photo scanner

[bizarrius]

Ok, heres my problem.
I am BORED of film scanning. it ruins my pictures and results are never the same as the darkroom.
I have a Minolta dual scan IV.
I want to FORCE my self to learn how to print. Not just "expose 5 times until i get it ok and go for the next picture" I want the real thing.
I want to do contacts on all films, print the good ones, and show the real print where i want to show it.
BUT, if i want to show my "creation" to my internet-friends (like you guys for instance 😀 ) i don't want to scan the negative because the result wont be the same.
So, are there any good photo scanners that i can look into? like A3 photo scanners, that don't have film scanning ability, just picture. where all your money goes on reflective scanning ONLY.
Should i photograph my prints with my sony NEX and the 50mm summicron?

any ideas? pointing on scanners or anything?
thanks 🙂

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

All of Epson's print scanners all do a good job with prints, even the cheapie $100 models. Prints don't have the wide dynamic range or very tiny details that film has to have resolved so making a good flatbed print scanner at a cheap price is easy.

 

[Lopal]

Why you will not buy really good negative scanner as one of the Nikon's? Or you will not use professional, really professional lab to expose films? Scanning printed photos- I never heard about satisfactory results. Regards.

 

[berlincontemporary]

any ideas? pointing on scanners or anything?
thanks 🙂

Most flatbeds are good enough for prints. If you want to scan some transparency occasionally look at the V700. (It might give better results than your Dual Scan IV anyway... less grainy.)

 

[Ronald M]

You need to set up a test subject you can return to any time and it must contain a full range of tones, dark to bright. Exposure controls the darks, development controls the highlights.

You need to get separation in the darks and lights in the film & prints. Adjust the two variables until you do starting with darks. Box speed works 99%, but bracket the first test to be sure. Then bracket the develop time until the highlights come out.

You need to print and there may be darkroom sessions where you make but one print. Expose the print for dark separation, and then refine the development time until the highlights print correctly without burn or dodge. Try using the different grades unless you are experienced enough to know if you have made an optimal print.

Use the same materials every time. Skipping around looking a for magic developer will get you nowhere. There is none. Repeat none. The controls are exposure and development time. Not agitation for a beginner .

Now make a contact print with the enlarger set to height for 8x10 print. Mark the enlarger height and write down the exposure time. Print exposure will be the same as contact print or very close, within 5%. Diffusion enlargers will need the same contrast grade. Condenser will use one grade less. If you have a condenser, make the contact with grade 3, print on two and they match. Others like a softer contact so they can see all the detail.

Condensers and diffusers print the same if the film is developed properly for that enlarger + LENS within a small margin. No magic here either. Do not listen to the internet BS on it. Done it many times. Changing grades to get from one to another does not make a match. Controling development time does.

Scanning a silver neg requires a low contrast neg, thus one that prints on a condenser enlarger is best. Some films have no time that prints and scans equally well. Plus X is one. TMax works for scan and condenser prints. Can`t explain, but it is true. Tri X also works. If you develope for grade 2 prints on diffusion, you will have trouble scanning any film.

Now we made a good 8x10. 3x5, 5x7, 11x14, 16x20 all require one stop more or less exposure per size from 35 mm film. If you put an exposure probe in the print plane EXACTLY you can prove it. Trust me. Don`t buy one.

Make the test print with a small strip covering the shadow and highlight. No need to expose a full sheet. Test prints are always necessary if for nothing but aesthetic interpretation of the neg. No machine or formula will get it for you.

Development tests are 6 exposures on 12" of 35mm film. Tape the leader back on to save 3 frames.

Photoshop should get prints that are scanned to look reasonably close. As soon as you digitize, the curve gets flat and you need to reintroduce it in scanner software
or photoshop. Then they match.

The easiest film to scan is Ilford XP2 or the Kodak equivalent C41. All other black and white are harder to scan than these two C41 films. Developing them at home is a pain to avoid.

There is my short course/ The long you need to read my book which I have not written yet. You library should have some. Also Amazon. But what I wrote is all you need for basics.

KEEP WITH THE SAME MATERIALS.

Do not save working strength developer more than 6 hours. You will get screwed up next test even if you only made one print. It does not keep. Neither does film developer diluted.