am kicking my self now because of all the detail in the highlights and shadows I have probably lost. I plan now to correct all my previewed scans before I hit scan so I can get a nice flat image to work with in Photoshop.
Lonnie Paulson thanks for your kind comment! I actually did the exact same thing the first time around before I learned these adjustments. The nice thing is that if you’ve kept your negatives then you can always scan the important ones again - or as you say you now how to get a great starting point from your future scans! I’m happy this was helpful to you.
Lonnie Paulson thanks for your kind comment! I actually did the exact same thing the first time around before I learned these adjustments. The nice thing is that if you’ve kept your negatives then you can always scan the important ones again - or as you say you now how to get a great starting point from your future scans! I’m happy this was helpful to you.
Hi from South America, James! Wow, such useful, comprehensive, straight to the point, and super clear instructions. :D Thank you so much, it really helped me get the most out of my 35mm negatives.
I will soon dive into 6x6 Medium Format, and I'm wondering...is it best to scan 120 negs with flatbeds (can't afford dedicated/professional lab scans at the moment) like V700/800, or is it best to scan the prints created from the original negative in the darkroom? How much tonal/detail information would we lose with each way? I'm a bit confused as to what is the better system is to share medium format photos in social media, and, on the other hand, have paper prints with the quality it is known for. Thank you!
Excellent and Thank you very much
I got Silver Fast as well as the Epson program with my scanner, the Epson program is far better in my opinion. Yet again another great video explaining some complex issues really well.
When you started, you mentioned the VueScan software along with the Epson software, which you actually employed. Which do you prefer in your day-to-day work? Secondly, since time is always a concern, how long did it take, with your setup, to scan all 24 frames, and how long did it take to scan the single frame with breaking waves and cloudy sky, after you tweaked it with the professional settings? Is the scanning time solely determined by the scanner, or does the processing power of the computer have some impact on that scanning time?
Thanks for an excellent video.
This is by far the best presentation that I have seen on scanning. Thank you. It may allow me to correct an issue that I have had using an Epson Perfection 4990-photo scanner and Xsane for Linux. If I scan an over-exposed image I loose far more than the original image had. The most frustrating part is that before the scanned image comes up on screen a good copy briefly appears than is replaced by one that has only 50% of the original image detail. I get acceptable results with other images. This only occurs when the original is over-exposed to start with. I have tried tweaking controls without success but maybe I can do more with the histogram.
Thumbs up for Granville Island and Siwash Rock.
Thanks so much! It's great to hear that putting these out there is helpful for others! I know it took me a long time and a lot of trial and error to get to a happy place, so I'm happy if I can help people get there faster! I'm planning a lot of new content and a complete overhaul of my website etc is underway, it should be a good resource for this stuff once it's there. Watch this space and thanks for the kind words!
@@JamesStevensonPhoto Similar to antipoesman, I am presently using an old Epson Perfection and Xsane on Linux. The method for scanning that works, and which I worked out for myself several years ago, is very similar to that shown in the video. With patience and experimentation, the results are absolutely amazing, even for decades-old films. My top tip for minimizing dust is to roll up your sleeves so you have bare arms, or even take off your shirt and do it topless. Most of the dust comes from clothing.
antipodesman I too have an Epson Perfection 4990 Scanner and when the Epson software became unavailable, I discovered and now use VueScan software on a 27" iMac to process the scans. How specifically did you resolve the issue you were having in getting bad results when scanning overexposed negatives? One tip I had seen on another channel was to never include in your scan any border material that was not an integral part of the image on the film, because the extra non-image material can skew the way the software evaluates and scans the image. I noticed in this video that his approach is different; he includes all of the border areas to ensure he is working with the entire image he visualized when he captured the image on the film in his camera.
If I want to scan films (all of my family photos) to be able throw them away later and have them saved in full resolution on my computer, what resolution do you think is suitable?
I watched this video on a Friday 😱!!
I have my darkroom in my bathroom because it has no windows.
I scan my colour negatives from my Pentax 67 on a Epson V500. Great results.
hi, Neil! Interesting. Do you get better results scanning the negatives, and printing later those scanned negatives, or scanning the paper prints done in the darkroom? Thanks!
I was just thinking about picking up a v800 but I think I’ll make the investment after watching this 👍🏼
YAYOSKVM honestly you won’t regret it! I’ve been using mine getting on ten years and still really like it as you can tell! I’ll post more videos soon on advanced scanning techniques :)
Found this blog very useful, I just wish the settings windows were enlarged. On a MBP 15" you can't really see where you are going with your selections, especially for someone not familiar with the software. I gave it a "plus" anyway.
I have just bought an Epson V550 which I find very good value, but I encountered a problem with Epson Scan in that it does not seem to want to scan the negatives one after another.
Solution is that you need to download Epson Scan 2 and that fixes the problem. Hope that helps somebody !
Hi! Thank you for the very informative guide. Silly question. What photoviewer are you using? I can't stand the default windows one which does some kind of color correction.
Hi James, I would love to see an example of the same image scanned dry and in a fluid mount. My own tests suggest it’s really not worth the extra effort but would love to hear more about your results.
What gadget is holding the negative off of the dslr lens? Great vid
Nice tutorial! I've been scanning family history negatives from 1920 through the 1980s, and I'm always looking for new tips. I use the V850, but I've opted to use VueScan instead of the Epson software, but I do many of the same things you do. One thing I do differently is that I set the crop for the scan inside the frame rather than outside because if it's outside the frame, then the histogram picks up information outside the frame - probably not a huge deal.
I also don't use the film holders that come with the scanner, partly because I have a lot of odd film sizes for which there aren't holders. I put the film into the poly archive preservers like you show at the beginning of the video (from PrintFile, I love them), then I put the entire sheet of negatives on the scanner, proper side up, but top and bottom of the sheet reversed so the printing at the top of sheet doesn't interfere with the scanner calibration each time it scans. I borrowed the glass from an 8 1/2 x 11 picture frame to put on top of the sheet of negatives to flatten them. Then I scan using 8 x 10 mode. I have to manually set the crop to one photo at a time, which is tedious. I don't get newton rings, maybe because the poly on either side of the negatives prevents them from contacting the glass.
All the stuff about adjusting the histogram, 16 bits per channel, and linear curve is good, that's what I do. I do question moving the mid-tone indicator somewhere besides halfway between the bottom and top indicators. It seems to me that this is the equivalent of setting a non-linear curve, right?
Whatever you do digitally, do not destroy your negatives in any case! Digital formats will change, and there is a risk you can't open your files after 30 years or so. Film will still be fine, if correctly stored, and not nitrate,
James, do you scan color negative the same way you do B+W? As in do you do the same adjustments as above?
Andre sorry for the late reply, Christmas holidays took over for a while there. Happy New Year! In answer to your question, the process for colour with the Epson Scan Software follows very similar procedure yes. My workflow now is actually a little different for colour photography; I use alternative software that I find gives me better results - VueScan and a plugin for photoshop called Color Perfect. I'll be adding content very soon showing how I use these, please stay tuned and I'll be able to answer in more depth in a video coming soon.
What about the HIGH of the scanning mount? some people say that you have to fix that part but is not a job from Epson to have an standard of the HIGH?
Thanks for this series of videos. I have a fundamental question about film scanning. An advantage of using (at least some) film types is the large dynamic range so that bright and dark areas of a scene can be faithfully captured, more so than with a digital camera sensor. But a flatbed scanner with a digital sensor presumably has a limited dynamic range compared to film. So doesn't that negate some of the advantage of using film?
To put it short - it does. It can be compared in a way to printing your negatives into C-types, when all of the latitude of the film is not used in the final print. I personally avoid scanning, and prefer the old way, printing in the darkroom. That said, digital post production can have some advantages in certain situations, and in certain kind of work. For me, digital file is seldom the final product I want.
Great video thanks - just one thing that you may wish to tweak is leaving the black edge of the negative in the scan. Essentially you’re asking the scanner software to do auto levels of the entire frame including all that black which throws off the result. If you crop inside the actual image you’ll get far better results right off the bat.
I would like to keep a bit of the rebate in the scan...does that throw it all off?
Yes it does - the scanner sees all that pure black on the rebate and adjusts the entire frame accordingly, which will give you an incorrect exposure.
Hey. I have the Epson 2450 Win10 and VueScan. Color Negatives are a nightmare and pretty much impossible. Would you recommend the V700?
Hi Michael, thanks for watching. I'm not familiar with that scanner but would say hold tight for my colour tutorial coming soon in case it will apply before paying out. The V700 does a great job with colour but getting the best results can sometimes mean trying a few approaches - I'll be covering EpsonScan, VueScan and ColorPerfect solutions in a video very soon.
I'm sticking with my film scanner, but I wonder if the Sony cameras with the pixel shift feature would be a good choice. For B&W I can imagine one of the monochrome medium format backs, but if one has such a beast, even I would probably use it rather than my MF film camera.
I've actually just picked up a macro lens for my OM-D which has the same pixel shift features for hi-res output. Can't wait to try it out! Ideally I now need a copy stand and a light box, but it could just be a great solution and I'll share the results here if it becomes my new go-to 35mm process.
Have u ever used Silverfast software. I see the Nick Carver uses that. Also wet scanning with the Epson. Any thoughts on that technique?
Have you done this with Epson scan 2? Do you have a video for scanning positives with Epson scan 2 on V700? Thanks.
Hi 👋🏼 just a quick question , is the Epson V550 able to scan 24 mm film ??
Hej James, you have made a good job! Now, in 2019, I have purchased a Perfection V850 Pro. But the installation don't run with OS Mojave. Did you have heard something about this problem?
Get Vuescan and you'll be good, Lars.
I would be nice to have a link to scan from your 35mm frame (any is fine). I would like to compare to my 35mm scan to it. Seems like mine always gets a bit blurry. I can't compare from video. In any event, I enjoy this. Long live film !
Can you get acceptable Image editing using only the software supplied with the scanner?
Maybe not professional results but adequate for sharing on social media
I only scan my 6x7 negatives and have ones I like enlarged at a laboratory near me in the uk.
I just print my favourite black and white negatives in my enlarger without scanning.
I never scan prints.
I do scan old Kodachrome 35mm slides and have them printed to 7x5 and frame them or make them into greetings cards for sale on a stall that I have occasionally.
Just f your channel, very informative. I’ve subscribed. I’m in Australia
Hi and welcome Harold!
thank you
James, I have been scanning images on Epson scanners for 20 years. I can show you ways to scan B&W and Color negative film with Epson scan software that will give you images ready to go into PS and do very few minor adjustments on them. If you are interested!
Nice & Thanks :)
What is the purpose of using the film mount as opposed to placing the film directly on the glass of the scanner? I ask because I no longer have the film mount for my scanner and over the past year have started shooting and developing my own black and white film, both 35mm and 120. I'm having a difficult time getting quality scans of my negatives, they all seem too bright. I have a Canon MX882 scanner/printer.
You must use the holder in order to keep the film flat, and hold it at the exact right distance from the scanner sensor for the image to be in focus. Also, of you press the film on to the glass, it will create coloured patterns in the image, similar to an oil film on water, called Newton's rings, which is an optical interference phenomenon.
Is there any way to save the thumbnails to act like a sheet of contact prints
" the highest this camera and scanner can resolve." Does this mean a higher resolution scan will not give more information? If I wanted to do a very large print, would the higher res scam give me more to work with? I don't understand why you wouldn't go best at all times. Or are there reasons , apart from " I won't blow this image to poster size" that lower res is chosen. Thanks.
Hi Brendan, this is good question. The scanner documentation does state that it will scan up to 6400dpi. When I first bought this scanner many years ago I felt as you did; scan at the highest possible resolution to capture the maximum detail from the scanner's high res camera (it actually has two cameras, one used for flatbed reflective scans of larger mediums and a high res camera for film scanning).
However as I researched and tested myself, I found the optimal resolution to actually be closer to 2400 dpi at best. Beyond this, you do indeed get a larger file but in real world terms no there's no extra detail resolved. There's a great article explaining this here: www.filmscanner.info/en/EpsonPerfectionV700Photo.html Near the bottom under 'Image Quality'. This info is consistent over lots of independent tests.
I have found using improved these improved hardware and software tweaks I can blow up a 35mm negative to a 13x19 inch print with great results viewed close-up, possibly even a bit larger, but I wouldn't really try to push to a true poster size and expect this. Larger film for sure, but this is where you start to hit the limitations of flatbeds using 35mm. If I were to need a 35mm negative scanned at higher resolution I'd look for a lab with Imacon or drum scanning facilities.
It's also worth bearing in mind that poster sized prints are rarely viewed at very close distances and if this is the case then you can get away with a lower overall resolution with surprisingly great results.
The DPI figure mentioned on these desktop scanners is not quite correct. They fudge the DPI figure to make it sound impressive but in the end the Epson's are understood to be closer to 2400dpi but I'm not sure even that is correct. It's definitely a good idea to scan at the best quality you can so you don't have to come back and do it again but there is a limit to where you're just getting a bigger file and no extra information. At 300DPI which is what you get in a photo book a 3000px x 2000px file will get you a 10 x 8 printed image and even at 150DPI which alot of printed material is at then you'll get a 20 x 16 out of just a 6MP file. Remember those iPhone photo billboards on the side of skyscrapers are from files that are only around 4000 x 3000px. The only important figure from a scan is the pixels as that is what you've got to use for a print - DPI/PPI is just the end game on the output side.
❤️
Stanley Park!
Hi James, do you scan with the lid open or closed please?
The lid contains a lamp that illuminates the film. The light passes though the film and is detected by a sensor in the scanner. Thus, the lid must be closed.
How do you manage the metadata, to show what camera your using, lens, and location?
I write the details a small piece of cardboard cut from a tea-packet when I take the photo, then transfer it to a little notebook later, when I get home. It works.
What computer would say works best with the Epson V850 Scanner?
Hi Greg, I can't really say specifically but it's not a very demanding piece of hardware. VueScan ran perfectly well with my (now very old!) Epson V750 on my laptop around 12 years ago, so any modern PC or Mac would run this hardware just fine.
Since VueScan is always updated, even if the Epson software for some reason becomes unsupported, there will always be other options to run it.
Both Epson and VueScan software run perfectly on my PC and laptop with Windows 10 using only modest resources.
Hope that's helpful! Let me know how you get on.
@@JamesStevensonPhoto
That was very helpful.
Thanks so much and I appreciate your honesty in your reply.
Some b&w films like tmax400 and tri-x are easier to scan than others like acros 100, for color film velvia 50, fuji 400H, superia 400 and Ektar 100 do scan very well. The flatbed scanners arr sadly a bit limited in true resolution with 35mm film but work better eith medium and large format film
Many people online recommend scanning with the emulsion-side DOWN, which is opposite from what Epson recommends. (This requires you to flip the image in post, as it will be reversed when scanned.) Any thoughts on this? I see you're following Epson's instructions, and didn't know if you'd ever heard or considered the emulsion-down route.
I'm inclined to follow Epson's guidelines, as they're the experts.
At 8:30 : you don't mention that the scan result is very cropped compared to the negative preview.
I bought a set of V800/V850 film holders for my V700. The V800/V850 film holders are better built, not as flimsy as the ones that came with the V700 and have the anti-newton ring glass which really helps hold the film flat and they are height adjustable so you can get the best focus. I bought mine on Ebay. These film holders were the best thing I have done to improve the quality of my scans.
This video is 2 years old, any updates in the scanning with flatbed vs DSLR?
I'm still doing it the same way Daniele, same scanner, just a newer version of VueScan!
Friends use mirrorless cameras with copy stands, both techniques will work for you. I still need to make a video on scanning colour!! That's long overdue... work and life took over from making content here, but I do mean to revisit this! Thanks for watching.
@@JamesStevensonPhoto thank you James, I appreciate it. I understand life is busy, I am still debating and hoping to find a good solution, the V850 is so pricey at the moment. but I've heard and read, that for 120 is a really good option,
do you need a mount to scan?
Yes, you _must_ use a mount to hold the film flat, and at the exact right distance from the sensor in the scanner for the image to be in focus.
19 x 13 inch print = +/- 30 x 50 cm
Will scaner from printer do the trick?
Filip do you mean one of the combo printer / scanner devices? If it has a transparency lid and the means to scan film / transparencies, there will be a way to get it to scan film. The quality of the results will depend on that particular scanner's specs, film holders and software. I can't vouch for other scanners as I've only really used the Epson ones but I know people get good results from HP and Canon scanners by using a systematic process of learning to control the software and output in a similar way.
Watch at 1.5x speed...
You failed to mention the biggest issue with using a camera for „scanning“ which is color depth. Every scanner, even a ten year old one has a larger color spectrum than almost every modern camera.
could someone explain to me WHY people are shooting film and THEN scanning to digital files. Why not just shoot digital. I love shooting on film and I shoot digital. Never do I want to shoot film and scan to digital. Not since 2010 that is.